All-City girls track Kirsten Burnett in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 31 2012. Photo By Steve Gooch,

Deer Creek sprinter Kirsten Burnett has decided on her college future, verbally committing to the Oral Roberts track program on Wednesday.

Burnett won four gold medals at the Class 5A state track meet last season, including individual victories in the 100 and 200 meters. She was named The Oklahoman’s Big All-City Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

Burnett picked ORU over Oklahoma Baptist.

“I felt very at home there. I knew I’d be comfortable,” Burnett said of ORU. “I think there’s a lot of potential to grow individually and as a program.”

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK

Douglass sprinter Madison Reynolds will run track for Oral Roberts next year.

After helping to lead Douglass to back-to-back state track championships, Madison Reynolds was given yet another honor, being named Oklahoma’s Gatorade Girls Track Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

As a senior, Reynolds won the 200 meters in 25.72 seconds and the 400 in 56.30, earning The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Girls Track Athlete of the Year for the second straight season.

Reynolds plans to attend Oral Roberts University, where she’ll continue to focus on the 200 and 400 meters. Her strength is the 400, which she won three times at state in her career.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK

Coyle athlete Magnus Scott will soon decide whether to run track at Arkansas or Kansas State.

Coyle athlete Magnus Scott is nearing a decision on where he’ll run track in college after a weekend visit to Arkansas.

Scott said Sunday that he will soon choose between Arkansas and Kansas State.

“It was good,” Scott said of his visit to Fayetteville. “They really want me. I’m going to go home, talk to my parents about it and go from there.”

Scott also has interest in playing football wherever he goes to college, and said Arkansas coaches were much more open to that than Kansas State’s were.

“He said if I really wanted to play, he didn’t mind,” Scott said, while adding that until Arkansas hires a football coach to replace Bobby Petrino, he won’t know for sure if it’s possible.

As a senior on the gridiron, Scott accounted for 35 total touchdowns as Coyle made the playoffs for the first time in school history. Scott rushed for 1,923 yards and averaged nearly 13 yards per carry.

Arkansas is a traditional power in track, and isn’t too far from Scott’s home. Both of those factors will play into his decision, he said.

Edmond Santa Fe graduate Gunnar Nixon was named the Gatorade National Boys Track Athlete of the Year on Thursday.

Thursday was quite a day for Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon.

He started by taking the lead in the decathlon through five events at the US Junior National Track Meet in Eugene, Ore., and he closed the night by being named the Gatorade National Boys Track Athlete of the Year.

Earlier in the day, it was announced that Nixon was the state award winner, but he received the national award as part of a surprise reception Thursday following the first day of events at the US Juniors.

“I don’t think we’ll see a high school decathlete like Gunnar Nixon come along for a long time,” said Ray Davis, one of Nixon’s private coaches and head coach of the Arizona Puma Track Club. “He’s not just an athlete excelling while doing decathlon. He’s a pure combined-events guy. I first saw him when he was 10 years old and you knew even then that he had a chance to be special.”

In May, Nixon became the first Class 6A athlete to win four individual gold medals at the state meet. He followed that up by setting the national high school decathlon points record at the Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque, N.M., when he scored 8,035 points for the runaway victory.

On Thursday, he scored 4,192 points to take a slim lead on Kevin Lazas (4,103), an Arkansas freshman who will be Nixon’s teammate with the Razorbacks next season. The US Junior decathlon concludes Friday afternoon.

Nixon is the second Oklahoma athlete to win one of the national Gatorade awards. Owasso’s Dylan Bundy was the player of the year in baseball.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

In the video, you can see a clip of Nixon running the 110-meter hurdles Friday in the meet at Edmond North, where he nearly set a state record. Nixon ran it in 14.01 seconds, just .09 off the record of 13.92 held by Nathaniel Winfrey of Stillwater, which he set at the 2009 state meet.

Seriously, the video is worth watching just to see the race. In 110 meters, you’re not supposed to win this easily, that’s all I’m sayin’.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Edmond Santa Fe's Gunnar Nixon won the decathlon at the Arcadia Invitational for the second year in a row.

It’s almost as if Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon was trying to challenge himself. Like he was saying what can I do to make the Arcadia Invitational even more difficult than what it already is?

He found a way and still came back and won. Despite fouling in all three attempts in the shot put, Nixon won his second consecutive decathlon title at the event Friday night.

Nixon finished with 7,036 points, more than 100 points better than the rest of the field.

“I just had to put that (shot put) out of my head and move on,” Nixon said. “I’ve never fouled three times in a row like that ever.”

Nixon set personal records in the 100-meter dash, 400 run and long jump but found himself in fourth place after day one because of the shot put result.

Day two Nixon was able to get himself back on track. In the pole vault, Nixon had to use smaller poles than what he is used to because his poles didn’t come in, but he was still able to put up a respectable number and cruise to the high school title.

However, that’s not all Nixon was shooting for. He came looking to set the national record for high school with international implements and that’s exactly what he did.

The international implements has three major changes in that the shot and discus are heavier and the hurdles are higher. The hurdles, which are three inches higher in the international setup, didn’t affect Nixon at all. He ran a 14.35 in the 110 hurdles for high school and then 14.60 with the 42-inch hurdles for international implements.

Though he faltered in the high school shot, with the 16-pound shot, he threw it 39 feet and 10 inches.

Nixon surpasses the mark set by Curtis Beach in 2009. Beach had 7,466, while Nixon’s mark is 7,577. Nixon needed to run a 4:57 in the 1,500 to pass Beach. Nixon posted a 4:39.64.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

In his first competition of 2011, Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon showed he has started right where he left off in 2010.

Nixon had an impressive showing at the Arkansas Invitational, bringing home two individual championships.

The Wolves star won the high jump by eight inches and also posted a personal best time of 7.99 in the 60-meter hurdles to claim the gold.

Edmond Memorial’s Chase Sammons won the shot put competition by more than eight feet.

In fact, it was a double championship for the Bulldogs in the shot put as Gloria Mosely of Memorial also took home the girls individual championship.

Memorial boys relay teams fared well, winning the 800 relay and placing second in the 3,200 relay. Santa Fe won the 3,200. Memorial also received a second-place finish from Isaiah Duke in the 400.

Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson was second in the 60-meter dash and third in the 60-meter hurdles. Memorial’s John Teeters placed third in the 60 dash though his prelim time of 7.00 is the ninth best in the nation. He was a tad off at 7.03 in the championship round.

Just a short brief on it because the 13-hour time difference means I’ve missed my window of opportunity to talk to him until much later in the night:

Edmond Santa Fe senior track star Gunnar Nixon cleared 6 feet 8 ¾ inches to advance to the finals of the high jump at the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore late Monday night.

Nixon is one of seven finalists and is currently in fourth place. He had three misses, but he easily advanced.

The finals will be Saturday morning at 6 a.m., 7 p.m. local time in Singapore.

We’re days away from two-a-days starting for football, so consider this the day where I attempt to try to catch up with what else is going on.

Norman North’s Tyler Sergent has had a fine summer in track and field. Sergent won the shot put Wednesday at the AAU Junior Olympics in Norfolk, Va. He also placed 11th in the discus throw.

Sergent didn’t just win the shot put, he dominated the field. His winning toss was 59 feet 11 3/4 inches. The next best throw? 54 feet 8 inches.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon is getting ready to leave for Singapore. Nixon will leave Monday and will be gone for three weeks.

Look for much more on Nixon in Friday’s paper. Pawhuska’s Sarah Tolson is also making that trip as she will be competing in the shot put.

Edmond Santa Fe's Josh Richardson now has four offers.

The Edmond Santa Fe boys basketball team surpassed expectations last year. Don’t think anybody thought the Wolves would make a run as deep as they did.

And despite losing in the semifinals and losing some strong senior leadership, senior Josh Richardson said he’s extremely excited about this year group.

We can all dunk. No, seriously, our whole starting five can dunk. We’re a lot taller than what we’ve been.” Richardson

As for Richardson, things are starting to pick up for the guard. Figured it would only be a matter of time and he now has four offers: Creighton, Missouri State, Arizona State and Harvard.

The last one might throw people off, but Richardson is a solid student. He enters this year with a 3.1 GPA and said he is not content with that.

Richardson is also receiving strong interest from several other Pac-10 schools and said as of now, he does not have any favorites.

***

Also in Santa Fe, track star Gunnar Nixon is back. He was recently named to the All-USA high school track and field team.

Nixon has the top decathlon score in the nation this year and will represent Team USA at the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.

Before Nixon leaves, definitely going to catch up with him and get his thoughts about everything.

Santa Fe's Gunnar Nixon finished third in the Decathlon at the US Junior Track and Field Championships. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

Edmond Santa Fe track star Gunnar Nixon finished third in the decathlon at the US Junior Track and Field Championships on Thursday night at Drake University in Iowa.

Nixon was in second place after the first day, but a disappointing discus throw result Thursday afternoon put Nixon in too big of a hole. Nixon finished 16^th in the event.

“I learned a lot (from these two days). Yeah, I learned a lot,” Nixon said. “I learned that even though I might be the most athletic out there, it’s about who shows up on that day. I just wasn’t feeling it.”

Nixon finished in the top six of every other event Thursday and won the high jump Wednesday.

South Florida’s Neamen Wise won the event while Kevin Lazas of Brentwood, Tenn., placed second.

Nixon was named the Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year earlier this week.

***

There was no cheering up Nixon on this night (that’s the high standard he puts up for himself). You could sense the disappointment in his voice. The discus was obviously the key and Nixon was open about that.

He started the day great as the 110 hurdles is right in his alley. Nixon builds a lot of momentum when it comes to the high jump, 400 and 110 hurdles. From an outsider’s view (since I don’t get to see him too much), those are the three events that Nixon really piles up the points in.

Assessing his first day: “I wasn’t too happy with it. I started strong in the 100, running a personal record. The long jump was incredibly tough. There was a bad headwind, and nobody did what they could do. The high jump went OK.”

Nixon’s second day was pretty consistent. In the last three events (pole vault, javelin and the 1500), Nixon placed sixth in each.

It was very interesting what Nixon said when I asked if he put too much pressure on himself. He felt it was the opposite, that maybe he was too relaxed.

Lazas, interestingly enough, is once again a hard-luck loser. Lazas was nipped by Nixon in that memorable showdown in April. This time, he misses out on the victory by a mere 9 points to Wise.

Decathlon
1. Neamen Wise, South Florida, 7,300
2. Kevin Lazas, Brentwood, Tenn., 7,291
3. Gunnar Nixon, Edmond Santa Fe, 7,137

Nixon’s results
1. 100 (4th)
2. Long Jump (5th)
3. Shot Put (11th)
4. High Jump (1st)
5. 400 (2nd)
6. 110 Hurdles (2nd)
7. Discus Throw (16th)
8. Pole Vault (6th)
9. Javelin (6th)
10. 1,500 (6th)

Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon is within striking distance. Nixon is in second place after the first day of the decathlon at the 2010 Junior Track and Field Championships at Drake University in Iowa.

Nixon finished extremely strong, winning the high jump and running a respectable 50.18 in the 400. He enters Thursday in second place, trailing by only 10 points.

Nixon started the day with an 11.08 run in the 100, setting a personal record. That mark was good enough for fourth place overall.

Up next in the long jump, Nixon was able to go 21 feet 9 inches that put him in fifth place.

The shot put hurt Nixon as he only placed 11th. But that was negated by Nixon dominating the high jump.

How dominant was he? He jumped 6 feet 9 3/4 inches, a full three inches better than the nearest competitor. His 400 run put him in second for that event.

First-day results
1. Neamen Wise, South Florida – 3,864 points
2. Gunnar Nixon, Santa Fe – 3,854
3. Kevin Lazas, Brentwood, Tenn. – 3,801

It should be another battle between Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon and Kevin Lazas of Brentwood, Tenn., in the decathlon at the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake University in Iowa.

