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Oklahoma City University Athletics

Oklahoma City University
Home Of Champions|73 National Championships
LaDarren Landrum

Men's Rowing

2019-20 Jim Wade Award winner: LaDarren Landrum, rowing

Landrum serves his country like Gen. Wade did

Oklahoma City University has provided LaDarren Landrum with an education in many aspects.
Whether in the classroom or on the water, Landrum has been learning constantly at OCU. The Stars have provided Landrum his first experience as a competitive rower.
Landrum joined the Stars after being featured on the program "The Next Olympic Hopeful," which looks to identify world-class athletes capable of competing in Olympic sports. Landrum's experience at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., introduced him to the sport of rowing.
"It has been very educational becoming a rower," Landrum said. "I have learned something new about the sport and my body every single session. I am loving every minute of it."
Landrum took Oklahoma City rowing's Jim Wade Award for 2019-20, which was Landrum's freshman year at OCU. He and his teammates collected a win in the freshman four event in the Heart of Texas Regatta on Feb. 29-March 1 at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas before the season came to a close.
In 2018-19, the Stars posted milestone achievements in the Dad Vail Regatta and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. OCU won the Thomas A. Curran Cup for the first time ever after seizing the men's varsity heavyweight four title in the Dad Vail Regatta. The Stars finished 13th in the event in the IRA Championships for their best showing in the championship event.
"It being my first season as a rower I was very disappointed at it being cut short," said Landrum, 26. "I feel stripped of a very important learning experience in this season. I honestly saw an underdog upset coming from our team this year capitalizing on last year's season in a big way. It is still coming, though."
Landrum named OCU coach Hadzo Habibovic, Dr. Lindsay Bracken and Dr. Jason Miller as staff members impactful on his success at OCU.
"He has given me what no other coach has – a priceless opportunity," Landrum said of Habibovic. "He believes in my ability to compete at the highest level, but most importantly he has made a way to gain an education that I had honestly given up on being possible again. His passion for the sport is undeniable and contagious, and his belief in his athletes is unmatched. This award is just as much his as it is mine because without him, I wouldn't be here."
Through OCU and rowing, Landrum has become the first member of his family to pursue a college education.
"Even though LaDarren is only a novice rower and is relatively new to the sport of rowing, the intangibles and leadership he brings to our young roster are immeasurable," Habibovic said. "LD has a military background, which brings discipline and grit. He is a true asset to the future of our program. I can't wait for him to get more comfortable with the mechanics of the sport to unleash his full potential."
Seven years ago in his hometown of Spartanburg, S.C., Landrum left home after an argument with his father. He made a bench in the park his home. Landrum used the time to exercise and hone his physique.
Landrum found his place with the Marines. During that time, a Marine recruiter trained with Landrum and persuaded him to join up, giving Landrum room and board.
"My OCU education is extremely important to my progression as an athlete, a Marine and a performance professional," Landrum said. "It is also very important to my legacy. I am the first person in my family to play collegiate athletics and will be the first to earn a bachelor's degree. This education is creating a new base level of expectation for my family. I now have a daughter, and if she sees me complete my bachelor's degree along with the master's degree that I plan on getting right after, hopefully she will expect at the very least a bachelor's degree out of herself."
A U.S. bobsled coach spotted Landrum during one of his workouts at a gym in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The coach recruited him to train as a bobsledder. Landrum got on "The Next Olympic Hopeful" and was tabbed as the top rower among the 90 athletes.
"I plan on progressing as far as I can in the sport," Landrum said. "Postgraduation, or maybe even before, I plan to competing at the Olympic level while using my degree in human performance as a tool to help myself, fellow athletes and servicemen around the world reach and maintain their highest level of performance for as long as possible."
Landrum sees similarities with the Jim Wade Award's namesake, Gen. Jim Wade.
"Receiving this award is one of highest gifts of honor I have ever received," Landrum said. "What it represents are principles that I walk in every single day as an athlete, as a Marine and as a man. It sounds like Gen. Jim Wade and I are one and the same, men of service and athletes."
The annual Jim Wade Awards recognize those Stars who best represent OCU and reflect Wade's spirit as the student-athletes of the year. Each OCU team chose its 2019-20 Wade Award winner, who will each be spotlighted on the OCU Athletics Website.
Gen. Jim Wade competed for Oklahoma City as a baseball, basketball and football student-athlete before becoming a trustee to the university, OCU Athletics Hall of Famer and one of the most prominent benefactors and supporters of the athletic department. 
Wade attained the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force. Wade became decorated for service in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He flew 55 missions in Korea. His list of citations includes the Order of the Sword, Legion of Merit Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Gold Palm and Combat Readiness Award. These are the first Jim Wade Awards since Wade died in November.


2019-20 Jim Wade Award winners
Baseball: Tyler Williams
Men's Basketball: Eric Wattree
Men's Cross Country: Oscar Kipkoros
Men's Golf: David Meyers
Rowing: LaDarren Landrum
Men's Soccer: Kian Rahmanzadeh
Men's Track & Field: Bryce McConnell
Men's Wrestling: Montana Moon
Women's Basketball: Brennyn Seagler
Competitive Cheerleading: Maggie Hirsekorn
Competitive Pom/Dance: MaKenzi Fox
Women's Cross Country: Sheridan Hoyer
Women's Golf: Melissa Eldredge
Softball: Kayla Gallagher
STUNT: Morgan Tschoepe
Women's Track & Field: Marquania Rowell
Volleyball: Marijana Bjelobrk
Women's Soccer: Hailey Terrell
Women's Wrestling: Rachel Watters
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Players Mentioned

LaDarren Landrum

LaDarren Landrum

6' 4"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

LaDarren Landrum

LaDarren Landrum

6' 4"
Freshman