did not know she was a dietitian...for the team! Well, a nutritionist anyway. And, the Boones' are getting extra attention it looks like.
Jenny Boynton giving own boost to Cowboys
STILLWATER — Mike Boynton placed a piece of bacon on his plate. He went for another. And, for good measure, he added one more piece.
“Is that enough?” asked a voice he did not recognize. Jenny Hill stood across the trainer’s table — a common name for the athlete’s dining hall area. Boynton had never seen South Carolina’s new dietitian.
A 27-year-old assistant coach for his alma mater, Boynton had two questions: Who in the world are you? Why are you judging what I’m eating? “Then I asked her out for ice cream,” Boynton said with a laugh.
It probably wasn’t the best move asking a dietitian out for a sweet treat. But the comical first moments of this love story helped form a powerful combination for the future. Now married more than a decade later, the Boyntons are the lead architects of Oklahoma State’s rebuild. Mike Boynton is the head coach and ace recruiter. Jenny Boynton is the sports nutritionist who helps shape and mold the players from behind the scenes.
“I have a different angle with the kids, because I am the coach’s wife, too,” Jenny said. “They’re over at the house for team dinners. I’m around them more. “Hopefully, they do trust me outside of being coach’s wife. But it’s another direct line from him.”
Jenny has helped Isaac Likekele, Yor Anei and Chris Harris Jr. drop weight. She’s pushed twins Kalib and Keylan Boone along with Avery Anderson III to add more than 20 pounds. Jenny has changed the snacks in the locker room. She’s brought more knowledge about what to eat, when and why.
“When we first met, she opened my eyes to some things that I never thought about,” Mike said. “I say it all the time, but I mean it, and obviously it’s going to help me in my house, but she’s smarter than I am, she’s better looking and she’s more talented. “I hit a ground-rule triple, if there is such a thing.”
Jenny had a love affair with ice cream. Following a standout prep career as a three-sport athlete at West Ottawa (Michigan) High, Jenny earned a volleyball scholarship at Virginia Tech. It was there that she got good and bad news.
The campus’ best dining hall was attached to her dorm building. There was ice cream with a nice lady who saved big cartons of leftovers for Jenny. Eating ice cream never felt like a problem. Jenny was burning thousands of calories a day. But the team’s dietitian and life-skills coordinator didn’t see it that way. She challenged Jenny. Stop eating the ice cream for two months. See if her vertical improves. Sure enough, it improved 2 inches.
“Everything in the weight room performance-wise just got easier and it wasn’t a major change,” Jenny said. “That was my first introduction to, ‘Maybe, I should pay attention.’”
Jenny started doing internships for nutrition. She went to Florida for graduate school on a sports nutrition emphasis. Her first job was as director of sports nutrition at South Florida. Jenny then went to South Carolina, where she met Mike. After the 2013 basketball season, they left for Stephen F. Austin, where she was a sports dietitian and adjunct professor.
At OSU, she also works with the women’s basketball, equestrian, softball, track and field, and cross country teams. At times, she helps with wrestling, cheer and pom, tennis and golf. “It’s fun,” she said. “No day is ever the same and no person’s issues are ever quite the same.”
Keylan Boone is nearly tired of eating. Every few hours, he and his twin brother, Kalib, must consume something. A protein bar or shake. A snack. A full meal. “We’re eating five, six times a day,” Keylan said. “It’s just crazy.”
Jenny often sends a message to a group text message with the Boone twins and Avery Anderson III. She wants to know when they’re eating, what they ate and what’s next.
Kalib and Keylan have been Jenny’s biggest projects this season. Growing up in Tulsa, the Boone twins didn’t always get three meals a day. Sometimes, they had one meal. Sometimes, they just had snacks. “Stuff like that helps you find ways,” Kalib said. “It got easier. But I wish I had a meal here and there. I always found a way to eat food at some point.” Since arriving on campus, both have added 20-plus pounds. Kalib now weighs around 207. Keylan is around 205. They need to add 20 more. They’ve still had ups and downs.
They lost weight returning home after summer workouts for a few weeks. For two weeks this season, Kalib was frustrated as the scale stayed the same. Jenny formed a meal plan that reignited the weight gain. Kalib has blossomed the past two weeks as the Cowboys prepare to play Monday night at No. 3-ranked Kansas. “I didn’t realize it until now, my weight is my confidence,” Kalib said. “I know it’s weird to say that, but at one point I was weighing in at 199. I felt terrible on the court.
“Now, playing at 205-207, I feel like I can run for days, I can jump and I can bang with the best of them.” There is no better endorsement for Jenny’s work. She’s made her mark. The Cowboys are better from it. “She’s as big of help as Coach Boynton, Coach (Scott) Sutton and everybody else,” Kalib said. “If Coach Boynton’s not going to give us his input, I know she will.”
Three things to know
OSU senior Cam McGriff is averaging 15.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in the past eight games, while also posting an offensive efficiency rating of 112.5, according to analytic website KenPom.com. McGriff also has four games of 18 points or more against Kansas. He is also averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in the past six meetings against the Jayhawks.
• The Cowboys have won 4 of 6 and are currently tied for eighth in the Big 12 standings, but are only two games behind Oklahoma, TCU and Texas for fifth. OSU’s remaining opponents Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas — have a combined overall winning percentage of .554, the lowest of any remaining Big 12 schedule.
• Kansas coach Bill Self, a former OSU player and assistant coach, is 21-13 all time against his alma mater, including as a coach at Oral Roberts. His biggest struggles with the Jayhawks have come in Stillwater, though. He is 6-7 in Gallagher-Iba Arena, but 14-3 in Lawrence.