Nixon and Lazas have been battling each other the last couple of years with Nixon earning a slight edge. They are two of the 19 decathletes competing. Five college athletes will also be competing. Day 1 is Wednesday with the final five events Thursday. The championships run through Saturday.

This is a qualifying event for the Junior World Championships in July.

Santa Fe graduate Walter Henderson was going to participate but an injury has him on the sidelines. He is still going to help out Nixon.

Nixon’s coach for this event is Ray Davis from Arizona. Davis helped Nixon earlier this year in that epic battle with Lazas at the Arcadia Invitational.

Carl Albert sprinter Ariana Smith was on her way to babysit her cousins when she got caught up in the flooding Monday morning.

There were some real tense times during her ordeal, but Smith survived and is physically fine.

As a sophomore, Smith qualified for the Class 5A state track meet in the 100 and 200 meters, as well as a pair of relay events last month. She was a regional champion in the 200.

For the full story, go here.

Here is a short video with Smith, following her rescue. Great to hear that she made it out OK as Monday had its fair share of scary moments for many people.

Team Oklahoma at the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic

First off, thanks to Airick Johnson of Del City for sharing some photos of the Oklahoma team that competed in the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic a week ago at the University of New Mexico.

The Okies came through with some strong performances, including gold medals for a couple of Ardmore kids.

Ryan Minkley won the shot put with a throw of 59-10 1/2 and JyWayne Allen won the 400 meters in a time of 47.86 seconds.

Claremore’s Dwayne Golbeck was second in the high jump at 7-0.  Tuttle’s Aspen Marical was third in the 300 hurdles at 44.37.

The podium of the 110-meter hurdles at the Great Southwest, with Del City's Airick Johnson in second place and Guthrie's Emmanuel Robinson in fourth.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Walter Henderson was second in the Elite 200 meters at 21.50 and sixth in the Elite 100 at 10.81. Johnson was second in the 110 hurdles at 14.14 and Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson was fourth in the same event at 14.30. Robinson also took sixth in the regular 100.

That barely touches on all the podium finishes and other standout performances by Oklahomans last week. Here are the full results from this year’s Great Southwest Track & Field Classic.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Walter Henderson's incredible journey is complete, signing with Arkansas. Photo by Robert Przybylo, The Oklahoman

When am I going to learn I’m not a kid anymore? It wasn’t Sunday as I had a blast covering Edmond Santa Fe track star Walter Henderson signing with Arkansas.

Henderson’s journey has been well-chronicled at this point. He went from not having any idea what track and field really was two years ago to now signing with one of the top track schools in the nation.

Coach Carl Hawkins was also there and said five kids from this year’s team have signed. One at the Division I level, one at Division II and three at NAIA.

The Wolves placed second in the team race, edged out by Southmoore. Henderson, despite not racing at his best because of a groin injury, placed third in both the 100 and 200 meters.

And now I know why the Wolves’ track team is so good after watching a furious hour of constant battles in Mario & Sonic Summer Olympics for the Wii. The intensity in those track races was just like the real thing.

Henderson said I should have added up all the scholarship money that was in the room as there were a lot of star athletes from the Edmond area in attendance.

If you don’t remember, here is my story on Henderson’s journey from Southeast to Santa Fe to finding track from last month.

Look for a video with Henderson on NewsOK later this week. EDIT: Or how about now?

It was such a nice, laid back atmosphere Tuesday night in Moore that none of those track stars minded some skinny little dude coming up to them with a video camera for a short video.

Well, I took a bunch. Just like the All-State football days and stuff, always great to see the kids when they’re totally relaxed because everything is over. No more competitions to worry about, time to have fun.

So here ya go track aficionados (all are links to the videos with the kids):

Michael Ervin, Millwood.

Lacey Rhodes, Mustang.

Emmanuel Robinson, Guthrie.

Airick Johnson, Del City.

Tyler Wisby, Douglass.

Gunnar Nixon, Edmond Santa Fe.

Now for the real fun to begin as a number of these kids will be even busier in the summer than they were in the spring. You can help us out. If you know of big meets either in the area or that Oklahoma kids will be running in, drop us a line.

I almost couldn’t believe it myself Tuesday night at Moore. But yea, that was the first track meet I’ve ever been to. Gotta say, thought it was pretty cool. Tennis and baseball conflicts keep me from seeing track.

Also gotta say that seeing the Tournament of Champions for your first event is the way to go. Had a lot of fun. It’s a great idea and wish more sports would go forward with it. Hope to be able to catch the golf one here in two weeks.

Obviously, the biggest disappointment was the absence of Southmoore. The SaberCats earned the school’s first state championship Monday night at Tulsa East Central and dem boys were a-hurtin’ Tuesday.

Runners from Del City, Guthrie, Edmond Santa Fe, among others, all expressed the disappointment. You always want to see where you stack up against the best of the best and this event gave most a shot at that.

The event kinda became a 4A-A tournament as those boys and girls were quite rested and ready to go. Impressed with the turnout for the event. Moore is a real nice site for the event and thought the passion and desire was still there though the only thing on the line was bragging rights.

That list is now down to one. Never been to a high school volleyball match yet. Hmm, maybe I’ll get a chance in the fall.

Thoughts and observations

- Most impressed with Beggs freshman Regan Ward. She is phenomenal in the distance races. She does some funky things with her hand motions, but she is clearly in a class of her own when it comes to the 1,600 and 3,200.

- Now I get what the fuss is all about with Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson. In fact, now I understand about the whole Bluejays team. Guthrie was one of the few 5A-6A squads that came out in full force.

- Most fun to talk to was Douglass star Tyler Wisby. Get her in front of a camera, and she was just having fun. It doesn’t hurt when you’re as dominant as her, either. Also, big kudos to the Douglass 1,600 relay team as they were doing cartwheels and chest bumpin’ and jumpin’ up and down on the podium. Good stuff.

- Danielle Nowell of Plainview is a freak of nature. I mean it’s not even close in the pole vault. Very interesting to see what she will do for an encore her senior year.

- The showdown with Del City’s Airick Johnson and Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon was cool in the 110 hurdles. Johnson, just like he did at state, edged the Wolves’ star. Nixon’s anchor leg in the 1,600 relay was one of the best things I’ve seen recently. So smooth, so effortless. Word on the street was he was clocked at a 46.8 split. Sure felt like it from here.

- Really great that this event was brought back. Definitely looking forward to next year where maybe more 5A-6A kids can rest up and be ready to go, too.

Southmoore's Ethan Baker

Southmoore’s Ethan Baker always hoped he would get the chance to compete for an NCAA Division I school. He just thought his chance would come in football.

On Wednesday, the two-time 400-meter state champion signed a letter of intent to run for the Big 12 Conference champion Nebraska track team.

“I’m real excited,” he said. “I always thought I’d go D-I, I just didn’t think it would be for track. God works in mysterious ways.”

In addition to winning the 400 two years straight, Baker was on the SaberCats’ 400 and 1,600 relay teams that helped them win the Class 6A team championship on Monday.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

No Edmond Player of the Week this time around. I mean how am I supposed to choose in what was some fabulous results across the board for the Edmond squads?

We started last week with golf and that meant another title for Edmond North.

The Huskies, led by Austen Fuller, won their sixth consecutive team championship by six strokes over Norman North.

However, Memorial joined in on the fun as Taylor Moore ended up as the individual champion, beating Fuller by three strokes. And Santa Fe actually finished ahead of Memorial with Cody Reed and Matt Helms leading the way.

Over in 5A, Ian Davis of Deer Creek was solid but was three strokes off of being in the fun playoff. Davis, of course, is headed to Oklahoma State.

In baseball, three Edmond squads made state (Deer Creek, Memorial, Santa Fe) but unfortunately for their followers none of them won a championship or made the championship game.

Did we overestimate how good the West was or underestimate how good the East is?

Soccer, always a bridesmaid, never a bride – NO MORE. The Edmond North girls finally got that elusive state championship as Courtney Dike scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory against Union at Broken Arrow.

They end their phenomenal season at 17-1 and without losing to an in-state opponent.

We went to tennis Monday where North earned its first team title in seven years, paced by championships by Nate Roper and the doubles team of Alex Mathieson and Baylor Spring.

And who did they need to beat? Memorial. The Bulldogs had three finalists but couldn’t pull out any titles and placed second in the team battle.

Then track closed out the Edmond sports year as the North girls finished second while the Santa Fe boys duplicated that feat.

Edmond had championships in the girls from Hannah Helker (800), Miranda King (pole vault) and the 3,200 relay while Santa Fe earned the 1,600 relay title.

In the boys, Adam Godwin had a crazy-good day with titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 for North. Gunnar Nixon of Santa Fe earned a title and two runner-ups while Memorial had a championship from Vashon Williams of Memorial in the long jump.

Deer Creek joined the fun when Taler Buck earned the championships in the 1,600 and 3,200.

So, how am I supposed to pick among all that? Congrats to all, great way to close out the school year.

The Edmond North girls tennis team would have loved to have won the title outright. But if you would have told the team before the season, they would tie for the championship with Jenks, they sure would have taken it.

Sparked by a budding star (Ann Pepper) and girls who played their best when it mattered most (Reagan Reed and Natalie Price), the Huskies earned their second straight tennis title albeit sharing with the Trojans and the Edmond Player (Team) of the Week honor.

Senior Rachel Mitcham had a grueling Saturday after losing the first set in the semifinals, but she fought back. And every point became crucial in the team race.

Pepper and the doubles team took out Jenks’ foes in solid battles as well.

The boys have a great chance at taking home their own title Saturday.

Other contenders

Caleb Hallman, Santa Fe, Baseball: Hallman had a phenomenal regional and is one big reason Wolves are back at state for eighth year in a row.

Dylan Keester, Memorial, Baseball: Bulldogs had to scratch and claw to fend off Choctaw but did so to advance to the state tournament.

Michael Fulmer, Deer Creek, Baseball: No drama for the Antlers, highlighted by a five-inning, 14-strikeout no-hitter by Fulmer.

Abby Thompson, Deer Creek, Golf: Antlers placed fourth as a team while Thompson was third, nine strokes away from the title.

Carly Yates, North, Golf: Shot a team-best 177 at state as Huskies placed sixth in team race.

Lindsey Moore, Memorial, Golf: Shot a team-best 179 at state as Bulldogs made late move to earn fifth place.

Camille Sanders, North, Soccer: Just another classic Edlam battle as Sanders scored game-winner in 3-2 win in quarterfinals vs. Memorial.

Shawn McLaws, Deer Creek, Soccer: Antlers had a real battle with McGuinness, winning a shootout in which McLaws had two goals.

Hannah Helker, Nicole Underwood, Kaitlyn Peterson, Miranda King, Adam Godwin, North, Track and Field: All won at least one event at regionals as Huskies placed second and third.

Tara Lewis, Gloria Mosely, Brandon Sampler, Vashon Williams, Bryce Burget, Memorial, Track and Field: All won at least one event at regionals as Bulldogs won both boys and girls competitions.

Jasmine Hinton, Haley McDaniel, Walter Henderson, Gunnar Nixon, Santa Fe, Track and Field: All won at least one event at regionals as Wolves won both boys and girls competitions.

Tiarra Roberts, Taler Buck, Deer Creek, Track and Field: Both won at least one event at regionals as Antlers placed third and fourth.

There were some pretty good choices this week, but the dominance of the Bishop McGuinness girls tennis team cannot be matched by any team in any sport.

So for that reason, the whole team is being recognized as Private Schools Player (Team) of the Week.

The girls once again went undefeated as the Irish won their 12th consecutive team title and Whitney Ritchie and Emily Conrad became four-time champions while Mia Lancaster and Ashleigh Chiaf are now three-time champions.

