A generous $800,000 donation from Drs. Don and Mary Ann Wilder has kickstarted the construction of a new tennis center at Oakland City University. This contribution brings their total donations to nearly $1.1 million for the center that honors their names.
“Chris Evert-Lloyd once said, ‘If you’re a champion, you have to have it in your heart.’ Don and Mary Ann Wilder are champions for OCU, and their continued support has made this project possible. The construction phase has now begun,” said OCU President Dr. Ron Dempsey.
Don Wilder, a 1963 graduate of Oakland City College, has been a lifelong supporter of the university and is an avid tennis player. He has won numerous tournaments throughout his decades of competition across the United States.
The OCU tennis program has seen significant success in recent years. In 2021, the Lady Oaks reached the NCCAA National Championship match, finishing as runners-up. In 2023 and 2024, the Mighty Oaks Women’s team secured back-to-back River States Conference Titles, with Coach Joe Epkey earning River States Conference Coach of the Year honors both years. The team also advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament in both seasons.
On the men’s side, the Mighty Oaks team achieved their third consecutive River States Conference Championship. Coach Colin Dixon was named River States Conference Tennis Coach of the Year for the second straight year. The men’s team has produced consecutive Conference Player of the Year winners and has seen two players named NAIA All-Americans. Notably, in 2023, they became the first OCU team to advance past the first round at the NAIA Nationals by upsetting the No. 12 ranked Cumberland, Tennessee.
Both the men’s and women’s teams were recognized in 2023 as Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Scholar Teams, which requires a team GPA of 3.2 or higher. The OCU women’s team achieved a GPA of 3.58, while the men’s team recorded a GPA of 3.64.
