Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Culture: Lauren Daniels
October 21, 2021 | Cowgirl Equestrian
Lauren Daniels is one of most accomplished riders Cowgirl Equestrian history and has since seen that success continue into her post-graduate career.
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Daniels (formerly Halvorson) competed for the OSU Equestrian team from 2009-14. She began her career by taking a redshirt season as a freshman, during which she worked incredibly hard to improve and learned as much as possible. That extra work eventually propelled Daniels towards an undefeated freshman season and multiple All-American honors throughout her career. In 2013, she led the team to a NCEA National Championship, a memory she will cherish for the rest of her life.
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OSU head coach Larry Sanchez looks back fondly on Daniels' time as a Cowgirl.
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"I was fortunate that I was able to watch Lauren grow up and knew that she would be an asset to our team," Sanchez said. "She is from a family of horsemen and carried that knowledge and skill to our program. Her successes were amongst the best here at Oklahoma State!"
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Daniels now works at KFOR News in Oklahoma City, where she serves as an anchor for a show called "Rise & Shine" on weekday mornings and heads out the door afterwards to report on daily news stories. She attributes her time as a student-athlete as the biggest preparation for her post-graduate career as she learned to face challenges head on and never shy away from hard work.
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Daniels also hosts a weekly segment called "A Place to Call Home." In this series, she features children living in foster homes throughout the state as they search to find loving homes. As a journalist, she believes this is the most impactful and fulfilling work she does.
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"That is the most wonderful and important work I could ever do," Daniels said. "These kids go through so much, and it's heartbreaking to hear their stories. But I'm filled with hope, hoping that somebody sees their story on TV and gives them a chance and adopts them."
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Daniels now lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and son, who they welcomed in 2016. When she's not in studio or out reporting, Daniels spends her time with her son, teaching him to ride his pony, Chunky.
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Daniels (formerly Halvorson) competed for the OSU Equestrian team from 2009-14. She began her career by taking a redshirt season as a freshman, during which she worked incredibly hard to improve and learned as much as possible. That extra work eventually propelled Daniels towards an undefeated freshman season and multiple All-American honors throughout her career. In 2013, she led the team to a NCEA National Championship, a memory she will cherish for the rest of her life.
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OSU head coach Larry Sanchez looks back fondly on Daniels' time as a Cowgirl.
Â
"I was fortunate that I was able to watch Lauren grow up and knew that she would be an asset to our team," Sanchez said. "She is from a family of horsemen and carried that knowledge and skill to our program. Her successes were amongst the best here at Oklahoma State!"
Â
Daniels now works at KFOR News in Oklahoma City, where she serves as an anchor for a show called "Rise & Shine" on weekday mornings and heads out the door afterwards to report on daily news stories. She attributes her time as a student-athlete as the biggest preparation for her post-graduate career as she learned to face challenges head on and never shy away from hard work.
Â
Daniels also hosts a weekly segment called "A Place to Call Home." In this series, she features children living in foster homes throughout the state as they search to find loving homes. As a journalist, she believes this is the most impactful and fulfilling work she does.
Â
"That is the most wonderful and important work I could ever do," Daniels said. "These kids go through so much, and it's heartbreaking to hear their stories. But I'm filled with hope, hoping that somebody sees their story on TV and gives them a chance and adopts them."
Â
Daniels now lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and son, who they welcomed in 2016. When she's not in studio or out reporting, Daniels spends her time with her son, teaching him to ride his pony, Chunky.
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