Doubles players Trinian O’Neil and Abby Hodges also won titles. It’s sorta the end of an era with Ritchie, Conrad and Lancaster all moving on.

The No. 1 doubles team of John Byrne and Jonathan Kraft have a great chance of their own for a title Saturday.

Other contenders

Caitlin Farris, Irish, Golf: Just a freshman, Farris won the state championship by nine strokes as McGuinness had four of the top 10 placers.

Bob Kraft, Heritage Hall, Baseball: Errors plagued the Chargers at regionals, but Kraft and the team had a phenomenal season after being unranked.

Braden Klein, Irish, Baseball: Tough pill to swallow for the Irish, who lost to Newcastle at regionals but Klein had a stellar year.

Heritage Hall girls tennis team: Another team title and three individual titles made this another great year for Dick Villaflor and his girls.

Hickey, Heritage Hall, Soccer: In a barn burner, she scored the game-winner in overtime at Elk City in a 1-0 victory.

CC Guzman and Alexa Gonce, Irish, Soccer: McGuinness is rolling right now in the soccer playoffs, Guzman and Gonce had three goals apiece in a 11-1 rout of Chickasha in the quarterfinals.

Abbey Akin, Mary Beth Canfield, Mary Kate Roy and Lissy Fuller, Irish, Track and Field: The girls won the 3,200 relay at the 4A state championships in Ardmore.

LaRone Richardson, Irish, Track and Field: Placed third in the long jump at state championships.

Price Foerster, Heritage, Track and Field: Placed fourth in the high jump at state championships.

Bowles is the top-ranked runner in Class 6A in the 800 meters and is second in the 1,600 meters. The four-year state qualifier has the best time in the state in the 800 by two full seconds at 1:55.6 and is less than than a second off of the top time in the 1,600 at 4:25.5.

It’s the final week of Player of the Week honors that won’t involve state champions, so I wanted to give some kudos to people that may have been overlooked this year.

The obvious winner would have been Heritage pitcher Bob Kraft, but I think we’ve more than covered his great 20-strikeout outing against Casady. So went in another direction.

This week’s honor goes to Heritage Hall freshman Nikoli Jezdan, who had a big outing at the track and field regional at Watonga.

Jezdan placed fourth in the shot put and third in the discus throw for the Chargers. Sophomore Quintaz Struble placed fifth in the discus. The Chargers will compete at state in Ardmore this weekend.

Other contenders

Cale Shivers, Casady, Baseball: Been a vital part to the turnaround of the Cyclones in football and baseball. He was a gutsy quarterback that was never afraid to put himself out there. On the diamond, he’s the same way as a pitcher, unafraid to challenge the best of hitters.

Whitney Ritchie, Bishop McGuinness, Tennis: The way she has handled transition from No. 1 singles to No. 1 doubles has been admirable. Ritchie, now teaming with Trinian O’Neil, is now a part of the most dominant doubles team in the state and will be gunning for her fourth state title Saturday.

Cody Haines, OCS, Soccer: Haines came up with big save after big save as OCS eked out a tough 1-0 win against Mt. St. Mary’s in a first-round playoff matchup. It doesn’t get any easier at this point as the Saints play at OKC Dove Science on Tuesday night.

***

EDIT: Casady’s Graham Bennett had a huge weekend as well, winning the discus throw (147-4) at the SPC Championships. It is Casady’s first gold medal in track since 2005.

It’s the final Player of the Week honor that won’t include state champions, so I wanted to reward one person from each school that may have been overlooked this year.

It wasn’t that these kids didn’t do special things all year, but they sometimes picked the wrong time to do them as picking the Edmond stars has been one of the toughest parts of the job.

With that said, let’s give the honor to North’s star distance runner Adam Godwin this week. Nothing Godwin did at the Metro Conference Championships should shock anybody. He easily won the 1,600 and the 3,200, winning the 1,600 by nearly 4 seconds and the 3,200 by more than 2 seconds.

Godwin has been incredibly consistent all year and has put North in a great position to make some serious noise at the state championships.

Other Contenders

Tyler Price, Deer Creek, Baseball: Coach Ron Moore can’t say enough about this kid. Price has been Mr. Versatility for this team for years and proved it once and for all on senior night. Price played all nine positions in the Antlers’ 18-2 victory. Price will play at Hutchinson JC in Kansas.

Tara Lewis, Memorial, Track: Lewis, a lot like Godwin, has been sensational all school year for the Bulldogs. She continued her fine season by earning victories in the 800 and 1,600. In the 800, she won by more than 3 seconds and the 1,600 by just under 3 seconds.

Lucas Swisher, Santa Fe, Tennis: When you think of strong tennis programs, Santa Fe doesn’t exactly come to mind. However, Swisher has been a bright spot for the Wolves, both on and off the court. Swisher placed second at the Braver Invitational at Heritage Hall in his latest effort.

Krepel, a senior, is one of the favorites to win a Class 3A championship in as many as four events. A year ago, the 18-year old finished third in the 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meter relay at the state meet. Krepel also runs the 3,200.

During cross country season, Krepel placed first or second in five meets, won the regional title and made All-State by placing ninth at state.

This is me killing two birds with one stone. The Deer Creek baseball team was solid in winning the East-West Classic, and I wanted to get this video of Andrew Harlan up here on the blog.

Harlan had the game-changing hit in the championship victory with an inside-the-park home run to lead the Antlers to the 10-4 win against Guthrie.

But his outing was one of several worth mentioning as Brian Anderson had a big game. Pitcher Michael Fulmer, in only his fifth plate appearance of the season, hit a grand slam against Miami on Friday. Cale Coshow was steady on the mound.

There are so many players on this team that can come up big on any given day. It’s almost scary to think what could happen if ALL of them were clicking at once.

As is, the Antlers have been No. 1 in Class 5A ever since winning at Carl Albert and are in great position to try to claim the state title.

Other Contenders

Ty Hensley, Santa Fe, Baseball: Don’t have too much to add from his 11 K outing vs. rival Memorial, just fun to see someone grow up in front of your eyes.

Trey Reynolds, Memorial, Baseball: Reynolds came up huge in a 7-6 win against Southmoore last Tuesday, notching the game-winning hit.

Casey Distaso, North, Tennis: Distaso beat Union’s Logon Collins in a near three-hour match at the Edmond Tournament as Huskies are now ranked No. 1 in 6A.

Truit Gray, Memorial, Tennis: Bulldogs are a consistent bunch and Gray was able to break out for a victory at the Edmond Tournament.

Rachel Mitcham, North, Tennis: Been able to bounce back from early struggles as Huskies are right there in the race.

Ian Davis, Deer Creek, Golf: Another week, another great outing by the Oklahoma State signee. The 5A title chase will be intense.

Matt Helms, Santa Fe, Golf: The Wolves have been knocking on the door all season and Helms placed fourth at the Edmond North Tournament.

Allison Sell, North, Golf: Just a freshman, having brilliant season and won the PC North Invitational on Thursday.

Jacob Romig, Deer Creek, Soccer: Antlers clinched the district with the 4-0 win against Capitol Hill, Romig had two of the scores.

Miranda King and Hannah Helker, North, Track and Field: Each won an individual title at the Edmond North meet Thursday.

Gloria Mosely, Memorial, Track and Field: Continued her stellar season with a win in the discus throw at the North meet.

Tiara Roberts, Deer Creek, Track and Field: The freshman won the 300 hurdles at the North meet.

Adam Godwin, North, Track and Field: Distance runner extraordinaire won the 1,600 and 3,200 at the North meet.

Chase Sammons and Bryce Burget, Memorial, Track and Field: Each won an event at the North meet and give ‘Dogs a great chance at the field events.

If all Bishop McGuinness girls soccer player Alexa Gonce did was score the game-winning goal against Deer Creek last week, she would have been in the conversation for Player of the Week.

But she had two goals in that one AND added two more in a 4-0 win against Metro Christian on Thursday. And she’s been solid all season and easily gets this week’s honor.

The Irish are in great shape heading into the playoffs (that begin next week), having defeated No. 1-ranked Bishop Kelley and No. 2-ranked Deer Creek.

Paced by Gonce and Abbey Akin and goaltender Elyse Hight, the Irish might have all the components necessary to make that run this year.

Other Contenders

Ryan Shelley, Casady, Baseball: Shelley came up huge against rival Holland Hall. He had a home run and three RBIs. Might he top it Monday vs. Heritage? (I’ll be there)

Kyle Ahmad, Irish, Baseball: Ahmad busted out of his slump at the Deer Creek Classic, getting multiple hits in games and using his speed to get things going.

Nathan Bowker, Heritage Hall, Baseball: The Chargers are still rolling at 20-2 and Bowker has added pitching depth to go with Bob Kraft.

Levi Fisher, Heritage, Track and Field: Fisher was dominant in winning the discus throw at the Route 66 Classic at Chandler.

Sam O’Brien and Caitlin Farris, Irish, Golf: O’Brien has been consistent all season for McGuinness while Farris placed second at the Altus Invitational last week.

Jackson Ogle, OCS, Golf: Won the Enid Tournament last week and has been involved in three scorecard playoff ties for championships this year.

Collin Groves, Heritage, Soccer: Chargers blanked Bethany last week as Groves added a goal and has been a strong scorer all season.

Emily Conrad, Irish, Tennis: After three years of being in doubles, Conrad, an Abilene Christian signee, has done well at No. 2 singles.

Will Smith, Norman North

Boys soccer

Smith scored a combined five goals and added an assist in the T-Wolves’ last two games. The junior midfielder, who leads Norman North in scoring with 13 goals on the season, netted a career-high four against Lawton Eisenhower on Friday.

I swear this wasn’t planned that we just happened to pick the right week to write a big story on Santa Fe track star Walter Henderson.

Henderson had an incredible week on the track at both OBU and the Edmond meet, winning both the 100 and 200 in both events and setting personal bests times with each performance. And with that comes the honor of the Edmond Player of the Week.

Henderson said this year’s Wolves team is so focused to take that track championship. And when you add him to a group that includes Gunnar Nixon, Travis Hinton, Brian Mills, among others, and you start to see why.

Santa Fe has all the tools to make it happen, just have to show up on that weekend in May.

Other contenders

Drew Dahlberg, Memorial, Baseball: Is he ever going to slow down? He was sensational again as the Bulldogs are now 22-5 after being 4-3.

Clayton Blackburn, Santa Fe, Baseball: Good week on the mound (W vs. North) and at the plate at Stillwater Invitational.

Michael Fulmer, Deer Creek, Baseball: It was a personal gut-check for him and responded with 12 Ks in a 10-0 win against Guthrie.

Jared Benway, North, Baseball: Not too many bright spots for Huskies, but Benway did hit a three-run HR in a loss to Santa Fe.

Ian Davis, Deer Creek, Golf: A little quiet so far, Davis had a banner week that included a victory in last Monday’s Bishop Kelley Invitational.

Shelby Sewell, North, Soccer: Weather wreaked havoc on things this weekend but Sewell scored twice in a 2-0 win against Moore.

Edmond North boys tennis: Team keeps changing up its lineup but hasn’t mattered as Huskies are looking like the favorite in 6A.

Hannah Helker, North, Track: She’s been phenomenal all season and was once again, winning the 400 and 800 at the Santa Fe meet Thursday.

Tara Lewis, Emme Scott and Gloria Mosely, Memorial, Track: Each girl won an individual title at the Santa Fe meet as Bulldogs placed third.

Travis Hinton, Santa Fe, Track: Hinton gets a little lost in the shuffle with the Wolves’ stars, but he won the 400 at the Santa Fe meet.

Chase Sammons, Memorial, Track: Doesn’t matter what event, Sammons has dominated the discus and shot put and did so again last Thursday.