Jenny Boynton giving own boost to Cowboys
STILLWATER — Mike Boynton placed a piece of bacon on his plate. He went for another. And, for good measure, he added one more piece.
“Is that enough?” asked a voice he did not recognize. Jenny Hill stood across the trainer’s table — a common name for the athlete’s dining hall area. Boynton had never seen South Carolina’s new dietitian.
A 27-year-old assistant coach for his alma mater, Boynton had two questions: Who in the world are you? Why are you judging what I’m eating? “Then I asked her out for ice cream,” Boynton said with a laugh.
It probably wasn’t the best move asking a dietitian out for a sweet treat. But the comical first moments of this love story helped form a powerful combination for the future. Now married more than a decade later, the Boyntons are the lead architects of Oklahoma State’s rebuild. Mike Boynton is the head coach and ace recruiter. Jenny Boynton is the sports nutritionist who helps shape and mold the players from behind the scenes.
“I have a different angle with the kids, because I am the coach’s wife, too,” Jenny said. “They’re over at the house for team dinners. I’m around them more. “Hopefully, they do trust me outside of being coach’s wife. But it’s another direct line from him.”
Jenny has helped Isaac Likekele, Yor Anei and Chris Harris Jr. drop weight. She’s pushed twins Kalib and Keylan Boone along with Avery Anderson III to add more than 20 pounds. Jenny has changed the snacks in the locker room. She’s brought more knowledge about what to eat, when and why.
“When we first met, she opened my eyes to some things that I never thought about,” Mike said. “I say it all the time, but I mean it, and obviously it’s going to help me in my house, but she’s smarter than I am, she’s better looking and she’s more talented. “I hit a ground-rule triple, if there is such a thing.”
Jenny had a love affair with ice cream. Following a standout prep career as a three-sport athlete at West Ottawa (Michigan) High, Jenny earned a volleyball scholarship at Virginia Tech. It was there that she got good and bad news.
The campus’ best dining hall was attached to her dorm building. There was ice cream with a nice lady who saved big cartons of leftovers for Jenny. Eating ice cream never felt like a problem. Jenny was burning thousands of calories a day. But the team’s dietitian and life-skills coordinator didn’t see it that way. She challenged Jenny. Stop eating the ice cream for two months. See if her vertical improves. Sure enough, it improved 2 inches.
“Everything in the weight room performance-wise just got easier and it wasn’t a major change,” Jenny said. “That was my first introduction to, ‘Maybe, I should pay attention.’”
Jenny started doing internships for nutrition. She went to Florida for graduate school on a sports nutrition emphasis. Her first job was as director of sports nutrition at South Florida. Jenny then went to South Carolina, where she met Mike. After the 2013 basketball season, they left for Stephen F. Austin, where she was a sports dietitian and adjunct professor.
At OSU, she also works with the women’s basketball, equestrian, softball, track and field, and cross country teams. At times, she helps with wrestling, cheer and pom, tennis and golf. “It’s fun,” she said. “No day is ever the same and no person’s issues are ever quite the same.”
Keylan Boone is nearly tired of eating. Every few hours, he and his twin brother, Kalib, must consume something. A protein bar or shake. A snack. A full meal. “We’re eating five, six times a day,” Keylan said. “It’s just crazy.”
Jenny often sends a message to a group text message with the Boone twins and Avery Anderson III. She wants to know when they’re eating, what they ate and what’s next.
Kalib and Keylan have been Jenny’s biggest projects this season. Growing up in Tulsa, the Boone twins didn’t always get three meals a day. Sometimes, they had one meal. Sometimes, they just had snacks. “Stuff like that helps you find ways,” Kalib said. “It got easier. But I wish I had a meal here and there. I always found a way to eat food at some point.” Since arriving on campus, both have added 20-plus pounds. Kalib now weighs around 207. Keylan is around 205. They need to add 20 more. They’ve still had ups and downs.
They lost weight returning home after summer workouts for a few weeks. For two weeks this season, Kalib was frustrated as the scale stayed the same. Jenny formed a meal plan that reignited the weight gain. Kalib has blossomed the past two weeks as the Cowboys prepare to play Monday night at No. 3-ranked Kansas. “I didn’t realize it until now, my weight is my confidence,” Kalib said. “I know it’s weird to say that, but at one point I was weighing in at 199. I felt terrible on the court.
“Now, playing at 205-207, I feel like I can run for days, I can jump and I can bang with the best of them.” There is no better endorsement for Jenny’s work. She’s made her mark. The Cowboys are better from it. “She’s as big of help as Coach Boynton, Coach (Scott) Sutton and everybody else,” Kalib said. “If Coach Boynton’s not going to give us his input, I know she will.”
Three things to know
OSU senior Cam McGriff is averaging 15.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in the past eight games, while also posting an offensive efficiency rating of 112.5, according to analytic website KenPom.com. McGriff also has four games of 18 points or more against Kansas. He is also averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in the past six meetings against the Jayhawks.
• The Cowboys have won 4 of 6 and are currently tied for eighth in the Big 12 standings, but are only two games behind Oklahoma, TCU and Texas for fifth. OSU’s remaining opponents Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas — have a combined overall winning percentage of .554, the lowest of any remaining Big 12 schedule.
• Kansas coach Bill Self, a former OSU player and assistant coach, is 21-13 all time against his alma mater, including as a coach at Oral Roberts. His biggest struggles with the Jayhawks have come in Stillwater, though. He is 6-7 in Gallagher-Iba Arena, but 14-3 in Lawrence.
