Kurt Budke, women’s basketball coach at Oklahoma State University, and assistant women’s basketball coach Miranda Serna were killed along with two others in a small plane crash Thursday, Nov. 18, 2011, about 5 p.m.
The crash occurred about four miles south of Perryville, which is approximately 30 miles northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas. The plane was a small Piper PA-28 Cherokee that seated four passengers.
The other two killed in the plane crash were the pilot, Olin Branstetter, and his wife Paula. They lived in Ponca City. Branstetter was a former Oklahoma state senator.
“The Oklahoma State family is devastated by this tragedy,” said OSU president Burns Hargis in a statement release by the university. “Our hearts go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims.”
Budke had coached the Cowgirls for seven years, winning an all-time record of 112 to 83. The team had made postseason appearances for five consecutive seasons. During three of those appearances, the Cowgirls played at National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments.
The coach was from Salina, Kansas, and was married to Shelley Balthazor. He is survived by his wife and three children — Sara (an OSU student), Alex and Brett.
Serna’s home was Guadalupita, New Mexico. She worked for Budke for seven years at OSU and was his assistant coach before that at Louisiana Tech.
The owner of the plane was Branstetter. It was a 1964 model.
The OSU men’s basketball team suffered a similar tragedy nearly 11 years ago when ten people were killed. That plane crash carried basketball team members and associates who were playing against the University of Colorado. On the plane were nine players for OSU and a News On 6 reporter Bill Teegins.
(Source: News On 6)
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