Chase Thackerson and Geoffrey Johnson, Memorial, Track: Each won an individual championship as Bulldogs placed second.

Courtney Walker, Santa Fe, and Elizabeth Donohoe, North, Basketball: The girls were rightfully picked for first team Big All-City and Super 5. They’ll be back next year.

Might this be the future for Santa Fe's Walter Henderson? Photo by John Clanton

Back here in Oklahoma after a spending a few days in Dallas. Doesn’t sound like I missed much as the weather halted a lot of the must-see events.

Hope you had a chance to check out my story on Edmond Santa Fe track star Walter Henderson in Friday’s paper, one of the more gratifying stories I’ve written.

Henderson’s story is someone who is truly taking advantage of a second chance in life and making the most of it. But what makes it more incredible is how he acknowledges it and appreciates it every day what the Deas family has done for him.

Believe it or not, in all my ramblings in Friday’s piece, there were some things left out.

- Football was his life, and he always thought it would be. But coach Carl Hawkins was the first coach Henderson had ever seen with such passion. “He wasn’t there because he was assigned to be or they needed someone there. He LOVES track.”

- He still can’t get over the jolt of being announced at the state tournament. “I mean these are the eight best in the state, and I’m one of them. Two months ago I didn’t know what I was doing.”

- The biggest adjustment (besides form and attitude): Diet. Henderson didn’t exactly eat unhealthy, but he does have a sweet tooth. “I love candy, so that was tough.”

- Moving in with the Deas family has been great for Henderson but also for the Henderson family. Walter and Blake Deas get along great and Walter is acting like a real big brother to Ryan. “He’s brought the dedication out in Blake and Ryan, he just loves his bigger brother.” – Shelly Deas

- And then finally, just want to reiterate what track means to Henderson. He’s come a long way, and he just had a phenomenal week on the track.

Here’s a link to Friday’s story and the amazing photo by John Clanton.

Saturday, in the at the John Jacobs Invitational, Barrier came from behind to nip Satterthwaite by five one-hundredths of a second for second place in the 3,200 meters. In the 1,600, the two came in together as well, with Satterthwaite taking fourth and Barrier fifth.

The close finishes are becoming a trend for these two. At the Class 6A cross country meet in October, Barrier surged past Satterthwaite at the tape to take third, less than half a second ahead of Satterthwaite.

One notable effect from the change to Saturday rather than Friday for the meet was a drop in fan attendance and athlete participation. In talking to some athletes and coaches, there were a lot of kids gone taking the ACT, and several schools held their prom on Saturday, so some kids chose that over track. I have absolutely no basis for this, only a gut feeling, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go back to Friday next spring.

Anyway, on to the performances. Some of the following has appeared in the newspaper, some if it hasn’t, but all of it was entertaining:

Southmoore blazes to relay, wins team title 

From a coach’s perspective, Southmoore’s boys 400-meter relay run was slowed by a bad start and two poor baton handoffs. On the clock, it was almost a state record.

The team of Julian Wilson, D’Vante Henry, Ethan Baker and Derek Serowski logged a time of 41.10 to win the event, only a fraction off the state record time of 40.96, which is held by Lawton MacArthur’s 1983 state championship relay team.

The SaberCats only earned gold in two other events — taking the top two spots in the 100-meter and 200-meter runs — but that was good enough for 76 team points and a one-point win over Edmond Memorial in the Division 1 boys competition at the John Jacobs High School Track Invitational Saturday at the University of Oklahoma.

John Marshall won less dramatically in Division 2 boys with 138 points, 63 points better than second-place Ada.

The Bears won gold in the 800 and 1,600 relays. Emmanuel Denson won the 300 hurdles and the Bears swept the top three spots in the 400, led by Elijah Gill’s winning time of 50.86.

Piedmont girls seeking repeat

With only seven girls who qualified for the Class 4A state meet last year, Piedmont still found a way to win. Five of those athletes are back this season, and Trinity Johnson’s team is looking for another title.

The 4A girls field is deep, with teams like Douglass, Seminole and last year’s runner-up, Madill. But the Lady Wildcats are off to a good start, winning Division 2 Saturday by 40 points, despite it being just their third meet of the year.

“A lot of things have to happen to win state, but with the girls we have, we should be in the hunt,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a good mixture of sprint and distance runners.”

And they got a boost from Madison Berryman, who won the Division 2 long jump Saturday at 17-0 ¾ in her first meet of the year. She missed the first two while participating with the tennis team. Sarah Peoples (200 meters), Megan Fuller (300 hurdles) and Jori Davis (1,600) all won events and Piedmont took gold in the 800 relay.

Tulsa Union dominated girls’ Division 1 with a 70-point victory, winning in five individual runs and three relays.

‘Eventful day’ for Guthrie’s Robinson

At a typical meet, Emmanuel Robinson would run a leg of the 400-meter relay, but none of the other three sprinters attended Saturday’s event. They were back in Guthrie preparing for prom Saturday night.

“I figured I’d come here, get a few races in, then go to prom,” Robinson said. “This is one of the meets where you see where everybody is, so I wanted to see where I stood.

“It’s an eventful day.”

And a successful one, too. Robinson clocked the best time of any runner in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.46 seconds and won the 100 in Division 2 (Class 5A and below) at 10.97. He didn’t run the 300 hurdles — usually his third individual race — but finished second in the 200, an event he generally doesn’t compete in.

“The 200 is really more like a good workout,” he said. “It helps me in the 100.” 

Battle developing in boys’ 400 meters

Just a sophomore, Edmond Memorial’s Isaiah Duke has won the 400 meters at national junior track meets, but he’s got a battle on his hands if he’s going to win it at state this year.

On Saturday, Duke ran a personal best time of 47.73 seconds, diving over the line just ahead of Southmoore’s Ethan Baker at 47.75.

Both times were better than anything that’s been recorded at a Class 6A meet this season.

“That was a great race,” Memorial coach Chris Lowrey said. “Those two guys will see each other a couple more times, at conference and probably at state.”

Depth carries John Marshall boys

John Marshall’s biggest advantage in Class 4A boys track isn’t just its talent, but the wealth of talent, particularly in the sprints.

Competing in Division 2 (Class 5A and below), the Bears won two of the three relays at the John Jacobs Invitational Saturday, which will be a key in their pursuit of a state title.

The Bears are led by Emmanuel Denson, Miles Jackson and Elijah Gill, all of whom contribute in sprints and relays.

“If you get the big points in the relays, that sets you up,” coach Marvin Dantzler said. “We’ve got some depth. We’re strong in the shot put, the hurdles and the relays. We feel pretty confident with our depth. Our concern right now is staying healthy.”

Helker wins again

Edmond North’s Hannah Helker continues to dominate the 800, winning it again to break up the gold-medal run of Tulsa Union, which won every open run except the 800 and all but one relay.

Del City’s Johnson sweeps hurdles

He only gets to spend about two hours a week practicing on a track while Del City lays a new track surface, but Airick Johnson still found a way to succeed Saturday, winning both the 110 and 300 hurdles in the 6A division.

Because of his limited practice time, Johnson says he uses meets for extra practice to work on his technique, which is vitally important in the hurdles.

Yukon makes most of trip

Coming off two straight team victories at Putnam City and its own meet in Yukon, the Millers didn’t send a full squad to the John Jacobs, but they made their performances count.

Yukon’s Tanner Ramsey (14 feet) and Ethan Coughlan (13-6) took the top two spots in the pole vault. And junior Kollin Retter competed in the 110 and 300 hurdles, scoring points with a fifth-place finish in the 300.

Memorial’s Sammons comes through with big throws

The fact that Edmond Memorial’s Chase Sammons finished second in the discus was pretty shocking, considering his throw of 174 feet, 10 inches was 12 feet farther than any 6A boy had thrown all season. Devin Randall of Bartlesville edged him by 1 foot, 8 inches to win gold, but Sammons turned in a strong all-around performance, also finishing third in the shot put.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Parker Bowles, Norman

Track

The senior distance runner continued what has been a dominant season, winning a pair of golds at the John Jacobs Invitational.

Bowles placed first in the 800-meter run and the 1,600 meters. Bowles’ time in the 800 was 1:56.10, two seconds ahead of the field.

Others:

Greg Offenburger, Norman

Baseball

The standout linebacker showed he’s adept at two sports, helping lead Norman to a 13-1 romp past Edmond North on Saturday. The junior recorded a double and a triple as the Tigers avenged a 6-1 loss to Edmond North a day earlier.

Carmen King, Norman North

Track

The T-Wolves speedster placed first in the long jump and third in the 100-meter dash at the John Jacobs Invitational.

Cale Russell, Norman North

Baseball

After whiffing 11 Norman batters in a Crosstown Clash triumph a week earlier, the T-Wolves’ ace came back even stronger with 14 strike outs in a victory over Edmond North.

Alec Lee, Norman

 Boys soccer

Lee booted the game-winning goal in the Tigers’ 1-0 victory at Edmond North Friday night. Cal Cornwell assisted on the goal.

Michael Moore, Moore

One of the school’s best all-around athletes, Moore placed first in the long jump and second in the high jump (although no one cleared a height greater than what he did), leading the Lions’ field event athletes.

Moore logged a leap of 22-11.75 to edge Tulsa Union’s Luke Snider by less than a full inch in the long jump. In the high jump, Moore cleared 6-foot, four-inches, the same height as winner Atavian Blakely of Putnam City, but Blakely was awarded the gold by virtue of judges ruling.

Others:

Julian Wilson, Southmoore

Track

Wilson led Southmoore to the boys team title at the John Jacobs Invitational with a gold in the 200-meter run and a runner-up finish in the 100.

A football signee for Oklahoma, Wilson posted a time of 22.60 to win the 200 and ran a 10.90 in the 100, just five-tenths of a second off of the winning time.

Ethan Baker, Southmoore

Track

Baker, a standout safety for the SaberCats’ football team, won two goals and a silver at the John Jacobs Invitational. Baker placed first in the 200-meters and ran a led in the SaberCats’ winning 400-relay team. The senior also was runner-up in the 400.  

Derek Serowski, Southmoore

Track

Serowski took first place in the 100 meters for the second time in two meets. The senior posted a time of 10.85 at the John Jacobs Invitational to take the gold and edge teammate Julian Wilson, one of the fastest sprinters in the state.

Any other week, I mean ANY OTHER WEEK, and Drew Dahlberg’s performance for the Edmond Memorial baseball team would easily be enough.

But not this week. Not when Santa Fe junior Gunnar Nixon earns the second best decathlon score by a high school athlete EVER. EVER.

Nixon and Kevin Lazas of Brentwood, Tenn., had a battle for the ages with Nixon edging him out by 63 points at the Arcadia Invitational.

It’s not just how great Nixon is (though he really is unbelievable), but it’s what he’s done for the Wolves team and their attitude.

In talking to Walter Henderson and coach Carl Hawkins, they both have stressed just how much Nixon’s work ethic and attitude has spread to the rest of the team.

So even on a weekend made for track and field (John Jacobs at OU), it’s Nixon in California who is earning the Edmond Player of the Week.

Other contenders

Drew Dahlberg, Memorial, Baseball: He ignites the team, and they gave out MVP awards, easily would have won it as Bulldogs won Edmond Wood Bat Tournament.

Thomas Rudd, North, Baseball: Rough week for the Huskies, but Rudd did throw a fine game in a 6-1 win against Norman on Friday.

Jordan Lopez, Santa Fe, Baseball: Had a great tournament minus the championship and is always a threat to make something happen.

Brian Anderson, Deer Creek, Baseball: In a three-hour marathon with McGuinness, Anderson was 3-for-4 with a home run in the 16-12 win.

Matt Helms, Santa Fe, Golf: Helms tied for second as boys earned the title at the Deer Creek Invitational.

Carly Yates, North, Golf: Sounds like a broken record, but this two-sport star continues to do it all for the Huskies.

