The stories on this page were written by Features Editor Caitlin Hofen. The Sports Hall of Fame induction will take place during the men’s basketball game Saturday.
Brandon Christenson, Football
Known for his power and aggressiveness on the football field and for being one of the best teammates, Brandon “BC” Christenson played for the Rangers for five seasons from 1995 to 2001. Christenson was a member of the 1999 National Championship team, playing tight end and punter.
Christenson earned NAIA Second Team All-American as a part of the 1999 National Championship, where he caught Northwestern’s first touchdown of the game.
He led the team in receiving yards and was a captain for the Rangers that season.
Holding a top 10 place in many school records, Christenson played all 44 games in his five seasons as a Ranger.
He was ranked tenth in reception yards, fourth in receiving touchdowns and fifth in yards per catch in his position as a tight end.
As a punter he was fourth in total punt yards and ninth for average yards per punt.
After graduating in December 2001, Christenson played tight end in the NFL for three different teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders. He saw time in the AFC Championship game with the Oakland Raiders against the Tennessee Titans in the 2002-03 season.
Following his NFL career, Christenson entered the business world and currently works for Champion Medical-LLC, a medical device sales company. Christenson also started his own foundation call RAMS-Riley Anderson Memorial Scholarship foundation. Its mission is to provide equipment and scholarships to youth athletic programs. It has helped more than 100 youth since its inception.
Christenson and his wife, Kayla, reside in Edmond with their three children: Caden, Cale and Brody.
Bob Battisti, Basketball
Former Ranger head basketball coach Bob Battisti is one of the most decorated individuals inducted into the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Sports Hall of Fame.
Battisti took over the men’s basketball program in 1986, starting his 21-year coaching tenure with the Rangers.
His teams were known for their aggressiveness, hard work and tenacious defense.
Battisti accumulated a 374-265 Ranger record and has accumulated 469 collegiate wins in his basketball career.
From 1988 to 1996, the Rangers won four Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference titles and five runner-up finishes for Battisti and his teams.
The Rangers earned many honors under Battisti’s leadership, including being ranked in the NAIA Top 25 seven times and earning six different conference titles.
Battisti’s best season at Northwestern was 1992-93, when the Rangers entered the national tournament with a 29-2 record and a No. 2 national rank.
He collected five conference Coach of the Year awards before being named national magazine Basketball Times’ NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1994.
Battisti stepped down as Northwestern’s head coach in 2007. The next four years, he remained with the Ranger family as the university’s athletic director.
As athletic director, Battisti began Northwestern’s efforts to seek membership into NCAA Division II. He was also the founder of the “Vision of Victory” fundraising campaign, raising $2.4 million to help with facility improvements.
Following his time at Northwestern, Battisti continued to coach basketball at Oklahoma Christian University, as the head coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Mid-America Christian University and at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Battisti resides in Oklahoma City. He and his wife, Shelly, have two sons, Cooper and Levi, and a daughter, Tisha.
Brittany (McBride) Johnson, Women’s Basketball
A women’s basketball alum, Brittany (McBride) Johnson graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. She continued her scholastic career and earned a master’s degree in education from Northwestern in 2010.
Johnson played for the Lady Rangers from 2005 to 2007 and set numerous school records.
Her career scoring average was 17.7 points per game, which tied for the second most in Northwestern history.
Johnson made 266 career free throws, placing her in the Northwestern Top 10 for free throws. Finishing with 1,007 points, Johnson is one of 13 Lady Rangers to become a member of the 1,000-point club.
Johnson was named NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2005-2006, along with Second Team All-Conference in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
She also earned the 2005-2006 Newcomer of the Year Award.
Johnson’s major career highlights include scoring 38 points in one game against Wayland Baptist University and scoring 37 points against Langston University.
After graduating from Northwestern, Johnson was the girls’ assistant basketball coach in Elgin from 2011 to 2013.
Johnson and her husband, Van, reside in Balko, where she is the head girls basketball coach, head girls and boys cross country coach, and head track coach for Balko Public Schools.
Dean Farrow, Baseball
Dean “Deano” Farrow graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 1981 after four seasons of Ranger baseball.
Farrow played second base and also pitched for the Rangers. He played 183 games with 584 at-bats.
Farrow finished his career batting .344 and scoring 56 runs, 37 doubles, 12 triples and 19 home runs.
Farrow sits in the Top 10 of multiple Ranger records, including total at-bats, games played, hits, RBIs and doubles.
He holds the record for the most triples hit in a career at 12. He continues to hold the record for most triples hit in a season, with seven.
Farrow was named All-Conference Honorable Mention from 1977 to 81.
After graduating from Northwestern, Farrow’s career spanned several opportunities and years in western Oklahoma.
Today, Farrow and his wife, Cari, own and operate Gloria’s Kitchen, a restaurant located in Hinton.
The couple has three children: Daylin, Brianna and Marlee.
Bill Julson, Baseball
Playing for the Rangers from 1999-2001, Bill Julson left his mark on the Northwestern baseball program.
A Wisconsin native, Julson transferred to Northwestern Oklahoma State University from Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas.
Julson played pitcher and catcher for the Rangers.
Julson earned First Team All-Conference in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also named NAIA First Team All-American as a senior for the Rangers.
As a catcher, Julson led the nation in throwing out runners trying to steal a base with a 72 percent success rate, an unprecedented stat. Julson also pitched for Northwestern, where in the 2000 season he had the tenth most saves for a single season with three.
Julson sits in the top 10 of many Ranger records. He ranks number one in RBIs and first in total doubles in a season with 22.
Julson finished the 2001 season sitting ninth in the hitting category with 75 hits, he also ranks sixth in home runs in a season with 17.
In his career, Julson had a batting average of .389, ranking fifth in Northwestern history.
Following his time at Northwestern, Julson entered the world of business and currently works for PepsiCo.
Julson currently resides in Somerset, Wis. with his wife, Angela, and their four children, Calvin, Chloe, Cashton and Kya.