Ray Vaughn Cup
Who is Ray Vaughn?
Considered the patriarch of Oklahoma Christian athletics, Ray Vaughn epitomized the Christian coach. Serving on the faculty from 1958 until his death in 1980, Vaughn established the highest standards of character and athletic performance for OC’s varsity programs. His exceptionally rigorous training schedule each day for his track and field teams forced athletes to stretch their limits and to fulfill their potential.
A quiet and perceptive observer of every workout, he knew his teams and gave each person special attention and coaching. Although he respected athletic ability and personal determination, he valued character and moral strength even more. His strong personal faith motivated and directed his whole life, and he mastered the art of helping young people understand the significance of spiritual realities. He inspired respect, honor and devotion in those he taught and coached because every word he spoke had the ring of authenticity.
In 1970, he was elected to the NAIA Hall of Fame. In 1991, he was part of the inaugural class to the Oklahoma Christian Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1999, his wife, Sue, and his children, Ray Vaughn Jr. and Lynn Mitchell, were present when Ray Vaughn was among the first Master Teachers inducted into Oklahoma Christian’s Faculty Hall of Fame.
Vaughn served as OC’s track and field coach from 1958 to 1979 and as men’s basketball coach from 1958 to 1962, as OC transitioned from junior-college to senior-college athletic status. He also was the decathlon coach for the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1970 and 1971, working with former OC standout Jeff Bennett, who finished fourth in the decathlon in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Vaughn also was a U.S. coach in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Indoor Competition in Moscow in 1972 and received national recognition as a referee of major track and field meets including the Drake Relays, Kansas Relays, Big Eight Conference Championships and NAIA Championships.
He coached 60 NAIA All-America performers in track and field and was memorialized with the naming and dedication of Ray Vaughn Track on the OC campus in 1990.
Vaughn’s son, Ray Vaughn Jr., played basketball and tennis at OC and later became an Oklahoma state legislator before serving as an Oklahoma County commissioner. Vaughn’s grandson, Clint Vaughn, was an OC baseball standout in the 1990s and, like his grandfather, is a member of the OC Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Ray Vaughn Cup
The Cup is named after Ray Vaughn Sr., Oklahoma Christian’s first coach and athletic director, who was a proponent of high athletic achievement coupled with academic, spiritual and community excellence. The competition is between all teams accumulating points in six different areas.
The NCAA Division II Strategic Positioning Platform stresses “Life in the Balance” with six attributes: Learning, Service, Balance, Passion, Sportsmanship and Resourcefulness.
The Ray Vaughn Cup will be a means in which student-athletes can compete in various life-skills categories. This is a way for student-athletes to outwardly demonstrate their Christian principles and allow them to use their competitive spirit for something other than athletic competition.
Categories include:
Community Engagement Activities
Student-athletes and teams can earn points by participating in organized community service projects organized by their team. Only community service hours while representing OC athletics will count. Mandated Community Service projects do not count towards points earned. Community Service forms must be submitted to Curtis Janz, Mike Farris or Dean Findley within seven days of the completion of the event. Points will be distributed at the end of the academic year based on the total number of hours completed. Teams will be ranked from 1-12 based on total number of hours completed. The team with the most community service hours will receive 120 points, second will receive 110, third will receive 100, etc. To qualify for points as a team, 80% of your roster must complete five hours of community service.
Academic Performance
The teams with the highest team grade-point average after the conclusion of the academic year will be awarded points. The teams that reach their GPA goal will receive points. GPA goals have to be declared at the conclusion of the second week of classes.
Highest Departmental GPA - 150 points
Highest GPA female/male team - 100 points
2nd place GPA female/male team - 50 points
3rd place GPA female/male team - 25 points
Leadership Development
This category is created to encourage student-athletes’ participation in areas that are above and beyond the expectations of our students. A varying number of points will be awarded, at the discretion of the SAAC and Life Skills committee. Examples may include: service on university-wide committees, organizing and implementing educational or community service projects, participation in conference or NCAA programming, etc. Life skills staff will meet once a month to discuss and approve activities that are submitted in this category. Student-athletes will also receive points in this category if they:
• Conduct a team sponsored or supported program (Personal Development) – 50 points each event
• Attend a lecture/workshop or program designed for personal development – 5 points per person/program
• Attend a lecture/workshop or program designed for career development – 5 points per person/program
Athletic Performance
Teams and individuals will be awarded points based on national, conference, regional or campus-wide recognition.
• Heartland Conference Champion (regular season or tournament) – 25 points
• Team appearance in NCAA Tournament – 50 points
• NCAA Regional Champs – 50 points
• NCAA Championship appearance – 75 points
• National Champion - 100 points
• All-America recognition – 12 points
• All-Region recognition – 8 points
• All-Conference recognition – 6 points
• Conference All-Academic Award – 6 points
• Sportsmanship Awards – 6 points
Eagles For Christ/Eagle Nation
Student-athletes can earn points by actively participating in EFC and EagleNation sponsored events.
• 2 points per person per event participated in.
Campus Engagement
Student-athletes and teams can earn points by attending home contests of other teams as well as any campus event attended by a member of a team (such as musicals, lectures, performances, devotionals, etc.). Student-athletes must submit an attendance form to the game site manager prior to the conclusion of the contest. Five points per event (maximum of 100 points can be earned). In order to earn five points, 50 percent of the team must be present.
Past Cup Winners
2013-14: Women’s Golf
2012-13: Women’s Basketball
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