Ian Davis, Deer Creek, Golf: A week old at this point but had good showdown with Carl Albert’s Talor Gooch and Chickasha’s Taylor Williams at conference.

Ann Pepper, North, Tennis: Making big strides and has played her way to earn the No. 1 singles spot during this last week.

Maddi Hillis, Memorial, Soccer: Notched two goals as Memorial took out Shawnee 5-0.

Brittany Soesbee, North, Soccer: Tallied huge goal as Huskies were playing w/out Britny Dike in a 2-0 victory against Norman.

Memorial, North, Santa Fe, Girls, Track: A collective effort as North placed second, Santa Fe third and Memorial sixth at John Jacobs. For full results, go here.

Memorial, North, Santa Fe, Boys, Track: A collective effort as Memorial placed second, Santa Fe fifth and North 11th. For full results, go here.

Josh Richardson, Santa Fe, Basketball: The junior was picked by Scott Wright for the boys Super Five. It’s possible we’ll be seeing him there again next year.

It’s tough for me to understand just what this senior year by these Casady kids has meant to the school. I start to get a much better understanding when I talk to them.

One of the boys leading the ‘redeem team’ has been Austin Katigan. And Katigan had a dream come true last week, being accepted into Dartmouth where he will play football.

Katigan is looking at either being a punter or wide receiver. That’s funny that they’re asking him to try out for both as they’re two very different positions.

Like I said last week, former Oklahoma receiver Jarrail Jackson has opened up the Dartmouth campus to Oklahoma recruits. Jackson is an assistant for Dartmouth.

Katigan won’t be going to Dartmouth alone as Bishop Kelley’s Joe Dowdell is also heading there.

Katigan and Dowdell will be heading to the campus in two weeks for the spring football game. For now, he’ll have to be content with being named the Private Schools Player of the Week.

Other contenders

Barry Sanders, Heritage Hall, Baseball: The Chargers have been one of the biggest surprises, entering the 4A rankings at No. 15 this last week. Sanders’ versatility is one reason why.

Dax Maroney, Bishop McGuinness, Baseball: The Irish lost a three-hour marathon at No. 1-ranked Class 5A Deer Creek 16-12, but Maroney had a great game.

Julie Labarthe, Heritage Hall, Tennis: The senior lost one game in the championship match, winning the Ada Tournament at No. 1 singles.

Mia Lancaster, Bishop McGuinness, Tennis: Lancaster has earned the No. 1 singles spot and has been dominant this season.

John Byrne and Jonathan Kraft, Bishop McGuinness, Tennis: This No. 1 doubles team might be the favorite to win the 5A championship.

Lizzy Whitbeck, Irish, and Narayan Naik, Heritage, Swimming: The swimmers were named Swimmers of the Year by me and deserved it for a great year. Good luck at Arkansas and Wyoming, respectively.

Caitlin Farris and Hannah Tubbs, Irish, Golf: The duo makes up one of the best one-two combos in the state and were solid in two tournaments last week.

Alexa Gonce, Irish, Soccer: The girls are taking care of business as Gonce had a big game in a 10-0 victory against Western Heights.

Quintaz Struble, Heritage, Track: Struble won the discus throw at the Bethany meet on Saturday. Levi Fisher placed third.

Foerster, Heritage, Track: My Heritage friends, need help with the first name as Foerster won the high jump at the Bethany meet.

Erin Gaffney, Irish, Track: Won the 3,200 at the Bethany meet while Swink won the pole vault.

You know how golf is giving people the option of just following one group? I would have loved to have followed Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon and Brentwood, Tennessee’s Kevin Lazas through all 10 of the decathlon events at the Arcadia Invitational.

Nixon won an epic battle between the two, beating Lazas by a mere 63 points.

Here’s what I wrote for the paper:

Nixon comes from behind for decathlon win

Everyone in Oklahoma knows about how good Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon is in track and field.

Now everyone in the nation is finding out. Nixon set the second-best decathlon point total for a high school athlete in winning the event at the Arcadia Invitational this weekend in California.

Nixon posted 7,573 points while Kevin Lazas of Brentwood, Tenn., earned 7,510 points, the third best mark for a high schooler.

“This is the most fun I’ve had at a competition,” Nixon said. “It was back and forth both days, and I had to come from behind to win it.”

Nixon trailed Lazas by eight points heading into the final event, the 1,500-meter run. Nixon needed to beat Lazas by 1 second to win – Nixon beat him by 12 seconds.

The story with the two has been Lazas is stronger in the throwing competitions and Nixon a better runner. But Nixon gave himself a shot at beating Lazas by winning the javelin competition.

“That’s where I felt I won the competition,” Nixon said. “I was down and needed a big throw, and I got it.”

Nixon won five of the 10 events. Faring well at Arcadia has served as a good omen as 125 athletes have gone on to the U.S. Olympic team in the meet’s history.

***

The second best mark ever? Unheard of. Congrats to both boys for an outstanding showing at such a prestigious meet. I always say you hope someone WINS the event instead of the other person losing it, that certainly happened.

Lazas won three of the events. So the two won eight of the 10 events…incredible.

Here’s a breakdown of event-by-event totals for Nixon and Lazas:

Event – 100 meters
Gunnar Nixon, 11.15 (1st)
Kevin Lazas, 11.22 (3rd)

Event – Long Jump
Kevin Lazas, 23-5 1/4 (1st)
Gunnar Nixon, 23-0 (2nd)

Event – Shot Put
Kevin Lazas, 47-7 1/4 (1st)
Gunnar Nixon, 41-3 (6th)

Event – High Jump
Gunnar Nixon, 6-11 1/2 (1st)
Kevin Lazas, 6-5 1/2 (tied 2nd)

Event – 400 meters
Gunnar Nixon, 49.59 (1st)
Kevin Lazas, 51.70 (5th)

Event – 110 Hurdles
Gunnar Nixon, 14.63 (1st)
Kevin Lazas, 15.58 (5th)

Event – Discus Throw
Kevin Lazas, 141-11 (2nd)
Gunnar Nixon, 124-4 (5th)

Event – Pole Vault
Kevin Lazas, 15-0 (1st)
Gunnar Nixon, 13-5 3/4 (tied 2nd)

Event – Javelin
Gunnar Nixon, 181-10 (1st)
Kevin Lazas, 177-4 (2nd)

Event – 1,500 meters
Gunnar Nixon, 4:35.90 (2nd)
Kevin Lazas, 4:47.36 (4th)

Total
1. Gunnar Nixon, 7,573 points
2. Kevin Lazas, 7,510 points

Congrats again to both boys for an outstanding competition.

Edmond Santa Fe track star Gunnar Nixon spends more time in other states than he does competing for the Wolves, at least it feels that way. Guess that’s what happens when you’re as good as he is.

Nixon is in Arcadia, Calif., for a big-time meet this weekend. Guess you could say it’s a good meet as 125 athletes who have competed at this meet have gone on to make the US Olympic team.

After day one of the decathlon, Nixon is leading by a 100 points over Brentwood, Tennessee’s Kevin Lazas.

Overall
1. Gunnar Nixon, 4,033 points
2. Kevin Lazas, 3,933 points

Gunnar’s results on Day 1:
100 meters: 11.15 (1st)
Long jump: 23 feet (2nd)
Shot put: 41-3 (6th)
High jump: 6-11 1/2 (1st)
400 meters: 49.59 (1st)

Gunnar’s father, Tim, said Gunnar is feeling good after the first day. The long jump is a personal record for Gunnar, and the only real disappointment was the shot put as Gunnar had fouls on two of his three attempts.

The day 2 events are the 110 hurdles, 1,500 meter run, pole vault, javelin throw and discus throw. Lazas finished third, first, first, tied for second and fifth in the first five events. Going to make for an exciting second day.

Painter took first individually in the 800-meter run in 2:30, the 1,600 in 5:32 and the 3,200 in 12:02. She also led the Jags to first place in the 3,200 relay.

Westmoore’s girls team placed second in the team standings to Midwest City.

If I could get paid for being the Gunnar Nixon beat writer, I would be a busy, busy person. The Santa Fe track star makes news like every week it feels like.

Here’s the latest:

Nixon shines in national competition

Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon won the high jump and the 400-meter hurdles last weekend at the Youth Olympic Trials in Arlington, Texas.

Nixon’s high jump wasn’t as high as he would have hoped as he had to stop during the middle of the event to run the hurdles event and come back to the high jump.

He won the hurdles with a time of 52.66, .03 better than the second-place finisher.

The event was a qualifier for the first Youth Olympics event in Singapore in August. In order to be considered, you had to win your event. Nixon can only be selected for one event.

The USATF has to make all decisions by May 15.

***

And here is what the Youth Olympics site said about Nixon’s performance:

Gunnar Nixon (Santa Fe OK jr) As a decathlete, he defies categorization, but the 7-footer will be leading the HJ field here, and is a top candidate for the 400H (33″), where he has run 53.95 over the 36″ barriers.

Shiloh Farris, Norman

Girls soccer

Farris scored the winning goal for the Tigers in a 1-0 victory over Yukon Thursday. Norman outshot the Millerettes 11-3, but could only break through once as Farris netted the second-half game-winner.

Others:

Cale Russell, Norman North

Baseball

Russell struck out 11 batters and had a pair of RBIs as the T-Wolves knocked off rival Norman.

Quincy Taylor, Norman

Girls track

Taylor, ranked in the top five in Class 6A among hurdlers, placed second at the Moore track meet on Friday. Taylor ran a 17.2 in the 100 intermediate hurdles, finishing less than a full second off of the wining time.

Al Maeder, Norman

Boys track

Mader ran a 10:05 in the two-mile run at the Moore Invitational last Friday, winning first place by seven seconds.

Taylor Painter, Westmoore

Girls track

Painter took first in three events at the Moore track meet Friday. The senior won the 800-meter run in 2:30, the 1,600 in 5:32 and the 3,200 in 12:02.

Others:

Lauren Vabolis, Westmoore

Girls soccer

The junior forward recorded a hat trick in the Jaguars’ win over Putnam City West on Thursday to raise her teamleading scoring total to five goals.

Vabolis led Westmoore to a win over Putnam City as well, scoring a goal and helping the Jags snap a two-game losing streak.

Derek Serowski, Southmoore

Boys track

Serowski placed first in the 100-meter dash at Friday’s Moore track meet, breaking the tape in 10.38. The senior also took second in the 200.

Heritage Hall had a couple of really good choices this week. But since I’m going to write a feature about her for Thursday’s paper, figured I’d go with tennis player Sarah Bowen.

I love the confidence of this sophomore. Even when she was a freshman, she wasn’t bashful or anything like that.

Now with some experience under her belt, she is definitely on her way to becoming the next great tennis player for Dick Villaflor and the Chargers.

At the Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions, Bowen came up with one of the biggest singles victories in her career. She defeated Jenks’ Gabrielle Siegler (a great player as well) to earn the No. 2 singles title and Private Schools Player of the Week.

For more on Bowen, check out Thursday’s paper.

Other contenders

Julie Labarthe, Heritage, Tennis: Bowen’s partner in crime as Labarthe was dominant at No. 1 singles in earning the title.

Bob Kraft, Heritage, Baseball: The pitcher has been a huge reason for the tremendous start for the Chargers. He enters this week with a 4-0 record.

Cooper Cloud, Heritage, Baseball: Cloud’s bat (especially in a win against Perry) has helped Heritage to a fantastic start.

Andrew Murphy, Bishop McGuinness, Baseball: A light week for the Irish squad, but coach Bryan Wade has said Murphy’s leadership has been one of the reasons for the recent roll.

CC Guzman, Bishop McGuinness, Soccer: This team is absolutely loaded, and Guzman came up big Tuesday. Soccer guru Justin Harper named her the Player of the Week last week.

