Old timers and newcomers: Shocker fans travel to Arch Madness
The semifinal upsets and the championship thrills and frills. Jon Markwell hasn’t missed a moment in 10 years.
Every March, Markwell follows the Shockers to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
“I just got kind of addicted,” Markwell said.
Markwell went to Wichita State in 1969. Since then he’s got to know head coach Gregg Marshall and other assistants.
“I feel like it’s my school,” he said.
Markwell has not missed a second of the Shockers, home or away, in eight years. Wherever they go, he follows.
One night in Indiana, Markwell got shut in and had to stay at a casino in Evansville. Knowing he’d only stay for five hours, Marshall insisted Markwell stay with him in his room.
Markwell is no newcomer, but for some, the trek is a bit out of the ordinary.
Cindi Colburn won a social media contest earlier this year, landing Cindi and her mother a trip to Arch Madness.
“I didn’t think it was real because I don’t use my Twitter a lot,” Colburn said.
One destination, St. Louis, is the temporary and two to four-day home for the Shocker faithful.
“The fans travel well,” Markwell said.
Markwell said Marshall does a solid job of teaching his players to respect the fans.
“They’re very respectable and they behave themselves well, and they have a good time,” Markwell said.
Aliyah Funschelle was a sports reporter covering men's basketball for The Sunflower. She studied sports management at Wichita State, and worked as a Campus...
Selena Favela is a former photo editor for The Sunflower. She majored in graphic design. She is from Wichita, Kansas.
Hannah Roberts was a photographer for The Sunflower. Roberts majored in entrepreneurship and minored in communications. She was born and raised in Wichita,...
