Hall of Fame
Three-time All-American Betsy (Skibyak) Ojanen certainly left her mark on Oklahoma Panhandle State University graduating with honors after earning three degrees in four years all while she was an active multi-sport student-athlete. She will be inducted into the Aggie Hall of Fame Class of 2015 on Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.
Following high school graduation in 1980 in Las Cruces, N.M., Ojanen came to OPSU on athletic scholarships. A stand-out high school athlete, Ojanen was involved in basketball, volleyball, track, and softball and the transition to college didn’t slow her down one bit. As a freshman, she continued to play volleyball and basketball as well as compete in track before focusing on volleyball and track her sophomore, junior, and senior years. Her track events ranged from throwing the shot put, discus and javelin to running the 100 and 200 as well as the sprint relays.
Ojanen earned All-American honors in the shot put in 1982 and 1983 and in 1984; she also added an All-American scholar title in the shot put to her list of achievements. In volleyball, she was selected as the OPSU Outstanding Athlete in 1982. She made it look easy balancing 18 to 21 credit hours a semester as a multi-sport athlete all while staying active on campus. Throughout her time as an OPSU student, she was a member of the Newman Club, the Radio Club, Student Senate and the “O” Club. Additionally, she wrote for the Collegian newspaper. While a student, she was recognized in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and in Outstanding Young Women in America in 1984.
Ojanen graduated cum laude from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in May of 1984 with degrees in Speech and Mass Communications as well as Health and Physical Education. 1984 proved to be quite a year for Ojanen as she not only finished college, but also won a national championship with her summer softball team and she traveled to Germany to compete in a track meet. It was also the year she took up powerlifting and she has continued on to receive numerous awards over the years in powerlifting including 12 consecutive national powerlifting championships and seven world powerlifting championships.
Following college graduation, she moved back to Las Cruces and worked for a local newspaper before eventually finding her way to Arizona. There she began her 24-year career as a firefighter in the Phoenix Fire Department, where she served as the Fire Captain/Paramedic before retiring in 2012.
When she first learned of her induction into the 2015 Aggie Hall of Fame, Ojanen said her reaction was one of “disbelief.” “I am honored and humbled. I'm humbled that my individual accomplishments were important to others, and to my alma mater, the institution that gave me an opportunity to achieve one of my dreams, a college education. A place that helped me grow up. A place where the people reach out to you and are never afraid to help out.”
One of the things she enjoyed the most about OPSU was the people. Ojanen said, “The people are incredible. My time there set me up on the road to be where I am today. As firefighter’s, we always point out that we want to "give back" to our community, to make a difference, maybe part of that was instilled in me at OPSU by those on staff and in the community.”
Ojanen was inducted into her high school hall of fame in Las Cruces in 1983. In the early nineties, she and her entire 1984 National Champion fastpitch softball team were inducted into the New Mexico Softball Hall of Fame. In 2008, Ojanen was inducted into the Women’s Powerlifting Hall of Fame.
Ojanen and her husband, Dann, currently live in Scottsdale, Ariz. They enjoy all things active including tennis, backpacking, skiing and mountain biking. Ojanen also enjoys cooking and reading. She has made the playoffs in tennis in mixed doubles several times and would like to continue to improve her game. Future plans include staying healthy and active.