Matt Silver, Casady, Baseball: Silver is incredible. I’m really hoping I can find an excuse to see the Cyclones play because Silver’s stats are amazing.

John Ratliff, Casady, Golf: In a loaded field featuring some of the best players around, Ratliff placed second last Tuesday.

Tiatjah Johnson, Casady, Track and Field: Johnson easily won the 200-meter dash at the Kingfisher meet and was the only girl to run under 28 seconds.

Bobbe Chafin, Casady, Track and Field: Also at the Kingfisher meet, Chafin placed second in the 100 and the long jump.

Victoria Vaughn, Mt. St. Mary’s, Tennis: Vaughn was impressive in winning the No. 2 singles title at the Central Oklahoma Classic at Harrah.

Track and field

Johnson took gold in two events, the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. The sophomore, who placed second last year at state in the mile and is the two-mile state champion, paced the Norman girls to a dominating victory in the team competition Saturday at the Gregg Byram Track Classic.

Other standouts:

Parker Bowles, Norman

The senior took twin titles in the 800 and 1,600 meter runs at the Gregg Byram Track Classic. Bowles is the No. 1 ranked runner in Class 6A in both events.

Kevin Boyd, Norman North

Boys tennis

Boyd topped Norman’s Jarrett Ferguson 6-1, 6-1 in No. 1 doubles as the T-Wolves blanked their Crosstown Clash rival Tigers 6-0.

Dylen Brammer, Moore

Track and field

Brammer capped a three-event medal showing by anchoring the Lions’ 1,600 meter relay team to a first-place showing. The victory in that race gave the Lions the boys team title at the Gregg Byram Track Classic at Norman High School Saturday.

In cold and seriously windy conditions, Brammer excelled in a trio of races, but sealed the team crown for Moore by overtaking race-leader Del City in the final lap.

Other standouts:

Victoria Svetgoff, Westmoore

Track and field

Wind curtailed top performances and kept heights down in the high jump and pole vault competition at the Gregg Byram Track Classic, but Svetgoff topped all challengers in the pole vault, winning her second gold of the season.

He’s set the bar early for Player of the Week honors during the spring as Edmond Memorial soccer star Stuart Turnipseed had a tremendous outing in a win against Broken Arrow.

In a showdown of two of the best teams in the state, the Bulldogs made an early statement with a convincing 6-0 victory.

Memorial scored five goals in the second half. Turnispeed notched three of them in earning the first hat trick of his brilliant career.

There’s going to be a great showdown Thursday with Memorial and Norman North, should be fun.

Other contenders

Jacob Romig, Deer Creek, Soccer: The Antlers are one of the best teams in 5A and Romig scored the game-winner in a thrilling 2-1 victory against Lawton MacArthur.

Allie Glazner, Santa Fe, Soccer: It’s been a rough start for the Wolves, but Glazner got things going by scoring two goals in a 2-0 victory against Putnam City.

Austin Place, Santa Fe, Soccer: The Wolves have had to battle this year at 3-3, but Place notched two goals in Santa Fe’s 3-0 win against Moore and Santa Fe ended with two wins in the Bronco Cup.

Alec Heinen and Austin Fuller, North, Golf: The boys tied for second place and the Huskies won the team title at the Timberwolves Invitational.

Carly Yates, North, Golf: Welcome back to the course, Yates. She finished tied for second in her first tournament of the year.

Arial Ruffin, Haley McDaniel and Courtney Walker, Santa Fe, Track and Field: All three girls earned individual titles while the Wolves earned team honors at the Memorial Invitational.

Gloria Mosely and Tara Lewis, Memorial, Track and Field: Each girl won an individual championship as Bulldogs placed second.

Haley Hammond and Nicole Underwood, North, Track and Field: Outshined by Santa Fe and Memorial, the pair of girls also won individual titles.

Gunnar Nixon and Matt Leavell, Santa Fe, Track and Field: Nixon won three titles while Leavell added one as Wolves placed second.

Chase Sammons and Isaiah Duke, Memorial, Track and Field: Sammons won two titles and Duke pitched in with one as Bulldogs won the team competition.

Adam Godwin, North, Track and Field: Godwin took first in the 3,200 run at the Memorial Invitational.

Jon McNeill, North, Baseball: Huskies had a rough week at Tiger/Trojans Invitational, but McNeill has been solid.

Tyler Price, Deer Creek, Baseball: One of the more overlooked contributors, Price has been most consistent performer for Antlers.

Eric Olson, North, Tennis: Olson won the No. 2 singles title and Huskies won team title at Muskogee Tournament.

Rachel Mitcham, North, Tennis: Senior still going strong, winning No. 1 singles title at Muskogee Tournament.

There were a lot more track and field teams competing in the Edmond Memorial Invitational on Friday than just Edmond Santa Fe and Memorial, but the standings won’t exactly reflect that.

Santa Fe won the girls title while Memorial came in second. The teams switched spots in the boys as the Bulldogs came out on top with the Wolves the runners-up.

Chase Sammons and Bryce Burget led the way for the Memorial boys as they placed first and second in both the shot put and the discus throw. Sophomore Isaiah Duke also won the 400-meter dash.

Santa Fe star Gunnar Nixon had another solid meet, earning three individual titles while senior Matt Leavell earned the pole vault championship.

On the girls side, Santa Fe received titles from Arial Ruffin in the 400, Courtney Walker in the high jump and Haley McDaniel in the pole vault. Memorial’s Gloria Mosely won the discus throw while Tara Lewis placed first in the 3,200 run.

FRIDAY

Girls soccer: Norman North at Tulsa Kelley Tournament

Girls golf: Norman North at Ardmore Invitational at Lakeview Golf Course

Baseball: Norman North at Putnam City, 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

Girls soccer: Norman North at Tulsa Kelley Tournament

Girls tennis: Norman North at Muskogee Tournament

Track: Norman North at Gregg Byram Track Classic at Norman High, 10 a.m.

MONDAY

Softball: Southmoore at Norman North, 5:30 p.m.

Baseball: Norman at Norman North, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY

Softball: Norman North vs. Norman, 5:30 p.m.

Boys golf: At Edmond Invitational, KickingBird Golf Course, 8 a.m.

Baseball: Norman North at Norman, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Boys soccer: Norman vs. Jenks at Bronco Cup (Mustang High School), 6 p.m.

SATURDAY

Baseball: Choctaw at Norman, 12 p.m.

Boys soccer: Norman vs. Southmoore at Bronco Cup (Mustang High School), 11 a.m.

Track: Norman hosts Gregg Byram Track Classic, 10 a.m.

MONDAY

Baseball: Norman at Norman North, 7 p.m.

Boys golf: Norman hosts Tiger Trails Invitational at the Trails Golf Club, 8 a.m.

Softball: Putnam City at Norman, 5:30 p.m.

Softball: Noble at Norman, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Baseball: Norman North at Norman, 7 p.m.

Softball: Norman vs. Norman North, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Soccer: Southmoore at Mustang Tournament

Tennis: Southmoore at Muskogee Tournament

Softball: Norman at Southmoore, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY

Soccer: Southmoore vs. Norman at Mustang Tournament, 11 a.m.

Tennis: Southmoore at Muskogee Tournament

MONDAY

Golf: Southmoore at Norman Invitational at the Trails Country Club

Tennis: Southmoore at Owasso Tournament

Softball: Southmoore at Norman North, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

Soccer: Southmoore at Sand Springs, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY

Boys soccer: Westmoore at Mustang tournament vs. Putnam City, 2 p.m.

Baseball: Westmoore at Broken Arrow Tournament

Softball: Westmoore at Hall of Fame Classic

Boys tennis: Westmoore at Muskogee Tournament

SATURDAY

Boys soccer: Westmoore at Mustang tournament vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 11 a.m.

Baseball: Westmoore at Broken Arrow Tournament

Softball: Westmoore at Hall of Fame Classic

Girls tennis: Westmoore at Muskogee Tournament

Track: Westmoore at Gregg Byram Track Classic at Norman High

MONDAY

Baseball: Westmoore at Midwest City, 6 p.m.

Boys golf: Westmoore at Norman Invitational at the Trails Country Club

Girls tennis: Westmoore at Owasso Tournament

TUESDAY

Baseball: Midwest City at Westmoore, 5 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Westmoore, 6 p.m.

Boys tennis: Westmoore at Owasso Tournament

FRIDAY

Baseball: Moore at Chickasha Tournament

Boys soccer: Moore at Mustang Tournament, 4 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Hall of Fame Classic

SATURDAY

Baseball: Moore at Chickasha Tournament

Boys soccer: Moore at Mustang Tournament, 9 a.m.

Softball: Moore at Hall of Fame Classic

Track: Moore at Greg Byram Classic at Norman High School, 9 a.m.

MONDAY

Girls tennis: Moore at Owasso

Boys golf: Moore at Norman Tournament at the Trails

Track: Moore at Edmond Memorial

Baseball: Southmoore at Moore, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Boys tennis: Moore at Owasso

Boys golf: Moore at Edmond Tournament at Kickingbird, 8 a.m.

Baseball: Moore at Southmoore, 6:30 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Westmoore, 6 p.m.

The meet, which is held at Norman High School, will feature a 3,200-meter race that includes the top four finishers from the 6A boys cross country state meet. Champion Victor Others from Ponca City, runner-up Toby Bothwell of Westmoore and Norman North’s Dustin Barrier are among those who will join Satterthwaite in the elite field.

Norman also has the top-ranked 3,200 runner in 6A girls track in defending champion Megan Johnson. The Tigers also feature Parker Bowles, who is ranked first in both the 800 meters and 1,600, and Nyla James, who has the fastest time in the state in Class 6A in the girl’s 300-meter hurdles.

Tuesday
Baseball: Santa Fe South at John Marshall
Soccer: Capitol Hill at McGuinness
Soccer: Southeast vs. U.S. Grant at Speegle
Tennis: Capitol Hill at Millwood
Tennis: Centennial at Northwest
Tennis: Classen at Northeast
Tennis: John Marshall at Douglass
Tennis: Star Spencer at Southeast

Wednesday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Classen vs. Harding at Taft Stadium

Thursday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Capitol Hill at Edmond North
Tennis: Douglass at Classen
Tennis: John Marshall at Capitol Hill
Tennis: Northeast at Star Spencer
Tennis: Southeast at Northwest
Tennis: US. Grant at Centennial

Friday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Capitol Hill boys at Kings of the South Tournament at Speegle Stadium

Saturday
Baseball: Northwest at Mustang
Soccer: Capitol Hill boys at Kings of the South Tournament at Speegle Stadium
Track: John Marshall at Tiger Track Classic at Stroud

Today
CA Baseball: at Noble
CA, MWC Girls Tennis: at Duncan Tournament
Del City Baseball: At Southmoore
MWC Baseball: at Norman North

Tuesday
CA Baseball: vs. Noble (4); vs. Chickasha, 6:30
Del City Baseball: vs. Southmoore
Del City Soccer: at Tulsa Union
MWC Baseball: vs. Norman North

Wednesday
CA, MWC Boys Tennis: at Duncan Tournament
MWC Baseball: at Enid Tournament

Thursday
CA Baseball: at Stillwater
CA, MWC, Del City Boys and Girls Soccer: At Midwest City Tournament
Del City Baseball: at Guthrie
MWC Baseball: at Enid Tournament

Friday
CA Baseball: at Lawton MacArthur
CA, MWC, Del City Boys and Girls Soccer: At Midwest City Tournament
CA Girls Tennis: at Ada Tournament
MWC Baseball: at Enid Tournament
MWC Track: at Tulsa East Central

Saturday
CA, Del City, MWC Boys and Girls Soccer: At Midwest City Tournament
CA Boys Tennis: at Ada Tournament
Del City Baseball: vs. Christian Heritage
Del City Track: at Norman
MWC Baseball: at Enid Tournament

It seems like every sports season there is a name or two that might always be in the running for player of the week. You could have made a real argument for Xavier Smith of Edmond North and Kameron Doolittle of Edmond Memorial in football.

