The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2003: Sirola, Acres, and Workman.

On Feb. 22, ORU welcomed back many of its Athletics Hall of Fame members — the men and women who really had the “body” part of that spirit-mind-body philosophy all figured out during their days on campus in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. It was a night when “Titans” and “Golden Eagles” became one. Most of all, it was a night to recognize and thank Mark Acres, Sheera Sirola, and Haywoode Workman for giving us all those other days and nights to remember. Oh, how they played . . . .

#42 Mark Acres, as a 1983 Titan.

‘An Incredible Journey’
By Debbie (Titus-77) George

“We’ve got Acres and Acres and Acres of talent…”

That was the catch phrase used to promote Titan basketball in the early 1980s, and it was certainly true. There was Dick, the head coach, who compiled a 47- 34 career record after replacing Ken Hayes early in the 1982-83 season. There was Dick’s son Jeff, a forward who ranks seventh all-time among 1,000-point scorers.

And then, of course, there was Dick’s middle son, Mark (01), the 6'10" center and undisputed team leader (1981-85) who was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 22.

When Acres left ORU he was drafted by Dallas, but he played in Europe for two years before launching his NBA career . . . not with Dallas, but with the Boston Celtics, and with some legends named Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Dennis Johnson.

“I enjoyed Boston the most,” says Acres of his two seasons in Beantown. (He also spent three years with Orlando and a short time with Houston, Chicago, and Washington.) “That was really special; it was basketball at its finest. We just moved the ball and passed and beat people with execution.”

As a pro, however, Acres was hard pressed to repeat the success he’d achieved at the NCAA Division I level, when he led the Titans in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots during his four years. (His blocked-shot record finally fell this spring, to Kendrick Moore.) He is number four on the career list for points scored. The four-time All-American led ORU to its only Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular-season and tournament championships in 1984, and has the distinction of being one of a handful of ORU basketball players who can list a trip to the NCAA Tournament on their résumé; ORU’s only other trip came in 1974.

Acres was named the MCC Player of the Year in 1984 and scored 28 points in what turned out to be a first-round 92-83 loss to Memphis State at the NCAA Tournament. He is the only member of ORU’s 2,000 points/1,000 rebounds club, with 2,038/1,051.

Acres says he was surprised when he got the call about his Hall of Fame selection. “Any time you get honored for a job you did for four years, you know that you weren’t wasting your time completely,” he says. “It’s a tremendous honor.” Coming back to Tulsa, he was also pleasantly surprised at the condition of the campus. “I have to say they’ve done a really nice job of keeping everything up, especially the gym.”

The entire Acres family — Matt, Mark, Sandi, Dick, and Jeff — returned for Mark’s big night.

The years have been kind to Acres, too. He’s just a few pounds over his playing weight and still plays once a week on a recreational team — with his younger brother Matt, who was a ball boy at ORU. He says he misses the competition of pro ball. “Now it’s all about a good sweat,” he says, smiling. He also teaches physical education, coaches his nine-year-old son Karl’s basketball team, and conducts summer basketball camps. Lacking just a few credit hours, he took correspondence courses and received his ORU diploma in 2001. He and his wife, Veronique, also have a daughter, Pauline, 12, and live in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

“I always wanted to play professionally,” Acres says of his life’s goal, and the NBA “was everything I expected and more.” Although it was hard to end his career, he says he was tired of moving and ready to settle down.

When he met with the Golden Eagles in February, he says he told them to “stay focused, stay together, make the extra pass, and play hard. I told them, every time I walked in the gym, I thought I was going to win the game."

Reviewing the past twenty years, Acres allows that there are some things he would have done differently, "but nothing really drastic. I can't complain. Life's been pretty good. It's been an incredible journey, and it's good to come back here to kind of where it all started."

Basketball was Mark Acres' past. It's also his present, and appears to be his future as he teaches his son the trade. Destiny is destiny, and No. 42 is happy to accept that this is his.

Sheera Sirola

Finding Middle Ground
By Elissa K. Harvill

One can see it in her eyes: Sheera Sirola (99) is decisive and determined. For the record-setting player and now head volleyball coach at ORU, volleyball is not just her game, it’s her life’s calling. In February, she joined two other ORU superstars as an inductee in the ORU Athletics Hall of Fame.

A native Croatian, Sirola arrived at ORU in 1994 in the midst of Croatia’s struggle for independence from Serbia. God, she says, brought her to Tulsa with the help of Tamara Lesic (99) and Ksenija Kulger (99), two Croatian friends and volleyball teammates. Wowing everyone with her 60-miles-per-hour jump serve, no one had ever seen anything like her. To this day, she is ORU’s all-time leader in service aces. As a player, she led the Golden Eagles to the Elite Eight in the 1995 NCAA tournament.

So why volleyball? Sirola had a great coach in the sixth grade. He encouraged her and helped convince her that volleyball was her way to go. Encouragement was scarce in communist Croatia. Sirola says, “Where I come from you’re on your own unless you have special connections. And at school, they don’t care, you either pass or fail, and if you fail, you just keep trying by yourself until you pass. At ORU, the teachers work with you and want to see you succeed — they actually want to help if you are struggling and are interested in you and will offer tutors and all sorts of help. Academically, ORU is the greatest school ever.”

