歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� Football players and swimmers don鈥檛 often cross paths at Bemidji State, at least not anymore.

That hasn鈥檛 stopped Randy Bowen and Dave Thomas from reuniting at the Bemidji Town and Country Club each of the last 15 years for the Gordy Skaar Memorial Golf Tournament.

Bowen played football for four seasons before graduating from BSU in 1973. Thomas, a swimmer, graduated in 1980 before Bemidji State ended its men鈥檚 program in 1991.

Almost every year since 2008, the two of them 鈥� with Len Rothlisberger, Mark O鈥橬eil and Tom Enger 鈥� have competed together in the five-person scramble golf tournament aimed at supporting scholarships for Beaver student-athletes through the BSU Athletics Fund and an endowment created in the name of the late Gordy Skaar.

TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淢y wife and I want to be supportive because our experiences were so good at Bemidji State,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淲e want to make sure other student-athletes have those similar experiences because they shape and guide you throughout your whole life.鈥�

Skaar, a longtime Bemidji State Athletics supporter, founded the Skaar-Pabst Golf Tournament in 1977 to raise funds for BSU athletic scholarships. Now, the Gordy Skaar Memorial Golf Tournament has raised around $1 million in support of Beaver Athletics.

On June 19, Bemidji State hosted the 48th edition of the fundraising tournament. Once again, Bowen and Thomas shared a cart.

鈥淲e got swimmers and football players,鈥� Bowen quipped. 鈥淗ow many groups can say that?鈥�

Their relationship extends far beyond the confines of the yearly golf outing. Both Bowen and Thomas serve on the Alumni B-Club, which connects past and present athletes, coaches and programs while also overseeing the Athletic Hall of Fame selection process.

TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淭he connections we made and the relationships we鈥檝e built have lasted 50 years,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚 just went fishing with 13 of my swim team members last weekend. It continues, and I think, personally, it鈥檚 important for athletes to have the same experience I had in their own way. It鈥檚 about their future.鈥�

Bowen wasn鈥檛 the first in his family to attend Bemidji State. His brother, Garry, made his way to BSU from Albany, Illinois, three years before Bowen enrolled as a freshman.

鈥淚 thought about going somewhere else because he went here,鈥� Bowen said. 鈥淚 wanted to do my own thing. As it turned out, my dad thought it was a better idea to come here because he was here. A little less travel for the parents didn鈥檛 hurt.鈥�

The Bowen traveling caravan made its way to dozens of Beaver games across the Midwest.

鈥淢y parents were recognized for the seven years my brother and I played football here,鈥� Bowen said. 鈥淭he university gave them a plaque for traveling 50,000 miles to watch us play. They never missed a game my senior year, and they came from Illinois. It becomes a family thing when you go here. It鈥檚 a special place.鈥�

TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer

Thomas鈥� connection to Bemidji started earlier in life. Growing up, his parents owned a property on Leech Lake, which cleared his path to BSU.

Now, he spends his later years in life in the First City on the Mississippi.

鈥淲e鈥檇 come to Bemidji to go shopping, and I just fell in love with northern Minnesota,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚 loved it so much that when my wife and I were teaching in Prior Lake for 30 years, we decided to move back home to Bemidji four years ago.鈥�

Together, Bowen and Thomas share a common goal: doing their part to better the next generation of athletes rolling through campus. It comes in the forms of donations, B-Club service, fundraising golf outings and even small spring soir茅es.

Bowen and Thomas have seen the world of collegiate athletics evolve as they age. The two of them understand the university must adapt and make the occasional hard decision, even those that aren't always unanimously agreed upon. But despite their rare differences, their support doesn鈥檛 shake.

TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to support Bemidji State because it鈥檚 Bemidji State,鈥� Bowen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be here longer than any of us.

鈥淏ecause I took so much from Bemidji as far as education, career path and great experiences, giving back is important. Our daughter went to school here. I鈥檝e had nieces, my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law all go here. We found our way up here, and it stayed with us.鈥�

While Bowen and Thomas wear their green-and-white passion for their alma mater on their sleeves, they are much more modest about their golf games.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely not me,鈥� Bowen quipped sheepishly when asked who鈥檚 the best golfer in the group. 鈥淚鈥檓 just the organizer.鈥�

Thomas responded: 鈥淗e鈥檚 being too humble.鈥�

Bowen went on to solo birdie the group鈥檚 second hole.