The same could have been said about Santa Fe’s Courtney Walker and North’s Elizabeth Donohoe in girls basketball.

Definitely have candidates in the spring, especially in track. I have a feeling I’ll be typing Isaiah Duke of Memorial and Gunnar Nixon of the Wolves over and over and over.

When I typed last week’s winners, I had no idea about what Nixon had done at the Nike Indoor event in Boston. So it’s a week late, but he still deserves the honor. And since there was such little action because of spring break, it’s a combined award for the Edmond and Private Schools Player of the Week.

Nixon was phenomenal at the Indoor meet in Boston last week, setting a junior meet record in the Pentathlon.

Nixon scored 4,141 points in the event, helped by a high jump of 7-feet, 0.5 inches — the best by a prep athlete indoors this year.

In addition to his high jump, Nixon won the 1,000-meter run, finished second in the 60 hurdles and fourth in both the long jump and the shot.

Going to be fun to ‘track’ (get it? I’m hilarious) all the success of the spring athletes here in the next couple of months. Excited for the seasons to really get going (despite the snow). I’ma try to make it out to as many events as I possibly can.

But I’m throwing it out to you guys as well. Spring is so busy that it’s tough to make sure everyone gets included that deserves a mention. So if you have suggestions, send ‘em this way whenever you can.

Other contenders

Michael Fulmer, Deer Creek, Baseball: The Antlers and Wolves headed out to Alabama last week, and Deer Creek went a perfect 4-0 on the trip. Fulmer was sensational on the mound in one of the big wins.

Jordan Lopez, Santa Fe, Baseball: Cody Rosecrans should probably get this nom, too, but Lopez had a great ‘Bama trip as well, proving to be the most consistent hitter and scored a bunch of runs.

Tyler Smith, Mt. St. Mary’s, Baseball: Another diamond hero as Smith was fantastic in a 9-1 win against Oklahoma Christian on Friday. Smith struck out 11 in a complete game victory.

Below are Q&A’s with West Metro athletes who attended our spring sports media day:

Kris Godwin, Yukon boys soccer

What do you do to get away from sports?

Hang out with family and friends but even then I end up playing soccer or football.

What was your “Welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

Being a sophmore and playing at the varsity level of competition.

What is your hidden talent (not including sports)?

Organizing events such as raffles, fundraisers, etc.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family and why?

My father. He began as a soccer player but then excelled in wrestling.

What has been the most life-changing event in your life so far?

The passing of my cousin last year.

Playing favorites – List five items that are your absolute favorite things in your personal life:

Family, friends, Playstation3, truck, iPod Touch.

Bucket list – List five things you must to do in life:

1.Visit Mount Rushmore 2. Swim with sharks 3. Go to another country 4. Go to a World Cup 5. Go to a safari in Africa.

List one person you want to trade places with for a day and why:

Wayne Rooney. He is a game changer and is one of the elites when it comes to the game of soccer.

Karson Bizzell, Mustang girls golf

What do you do to get away from sports?

I hang out with family, my boyfriend and friends, going to movies, skiing, and riding horses. I love to get pedicures and manicures.

What was your “Welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

It was my very first high school tournament and I shot a 117. We were playing at Aqua Canyon in Guthrie and it was freezing with gusting winds. It was horrible but I am glad I endured it to start off my golf career.

What is your hidden talent (not including sports)?

I am great at telling jokes and making people laugh.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family and why?

My Uncle David Bizzell is probably the best athlete in our family. He held several records in track in Arkansas. My Uncle Tony Kyle played college basketball. My dad Karl Bizzell played football.

What has been the most life-changing event in your life so far?

When I accepted Jesus Christ into my life.

Playing favorites – List five items that are your absolute favorite things in your personal life:

1. God 2. Family 3. Boyfriend 4. Friends 5. Pets

Bucket list – List five things you must to do in life:

1. Get married and have kids 2. Play on the LPGA Tour 3. Conquer my fear of heights 4. Open my own bakery 5. Learn to surf.

List one person you want to trade places with for a day and why:

Paula Creamer – to experience the thrill of playing on the LPGA Tour and excelling at my dream.

Armoniey Moore, Putnam City girls track

What do you do to get away from sports?

I don’t really do anything to get away from sports, but I do love to cook.

What was your “Welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

When I skipped JV and went straight into Varsity track. I knew then that I might be pretty good at this. And the moment really hit me when I started breaking school records!

What is your hidden talent (not including sports)?

I love to cook and I like to sing.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family and why?

My sister, because we both run track and we love to compare our times.

What has been the most life-changing event in your life so far?

The murder of my uncle in a home-invasion in 2007.

Playing favorites – List five items that are your absolute favorite things in your personal life:

Being on the Step Team for my school, running track, my family, my friends and cooking.

Bucket list – List five things you must to do in life:

Go to college, run track, take care of my family… I can’t think of anything else.

List one person you want to trade places with for a day and why:

God, so that I can see how the world is from a different perspective.

Mario Caballeros, Putnam City West boys soccer

What do you do to get away from sports?

I like to play sports, but when I’m not playing sports it’s usually because I’m doing homework or I’m working in some type of school activity. I put my education before sports.

What was your “Welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

It was when I first practiced with the team. The practice was a little bit different than U14 level, the workout and the drills were a little different. That’s when I realized it was going to take dedication in order to maintain a good level of soccer. I also felt welcome in the assemblies, with all the students cheering the varsity team.

What is your hidden talent (not including sports)?

I like to help, being able to be a volunteer and help someone in need is a talent and a gift. I also like math, that’s one of the subjects i never get tired of.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family and why?

My two brothers and my sister are athletes, but I would have to say my brother Eduardo. He also plays soccer for the school. He has been playing soccer with me since we were little kids. We both practice really hard and try our best on the field.

What has been the most life-changing event in your life so far?

The event that changed my life so far would have to be the Leadership Retreat I attended almost three years ago. This retreat was a week long at Tulsa. Within that week I practiced how to communicate with people better. Before that retreat I was a really shy guy. That retreat encouraged me to be part of other leadership activities, and today I still have a little bit of trouble speaking in front of people, but I have improved in the last three years. I like to be part of activities that require speaking to groups of people so I can practice and face my fear.

Playing favorites – List five items that are your absolute favorite things in your personal life:

A picture of my family, a soccer ball, architecture book, cell phone, computer.

Bucket list – List five things you must to do in life:

Obtain a college diploma (at least a four-year degree). Help my parents with everything they need later on in life. Get married to a smart, decent woman, raise a family my own, serve God as much as possible.

List one person you want to trade places with for a day and why:

I would like to trade places for one day with the FC Barcelona soccer player Keita, because I would like to experience a day surrounded with great soccer players and being able to play with them.

Casey Coyle, Putnam City North baseball

What do you do to get away from sports?

I go to church as much as I can so I can get more involved and I pray about everything I need to do in my life.

What was your “Welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

My 10th grade year, the baseball team had our first game of the season and it was my first game to ever play at Varsity level. It was my first at-bat, my first EVERYTHING, and I get hit right in the lip and had to go to the hospital.

What is your hidden talent (not including sports)?

Singing.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family and why?

My cousin, Zach. He went to Piedmont High School and was a soccer player but that school didn’t have a soccer team so he played football and was the kicker. In his first game he kicked a 61 yarder!

What has been the most life-changing event in your life so far?

When my mother went to prison and me realizing that she wouldn’t be there for anything.

Playing favorites – List five items that are your absolute favorite things in your personal life:

Go to church, play baseball, listen to music, sit at Lake Hefner watching the water as the sun goes down and just thinking, and last is trying to lead people to Christ.

Bucket list – List five things you must to do in life:

Sky dive, go on a Cruise ship, make it to the MLB, try out for American Idol, and do something noone has ever thought about doing.

List one person you want to trade places with for a day and why:

Sam Bradford because I truly know him as a person and considering I signed with OU to play a sport I would like to see how he holds himself up in his faith and how a normal day is in Norman for someone.

Alas, though I don’t cover track, Krepel does compete in the sport. That gave me the opportunity to write her story for the track season preview. It will be in Sunday’s sports section. If you miss it in print, I’m including it here.

It’s nice that everything worked out because Krepel deserves the recognition. She’s overcome a lot and hasn’t sought the spotlight. For now, it’s going to be on her. Likely, it will be again come state meet time in May.

Enjoy the story:

In describing Katie Krepel, Kingfisher track coach Alan Palesano offers that she’s one of the hardest workers he’s ever coached.

A compliment of high measure to be sure. Then again, Krepel’s not hard to find words for  —  best, brightest, toughest, bravest would all have been as accurate.

Krepel, a senior distance runner, heads into the track season as one of the favorites to win a Class 3A championship in as many as four events. A year ago, the 18-year old finished third in the 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meter relay at the state meet. Krepel also runs the 3,200.

She has a chance to better those finishes this season. Which stands to reason, seeing as how it won’t take what Krepel considers a miracle for her to run well this time around.

“Going into the meet last year, I was not in the shape that I had been the previous year by all means,” Krepel said. “I just kind of gave it to God because I knew I couldn’t do what I had done the year before.

“When I finished it was kind of a miracle what I had done. I couldn’t have run the way I did by myself.”

Krepel’s miracle was being able to compete at her highest level just a few months removed from an appendix rupture that became life threatening and required major surgery.

“I ran just a half second off of my career best time,” Krepel said of posting a 5:27 in the mile. “I just couldn’t believe that because when I was in the hospital and when I started slowly running again, I started wondering whether I would be able to get back to the level I was at before.”

Krepel, also a cross country standout, had her first signs of trouble during the state championship cross country meet in October of her junior year.

“I was in 10^th after the first mile,” she said. “But then I could tell something was wrong. I didn’t feel right. I finished in 53^rd place and I pretty much collapsed at the end.”

A trip to the doctor drew a diagnosis of iron deficiency. But a few weeks later, Krepel was getting sick at her stomach and having severe abdominal pain. An emergency room visit resulted in another misdiagnosis, which exacerbated the problem considerably.

“They sent me home … said I had the flu,” Krepel said.

The pain caused Krepel to miss a week of school before a return trip to the hospital. This time, more than a month after her symptoms began, a ct scan was ordered.

“When my mom and I were waiting for the results, a doctor looked at it and basically started freaking out,” Krepel said. “I guess it was that bad. They knew my appendix had ruptured. I was taken to Deaconess Hospital and they drained seven pounds of junk out. That was supposed to be the end of it.”

The symptoms returned and the day after Christmas Krepel was back at the hospital.

“I went to the emergency room to get another ct scan and the nurses looked at me like I’m an idiot for being there with nothing wrong,” she said. “Then they freaked out just like the doctor had. I had radical surgery. They cut my whole stomach down pretty much.”

Krepel’s toughness and excellent physical condition from running was part of the reason was misdiagnosed, she was told.

“One doctor said the reason he didn’t think it was my appendix is because I didn’t jump off the table when he pressed on it,” Krepel said.

One of Krepel’s older brothers also had his appendix removed, with the resulting typical two-inch scar. Katie’s goes six inches down her stomach. She had to have a foot taken off of her large intestine and half a foot taken off her small intestine.

Nevertheless, four months later, she was not only running in the state meet, she was collecting a trio of bronze medals.

This past October, Krepel, whose sister Grace is also among the top runners in 3A, placed first or second in five cross country meets, won the regional title and made All-State by placing ninth at state. And with personal-best times 2:24 in the 800, 5:27 in the mile and 12:04 in the two-mile, she looks to do even better this season in track. Fortunately, this time, it won’t take a miracle.