Sirola says she "didn't speak a lick of English" when she came to ORU: "The first three months were very difficult; I wanted so badly to communicate, but I couldn't . . . and then after a few months it just started to flow out." Sirola's family is still in Croatia; her mother manages an accounting firm, and her father has a restaurant there. She has no family here in the United States but has made many lifelong friends. As for returning to Croatia, other than to visit family, she admits, "I've never wanted to go back!

Sirola (left) shares the spotlight with Rhonda Penquite, ORU’s first female All-American. Photo by John O’Connor

"I've grown spiritually since I've been here," Sirola shares. "I came to ORU as . . . nothing -- as a communist. Going to classes [at ORU] and chapel changed me. I first decided that I wanted to be a Christian after my sophomore year." Sirola was only eligible to play volleyball for two years at ORU; after her playing career in 1995, she was offered an opportunity to play in California. "This guy called me to confirm my flights there, and I just hung up on him. My friends said, 'Why did you hang up on him?!' and I said that God had me here for a purpose -- to help the volleyball team and maybe become a coach. The guy called me back and I said 'No.'"

ORU has provided Sirola a place to realize her dream. As the new head coach, she says, "I want to bring the team where I've been, and even further than that." Her proudest moment as an assistant coach was "winning our first Mid-Continent Conference championship (in 1998) -- we've won it every year since!"

Sirola has found God at ORU and is now living the dream she had as a sixth-grader. She says: "I know I'm in the right place; I'm right in the middle of God's will for me."

Workman was happiest with the Indiana Pacers.

‘Best Sport in America’
By Jessica Allen (03)

Everyone knows the statistics. Out of thousands of little boys who pick up a basketball with dreams of superstardom, only handfuls will actually make it to the draft. Fewer still will enjoy lengthy careers in the NBA.

Haywoode Workman was one of the fortunate few. In recognition of his achievements as a professional and on the Mabee Center court, he was inducted into ORU’s Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 22.

Like most success stories, Workman’s has a humble beginning. Perhaps that’s why he’s so well acquainted with a little thing called perseverance. As an only child raised in Charlotte, N.C., he likely spent countless hours on makeshift courts and in high school gymnasiums, wearing holes into his shoes and etching palm prints into his basketball. A self- described “sports fanatic,” Workman achieved All-State status in high school for basketball, football, and track before zeroing in on basketball his first year of college at Winston-Salem State.

He transferred to ORU in 1986, played three seasons, and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1989. While at ORU Workman was sixth in scoring with 1,506 points, averaging 17.7 per game. He still holds the ORU record for steals with 250.

Some might say Workman was lucky . . . and if luck is nothing more than preparation meeting opportunity, they are right. Others, including Workman himself, recognize that he owes much of his success to divine favor.

“I grew up around the church, so I had a whole lot of church in me [when I came to ORU]. I believed in God. I think He had a lot to do with me being here,” Workman said. The son of then-assistant coach Dave Prichard went to high school with Workman. Prichard told Workman about ORU and recruited the guard.

“I came to Oral Roberts with the intention of playing basketball and finishing school. My opportunities to be seen as a player were great. I appreciate this school for making me have responsibility. It ended up being the best thing for me,” Workman said. Although Workman left ORU nearly 35 hours shy of completing his telecommunications degree, he still plans to obtain his diploma.

After he was drafted, Workman played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Topeka Sizzlers before joining Atlanta. He went on to play for the Washington Bullets (1990-91), the Indiana Pacers (1993-98), the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Toronto Raptors (1998- 2000). Workman also spent some time overseas playing for an Italian basketball league (1991-93).

Workman laughs with a young fan.

“I’m an overachiever. I came from nothing, got to college, and ended up making it . . . not until senior year did I think I’d have a chance to make it to the NBA,” he said.

In addition to overcoming staggering odds, he overcame even more staggering injuries in the eight seasons he played in the NBA, including a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his knee during the1996-97 season that almost sidelined him permanently. Workman was in his prime, having led the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994. According to Workman, his four years in Indiana were the highlight of his NBA career.

“[Indiana] is where everyone remembers me, and I succeeded as a player the most,” Workman said.

Although he played for several years after the injury, surgery could never restore Workman’s knee to its original condition.

Now 37, Workman has returned to the CBA as a referee, which has allowed him to remain involved with what he describes as “the best sport in America.” He is married with two sons (ages 2 and 3), and resides in Tampa, Fla.

“I appreciate the game a lot more,” Workman says of his officiating experience. He eventually hopes to be a referee for the NBA, though he would not turn down an opportunity to coach.

For Workman, his induction into the Hall of Fame was an unexpected surprise. “You think you’re overlooked and unappreciated,” he admitted. “Coming to Oral Roberts allowed me to get where I am. It was a stepping stone. Now it’s like, ‘they dida ppreciate me.’”