Women's Golf 11/17/2020 9:00:00 AM Mike Kirk

Where Are They Now: Claire Sturdivan

Claire (Sturdivan) Miller came to Central Oklahoma in 2003 and played a leading role in kick-starting a new program, igniting the women's golf team to instant success

The Edmond North graduate played two years at Oral Roberts before transferring to UCO. She was an instant force for the Bronchos in their first year of existence, finishing in the top-20 in all 11 tournaments with seven top-10 showings in earning All-Lone Star Conference honors.

Central was a top-five team in every tournament that first year and shocked the field in capturing the league championship, led by Claire's fourth-place finish. The Bronchos went on to finish fifth in the NCAA Division II West Regional.

Miller came back as a senior in 2004-05 and had another stellar season. She had seven top-20 finishes, including five in the top-10, as UCO won three tournament titles and finished runner-up four other times.

Claire was a repeat All-LSC pick in leading the Bronchos to their second straight conference championship and UCO finished fourth in the Division II West Regional to just miss a national tournament berth.

In this week's installment of our look back at some of Central's past athletic greats, here's a brief conversation with Claire (Sturdivan) Miller.

Degree(s) earned at UCO: General Studies, with minor in Spanish.

How did UCO prepare you for success: I think that being a student-athlete at UCO helped pave the way in preparing me in my career as a dental hygienist and in life in general. The class sizes were small, allowing me to make an easy transition from high school to college. Having smaller class sizes allowed for me to be in constant communication with my professors. They were always willing and able to meet outside of class, which is an opportunity you don't normally get at a major university.

Favorite memory at Central: My favorite memory at UCO was being on the very first women's golf team. We had a great coach and a great team. We even won conference our very first year! We also had such a tremendous support system through UCO and the Edmond community. I am so honored that I was able to be a part of something new, something new for women athletes.

Best thing about going to UCO: I loved how involved and supportive the Edmond community was in our golf program. It was such a blessing to have such a strong fan base and people to encourage us along the way, especially, in a new program.

Who were your favorite professors, coaches, etc: My professors were superb at UCO. Patty Coatney, by far, has my vote for favorite UCO coach! Not only did she personally know and love the game of golf, but she loved helping her players succeed on and off of the course. We practiced and worked hard, but also had so many laughs along the way. She's truly one of a kind.

If you could give advice to a current student-athlete at UCO, what would it be: Being a student-athlete is fun, but it's hard work. As a student-athlete, you are trying to focus and work hard in both athletics and academics. And if you're like me, I'm a perfectionist, so at times, it was very stressful, but worth it. Athletics in every sport teaches us so many life lessons, about teamwork, working hard and adversity. Focus just as hard on academics, to lay a solid foundation for our future. If you happen to be a professional athlete, that's just the icing on the cake.

Career path: Once I graduated from UCO, I attended dental hygiene school at OU. From there, I worked as a dental hygienist for five years, before taking some time off, so that my husband and I could focus on starting a family. I am currently a stay-at-home mom with my daughters, Vivian and Lily.

Where do you currently live: I met my husband, Brock, while I was attending dental hygiene school. He was in dental school at the time. Long story short, and after many moves (including one to Gainesville, Fla., where he completed his Endodontic residency) we made our home in Norman, Okla. We have been in Norman the past three years.

Family: Brock and I have been married for 10 years. We have two daughters, Vivian (5) and Lily (3). We also have two dogs, a labradoodle named Flash and a goldendoodle named Hazel.

Claire Sturdivan

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