Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Monica Mayer Schmidt was a fantastic two-sport athlete who was an outside hitter and blocker for the volleyball team, as well as a long jumper and sprinter for the track team at Northwestern from 1981-1984.

During her freshman year, the Rangers won several games -- something they hadn’t done in the previous two years of the volleyball program. Many of the wins were in large part due to Monica, as she was a force to be reckoned with on the volleyball court.

The volleyball standout was honored with a First Team NAIA All-District 9 selection during her first year as a Ranger, mainly due to an extreme vertical and could hit with both her right and left hands, making it difficult for defenders to guard.

Monica was initially recruited by Head Women’s Basketball Coach Milburn Barton to play basketball, but she elected to run track and play volleyball instead.

As a track star, Monica was very successful and was just a quarter of an inch short on making the NAIA National Track Meet as a freshman in long jump. Her best jump during her time at Northwestern was 18 feet, two and a half inches and also ran an 11.58 100-meter dash.

She was also very successful as a youth before her college days as she ran AAU Junior Olympics Track and Field throughout the Midwest and held school records in all sprints from 100-800, long jump and mile relay, some of which stand to this day.

While still competing for Northwestern, Monica was an assistant coach for the Alva Kiwanis Track Club where she coached more than 120 children who participated in Junior Olympic Track Meets. In 1982, 26 students qualified for the State track meet, while four of those advanced to the Region 8 multi-state track meet.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in 1984, Monica became the Manager of the Alva Country Club Apartments for a year after which she became the Woods County Election Board Clerk until 1988. In May of 1988, Monica took over the Woods County Assessor position where she would remain for 29 years where she recently retired as the Woods County Assessor in 2015.

Monica and her husband, Bob, reside in Colorado Springs, Colo. They also have one son, Jason.