After winning state championship rings in fastpitch softball and basketball followed by four gold medal finishes in track including a new state record in the 300m hurdles during her junior year…to say Madi Surber is a proven champion would be a major understatement.

With passion and kindness, she admits there’s still work to be done. 

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Bill Robinett says this at least once every practice, and it has stuck with me,” Surber said explaining the encouraging words of her travel softball coach. “I put this to practice in sports and everyday life because I am constantly trying to get better.”

Still yet, when asked to define herself, the Tuttle 2022 senior chose to be more definitive than just the awards she has won. 

“Hard work is what matters most because nothing is going to come easy, and hard work will help you in all aspects of life.”

That trait is part of the Surber family DNA as displayed by her father, Matt, whose wrestling teams won 12 state titles and her brother Luke who was a three-time state wrestling champion in high school and now wrestles at OSU.

“From a young age I’ve had big goals just by watching my dad coach. He is the main reason I’ve had so much success because of the life lessons and pep talks he gives me even on days I really don’t want them,” Madi explained. “The mental side to competing is just as important as the physical side and my dad and brother have both helped me with that. They both never let me make excuses but instead encouraged me to keep going.”

Surber also credits her Mema with instilling a never-give-up attitude.

“Mema never complains and always has a big smile on her face,” explained Surber. “This inspires me because life is never going to always go the way I want it to go. I want to be known for how I showed God’s love to others and inspired people to keep going no matter their circumstance. You can’t control your situation but you can always control your attitude.”

Surber, whose favorite subject is math, maintains a 4.11 GPA earning membership in the National and Oklahoma Honor Societies as well as an active role in Stuco while college coaches including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OBU and Kansas are all actively recruiting her to the next level.

“I am still undecided on where I want to go to college, but I do know that I want to go run track.”

For now, Surber continues to enjoy her senior year at Tuttle and wants to put a golden finish to her legacy as a Lady Tiger.

“I truly love what I do. My teammates and coaches play a huge role in my success because they always push me to do better. We all work hard everyday at practice to get better.”