Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletics

Basketball (1965-69)

Jim Christanelli was born November 2, 1946 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended Valley High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico where his team won the state championship his senior year.

He was recruited to Southeastern Oklahoma State University by Coach Bloomer Sullivan. He played sparingly on the 1966 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference Champion Savages and then became a three year starter.

Jim Christanelli was a 6’5’’ center and was a quick, left-handed, high scoring post player. He led Coach James Bowers’ Savages to the championship of the first Oklahoma Collegiate Conference pre-season basketball tournament which was played in December of 1967.

Jim led the Savages in scoring and often had 30 and 40 point games. He led the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference in scoring in 1969. He was named first team All-Conference in 1968 and in 1969. In 1969 he was a third team choice on the NAIA All-American Team. This selection placed him in the top fifteen players nationally in the NAIA which had a membership of over 600 colleges. He was a dominant conference center during his last three years at Southeastern.

Jim Christanelli was an outstanding basketball player for Coach Sullivan and Coach Bowers. He brought honor to his university both on and off the court.

He was inducted into the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletic Hall of Fame on January 27, 1996.