Two-time national champion thrower to be inducted into Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame

One of the top throwers in the history of the Cowley College women's track and field program, Courtney Gougler will be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on January 29.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but calling Glencoe, OK home, Gougler graduated from Glencoe High School in 2005. At Glencoe, she participated in track and field, softball, and basketball and was a four-year letterman in all three sports. In track, she did shot put and discus and was a two-time state champion in 2003 and 2005 and runner up in 2004 in the discus.

 As a freshman at Braman High School in Oklahoma, Coach Mike Driskill became the first person to put a discus in Gougler's hand.

"I made it to state that year, I don't remember how I did, but I definitely fell in love with the sport," Gougler said. "When we moved to Glencoe, my mom was the superintendent, and I said, we have to start a track program or send me to Stillwater, since at that time, Glencoe did not have track. I was the only person on the high school track team, both sophomore and junior year, finally my senior year, two others came out to participate in running events."

Then Cowley College head track and field head coach Mark Phillips recruited Gougler to come to Arkansas City.

"I went on a couple of visits, but Cowley felt like home," Gougler said. "Coach Phillips and Coach (Robert) Wood came to my high school to sign me and it was a great, warm, and welcoming experience."

Needless to say, the decision was a good one as Gougler still holds the school record in the   hammer throw (149-2) and was a two-time national champion in her one year at Cowley as she was the indoor national champion in the shot put and outdoor national champion in the discus.

"Coach Phillips was a great coach to compete for. After my first meet at the University of Nebraska, which to this small-town girl, was a very big and nerve-wracking experience, I did awful. I was nervous and couldn't focus. But when we got off the bus Coach Phillips told me to go see the counselor (Roy Reynolds) for performance anxiety. I guess it worked, because Coach and I won national shot put at indoor that year."

Robert Wood, who served as Gougler's throws' coach at Cowley, said Gougler has always been dedicated to being the best she can be whether as an athlete or a coach. 

"She is relentless in her pursuit to be the best she can be," Wood said.

After one season at Cowley, Gougler transferred to the University of Wyoming, where she was named the Mountain West Conference Athlete of the Week as a junior, and placed third in the conference in the indoor weight throw.
Gougler competed two seasons at Wyoming before spending her final season at Oklahoma State University. At OSU, Gougler competed in the shot put, discus, hammer and weight throw and was an NCAA regional qualifier.

She graduated from Oklahoma State University in December, 2009 with a BA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Sociology.

She returned to Cowley College where she spent seven years as a throws coach.

"I was honored to have her as an athlete and to have her as a member of the coaching family," Wood said. "Courtney is so deserving of this honor. I am extremely proud of her and the things she has accomplished."

Gougler coached two-time national champion Sergio Guijo in the hammer and 2015 national champion Damien Odle in the javelin, while also coaching Charles James, the 2011 outdoor track and field national champion in the shot put, and 2014 indoor national champion Jamesia Milton in the indoor weight throw.

"I am still in contact with many of those kids and they all hold a special place in my heart," Gougler said. "There were times when Coach Phillips and I would but heads, but he was always there, always coaching and teaching me, supporting me and trusting me. I could not have asked for a better first coaching opportunity. Honestly, the ones I had after Cowley, never could meet the standard that Cowley set. I coach privately now, but if the right opportunity were to present itself for me to get back into coaching, especially Junior College coaching I would definitely look at it. I really have a passion for JUCO athletics and education and think many more students could benefit from JUCO."

Gougler would go on to receive a Master's Degree from Adams State University, in Alamosa Colorado in May, 2016 with an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Gougler currently works as a counselor at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, in Oklahoma City, OK. She also serves as the schools COVID communication director and sponsors a service - leadership group. 

She recently found the Highland Games, think big, strong, athletic people running around in kilts, throwing telephone poles.

"I have not been this excited about competition in a while and I absolutely love it," Gougler said. "I compete in nine different events. I am currently ranked and just placed third at amateur nationals, which were hosted in Wichita, KS. The top four qualified for amateur worlds, which will take place in Cologne, Germany, in August, 2022. The awesome part is that the woman who got first at nationals, is my former Cowley national champion Jamesia Milton. She is the only female I ever coached who beat me in my events, and I am so looking forward to going to Germany with her and the two other women who qualified. Although, I do plan to give Jamesia a run for her money at Worlds, especially since I will be healthy."

Gougler holds a special place in her heart for Cowley College and is looking forward to catching up with former friends and colleagues.

"Cowley is a great place! Cowley is a family! Even when I visit now, I feel like I am coming home," Gougler said. "It wasn't just the coaches at Cowley that made it wonderful. It was the people in the dorms, the cafeteria, the business office, everyone. I miss being a student at Cowley, but I miss working there even more. It's truly an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and I am so thankful to be able to experience this with Coach Phillips."