OBU Athletics Heritage Series: The Mastin Family

OBU Athletics Heritage Series
 
The Mastins: OBU Sports Legacy Family
 
Many universities have legacy athletes—players whose parents or other relatives competed at the same institution. Oklahoma Baptist University currently has legacy athletes in baseball and men's and women's basketball, for example. Perhaps the best legacy example, however, is the Mastin Family which has provided five OBU athletes and an extremely successful coach through four generations.

The first in line was Robert (Bob) Mastin, 1923-27. He was followed by his son, Gerald, 1949-53, who was followed by his sons Ford, 1973-77, and Kyle, 1977-81. Ford's son, Trevor, competed in 2009-10.
 

Bob Mastin came to OBU in 1923 from Wetumka and immediately made Coach Victor C. Hurt's first Bison football team which compiled a 4-4-1 record. The 1924 student yearbook commented on Mastin's play as a freshman: "An excellent defense man. That he was a dependable center was clearly shown by his record. He played every minute of the season."

The Bison improved to 8-3 in 1924, and Mastin was picked for the second team of the Coaches All Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference Team. The yearbook reported: "Bob held the difficult position of pivot man for a line that ripped the Bronco's defense to pieces, although Bob did not land on the All State Team. After the Central game the leading newspaper in Oklahoma City credited him with being a better center than the man placed in that position."

In 1925 the Bison were 8-1, held their opponents to a total of 15 points for the season, and defeated the University of Arkansas, 6-0, in Fayetteville. Mastin intercepted three Razorback passes in that game. The 1925 team captain, Mastin was a first-team all conference selection, and he was named to both the Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World All Oklahoma Collegiate Teams (All State).  The yearbook stated: "A player who knew what to do, when to do it and how it was to be done. A man who was an inspiration to his teammates, a fighter from start to finish, and a captain who led his team through the best football season in the history of the school. Such playing could not help but place him where he belonged—on the All State eleven."

Mastin was a second-team all conference choice and a first-team All Oklahoma Collegiate Team pick in 1926. The Bison were 6-1-1. During Mastin's four seasons, the football team was 26-9-2. He also lettered in track in 1926 and 1927.

Gerald Mastin says that his father did not talk much about his football exploits, but he did like to talk about his former teammates—players like D.A. Brazel, Clement Hannum, Prentiss Mooney, Buddy Wilcoxson, Eddie Hurt, and others. Gerald adds that his mother liked to point out that his father had a knot on the top of his head which she said was because he would not wear a football helmet.

Gerald grew up in Okmulgee but moved to Gary, Ind., while he was in high school. He came to OBU from Gary in 1949. Gerald says that his father encouraged him "a little" to come to OBU, but the main reason was that he and two chums—Bill Rickard and George Sumurdy—from Gary decided to come to OBU together.
Gerald played freshman basketball in 1949-50 and varsity basketball the next three seasons. His senior season, Mastin, 6-0 guard, was co-captain of the team and averaged 5.7 points a game. He played for a variety of coaches: student Bill Cooper, freshman coach in 1949-50; Beuford Barnum, 1949-51; student co-coaches James Burnett and Tex Farrar, 1950-51; and Bob Bass in his first season as the Bison mentor, 1951-52.

Gerald and V.K. Curtis were the only seniors who played a lot in 1951-52 as Bass recruited and played a number of talented freshman in his effort to rebuild the program.

 Gerald played baseball three seasons, 1951-52-53. He was a catcher and a first baseman. His best season was in 1951 when he batted .324. He played for three different baseball coaches: Barnum in 1951, student Conrad Swensson in 1952, and Bass in 1953. Gerald also was a golf letterman, and he and his teammates won an Oklahoma Collegiate Conference golf championship.

Ford Mastin came to OBU in 1973 from Stillwater. He played junior varsity basketball his freshman year and participated in track for four years. He ran the 120 high hurdles and the 440 intermediate hurdles. His top time was 14.8 in the high hurdles. In 1976 he was selected for the track team's "Competitor Award," and in 1977 he was team captain and was named "Most Valuable Player."

When asked about choosing to attend OBU, Ford says, "Actually, I looked seriously at a few other schools thinking that I would want to make my own way and establish my own history. After those thoughts passed, it became crucial for me to want to play my role in our family's contributions to OBU's purposes."
After graduating from OBU, Ford earned a master's degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He later received a master's of education degree from East Central. He served as head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Texas Christian University in 1978-79 and as a teacher and coach at Happy Hill Academy in 1980-81. From 1982-96, he was track coach at Prague High School.

Ford took over the OBU cross country and track and field programs in 1996 and since then his teams have won 14 national championships and had a total of 58 top-five finishes in national competition. His men's and women's teams competed in the NAIA until 2015-16 when OBU moved to NCAA Division 2. They are not able to compete nationally in D-2 until their transition period is complete (probably 2017-18), so they competed in 2016 in the National Christian College Athletic Association—winning men's and women's indoor and outdoor championships.

In national cross country meets, Ford's Bison have finished fourth three times and fifth once. The Lady Bison have three sixth-place finishes.

In national indoor competition, his Bison have two firsts, two seconds, seven thirds, and three fourths. His Lady Bison have eight firsts, one second, three thirds, one fourth, and one fifth.

In national outdoor competition, his Bison have two firsts, one second, four thirds, five fourths, and one fifth. His Lady Bison have two firsts, seven seconds, one third, one fourth, and two fifths.
 

Ford's athletes have received more than 400 All America awards, and 291 of his athletes have earned 1,232 All American awards and have held 25 national records. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008; the OBU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009; and the NAIA Track Hall of Fame in 2014. He was Oklahoma Track Coach of the Year in 1994; NAIA Coach of the Year fifteen times; and NAIA Coach of Character in 2014.
           
Ford competed at OBU at a time when OBU did not offer scholarships in track. Asked how this influenced his coaching, he explains, "More positive than negative. When you start at the bottom, everything that happens is usually positive. There has not been as much whining about disappointments as you might hear from most programs. It has been important to be good stewards of what has been given to us. I have not wanted to waste a single thing."
 
Despite the non-scholarship years of the 1970s and early 1980s, the school has a long and distinguished history in track. Asked if this heritage has helped him build his program, Ford responds, "Definitely. Those historical figures were dignified and passionate. They were good examples. The ones still living, or their families, have been supportive and inspiring. For example, a year ago Harold Cagle's son called me and we communicated three different times." (Cagle won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. 4x400 relay team in the 1936 Olympics.)
 
Kyle Mastin attended OBU from 1977-81, participating in track for three years and serving as a student assistant coach in his senior year. He ran the 400 hurdles and also relays. Trevor Mastin ran the 110 high hurdles and was a long jumper in 2009 and 2010.
 
Members of the Mastin family have worn green and gold Bison athletic uniforms in seven of OBU's eleven-decade history. Track, football, basketball, baseball, and golf teams have benefitted from their contributions—a family legacy and an OBU legacy, indeed.