Well, if the indoor track season is any indication of what we will see in the spring, it’s going to be a busy and successful one for the Edmond track teams.

EDMOND SCHOOLS TAKE TITLES

Edmond Santa Fe won the Class 6A-5A girls title, and Edmond Memorial won the boys championship Friday and Saturday in Enid.

On the girls side, Santa Fe’s Arial Ruffin won the 400-meter run, and the Wolves took the 4X320 relay. Those wins helped Santa Fe beat Edmond Memorial 102-91 for the team championship.

For the boys, Memorial’s Isaiah Duke won the 400-meter run. Memorial won both the 4X320 and 4X800 meter relays to beat out Edmond Santa Fe, 128-116.

Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon was also extremely impressive. He won the high jump, the long jump and the 55-meter hurdles.

For full results from the state meet, go here.

Wasn’t too shocked to hear about Santa Fe’s Brian Mills heading to Princeton. Knew it would be one of those Ivy League schools.

Mills officially committed Friday and then signed on the dotted line Wednesday, leading a strong first class for coach Bruce Gowen.

A lot of people look at last year as a disappointment, but when you look at the numbers, that is tough to justify.

Mills was one of seven football kids to sign Wednesday. A couple of tough breaks derailed what could have been a memorable season for the Wolves.

Mills said Princeton had the right balance of athletics and academics. I guess you can say Princeton isn’t bad academically (sarcasm doesn’t come off too well in print).

It was a fun ceremony, and I took a goofy photo of some of the Santa Fe kids showing their support for Mills.

Santa Fe AD Barry Blagowsky said signing day is one of his favorite days, and I agree 100 percent.

The kids get to see that all the hard work was worth it and paid off.

Here is the list:

Football
Alex Land (Weber State)
Justin Brewer (SNU)
Brian Mills (Princeton)
Randy Mack “The Mack Attack” (Washburn)
Michael Harris (Washburn)
Tyler Shaw (ECU)
D.J. Sims (ECU)

Track
Beau Brown (Bethany College)

Soccer
Drew Hall (Oklahoma City University)

So far, this is the signing list that I have from Edmond Memorial. If you know more kids, shoot it this way. It’s been tough trying to get all the names.

Santa Fe has the history of having solid recruits. North had this year’s most-prized recruit in Edmond (Xavier Smith).

But for my money, the 2009 Memorial football team will be one that will be remembered for a long time.

Nothing flashy about this group, but they played as a team and played for each other. And in the end, made the quarterfinals for the first time since the Edmond split.

A lot of that has to do with the defensive back heading to Fort Hays St., Nelson Medeiros. I’ve said it before, but he is one of the best leaders I’ve seen.

But this team was just that, a TEAM. You knew there weren’t going to be any can’t-miss prospects, but there are a ton of guys you’d love to have on your team.

Now next year? Well, that might be a little different with Kameron Doolittle and Connor Myers anchoring a solid class. This year was about a bunch of kids believing in a new coach (Justin Merideth) and turning heads with each big win.

Football
Nelson Medeiros, Edmond Memorial (Fort Hays St.)
D’Juan Brooks, Edmond Memorial (NEO)
Mike Stevenson, Edmond Memorial (Baker)

Baseball
Landon Hallam, Edmond Memorial (Seminole)

Soccer
Rochelle Bohuslavicky (Troy)
Madi Hillis, Edmond Memorial (Kansas)

Track
Darren Ross, Edmond Memorial (Okla. Christian)
Michael Spencer, Edmond Memorial (Okla. Christian)

FOOTBALL
Ken Berry, John Marshall (ECU)
Kenyad Blair, Northeast/NEO (Nichols State)
Irvin Caldwell, Star Spencer (NEO)
Arthola Clarke, John Marshall (NWOSU)
Kevin Forbes, Douglass (Langston)
Teontez Fortune, Douglass (Langston)
Rico Ivy, Douglass (Langston)
Miles Jackson, John Marshall (ECU)
Aaron James, Douglass (UCO)
Franky Jamison, Star Spencer (NEO)
Emmitt Jones, Star Spencer (NEO)
Brendon Jordan, John Marshall (NEO)
Lucas Miller, Capitol Hill (NEO)
Corey Mitchell, Douglass (Weber State)
Nic Nealy, Douglass (Grambling State)
Terence Olds, Star Spencer (NEO)
Andre Thompson, Douglass (Langston)
Raphael Watts, Capitol Hill (NEO)
Norris White, Douglass (Weber State)
James Williams, John Marshall (NEO)
Jeff Wright, Star Spencer (Langston)

TRACK AND FIELD
Antonio Taylor, Northwest (Okla. Christian)

FOOTBALL
Henry Alexander, Ardmore (SEOSU)
Jake Alexander, Jenks (Tulsa)
Jamaal Allen, Lawton (SNU)
Joe Alston, Berryhill (NSU)
Daryn Alves, Durant (NSU)
Gerard Anderson, Tulsa Central (NEO)
Matthew Anderson, Sand Springs (Pittsburg State)
Joe Aska, Edmond North (Garden City)
Brad Avery, Madill (SWOSU)
David Balenseifen, Mustang/NEO (SNU)
Tyler Barnes, Enid (SNU)
Calvin Barnett, Tulsa Washington (Arkansas)
Josh Barrett, Wayne (SNU)
Skylar Bartlett, Ringling (SNU)
Jason Bear, Stillwater (SNU)
Eric Bennett, Tulsa Washington (Arkansas)
Que’Shaun Bennett, Enid (NWOSU)
Matt Berrey, Purcell/NEO (ECU)
Ken Berry, John Marshall (ECU)
Ethan Biddy, Tuttle (Air Force)
Michael Billingsley, Southeast/NEO (Nichols State)
Qumain Black, Ada (NEO)
Kenyad Blair, Northeast/NEO (Nichols State)
Kenneth Blake, Davis (ECU)
Mason Blake, Lindsay (NWOSU)
Rhett Blundell, Kingfisher (NWOSU)
Brenton Bogar, Muskogee (Tulsa/NEO)
Hunter Bohannan, Yukon (Southwestern, Kan.)
Zach Boren, Southmoore (NEO)
Austin Brasher, Edmond North (BYU)*
Julian Brockington, Del City (NEO)
D’Juan Brooks, Edmond Memorial (NEO)
Brenden Brown, Norman North (ECU)
LaBron Brown, Southmoore (NEO)
Jon Bullock, Broken Arrow (UCO)
Jeremy Burton, Muskogee (La.-Monroe)
Justin Butterfield, Bartlesville (NSU)
Troy Buffington, Southmoore (SNU)
Tate Byers, Tulsa Kelley (Washington, St. Louis)
Colton Byford, Edmond North (UCO)
Irvin Caldwell, Star Spencer (NEO)
Chris Campbell, Enid (NWOSU)
Nick Canavan, Norman North (Missouri State)
Michael Cane, Okmulgee (ECU)
Chance Carey, McAlester (ECU)
Londre Carson, Muskogee (NEO)
Luke Chalfant, Hinton (SWOSU)
Mark Chestnut, Miami/NEO/OSU (Pittsburg State)
Keldin Choate, Shawnee (ECU)
Chris Clark, Moore (NWOSU)
Arthola Clarke, John Marshall (NWOSU)
Colton Cline, Norman North (Sam Houston State)
Alex Cochran, Broken Arrow (SWOSU)
Demarco Cobbs, Tulsa Central (Texas)
Aaron Colvin, Owasso (OU)
Tuswani Copeland, Lawton MacArthur (Baylor)
Jacoby Crowley, Lawton Eisenhower (SEOSU)
Nathan Crownover, Del City/NEO (SNU)
Dakota Crumbie, Tulsa Washington (ECU)
Clayton Cunningham, Ringwood (NWOSU)
Roper Cunningham, Waynoka (NWOSU)
Steven Daniels, Tulsa East Central (UCO)
Robert Dansby, Tulsa Memorial (McPherson)
Nolan Davenport, Seminole (Southwestern, Kan.)
Dakota Davis, Broken Arrow (SWOSU)
Dalton Davis, Tulsa Union (SNU)
Niko Davis, Millwood (NEO)
Ryan Day, Tulsa Union (SNU)
Johnny Deaton, Sand Springs (OSU)
Gregory DeLozier, Seq. Claremore (Pittsburg State)
Terrance Dixon, Sand Springs (NSU)
Colton Dost, Tulsa Union (Western Kentucky)
Joe Dowdell, Tulsa Kelley (Dartmouth)
Brandon Downing, Edmond North (Washburn)
Alex Dowty, Mustang (Washburn)
Dalton Duckett, Tulsa Union (NSU)
Stephen Eastham, Dewey (NEO)
Bryce Ebbs, Vinita (NEO)
Cole Eddy, Midwest City (UCO)
Jordan Edwards, Washington (NEO)
Brandon Elmore, Blanchard/Coffeyville (SWOSU)
Josh Engert, Nowata (NEO)
B.J. Evans, Tulsa Union (Garden City)
Ryan Feller, Altus (SWOSU)
Darryl Fields, Madill (SMU)
Aaron Fisher, Tulsa Central (Ga. Southern)
Drew Fischer, Timberlake (NWOSU)
Blake Fogle, Caney Valley (NWOSU)
Kevin Forbes, Douglass (Langston)
Adam Ford, Broken Arrow (NEO)
Teontez Fortune, Douglass (Langston)
Donnie Fuston, Enid (NEO)
Ruben Gaines, Muskogee (UCO)
Eric Gardner, Lone Grove (ECU)
Jake Garrett, Tuttle (SNU)
Courtney Gaston, Fort Gibson (Arkansas)
Blake Gatewood, Edmond North (UCO)
Kimes Gilbert, Southmoore (SWOSU)
Jaimon Gilstrap, Tulsa East Central (NSU)
Zakk Gipson, Pryor (NWOSU)
Cord Gothard, Velma-Alma (SWOSU)
Gimo Grace, Tulsa East Central (Emporia State)
Bob Graham, Jenks (Iowa State)
Cale Grauer, Lincoln Christian (Mo. Western)
Delans Griffin, Clinton (Texas Tech)
Logan Grinstead, Sulphur (UCO)
Colby Hager, Sayre (NWOSU)
Justin Harmon-Brewer, Edmond Santa Fe (SNU)
Rowdy Harper, Broken Arrow (Houston)
Demantre Harris, Del City (Garden City)
Devante Harris, Duncan (SEOSU)
Halston Harris, Marlow (SEOSU)
Michael Harris, Edmond Santa Fe (Washburn)
Austin Haywood, Southmoore (OU)
Haden Hedges, Pioneer (SNU)
Alec Henry, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Trayvon Henry, Millwood (Butler County)
Aries Herrion, Tulsa Washington (Pittsburg State)
Rylan Hess, Metro Christian (Colo. School of Mines)
Steven Hopper, Broken Arrow (Vian)
Brett Horn, Waynoka (NWOSU)
J.J. Hugine, Del City (New Mexico)
Caleb Hulva, Enid (SNU)
Chris Hummingbird, Seq. Tahlequah (NEO)
Dalton Hunter, Maysville (ECU)
Derrick Hurst, Millwood (NWOSU)
Taylor Inman, Seq. Claremore (SWOSU)
Bronson Irwin, Mustang (OU)
Royal Isokariari, Tulsa Memorial (McPherson)
Rico Ivy, Douglass (Langston)
Miles Jackson, John Marshall (ECU)
Aaron James, Douglass (UCO)
Ethan James, Gore (NSU)
Franky Jamison, Star Spencer (NEO)
Antonio Jenkins, Putnam North (NEO)
Dewitt Jennings, Bixby (Tulsa)
Kenny Johnson, Weatherford (SWOSU)
Jace Johnson, Bethel/ECU (SWOSU)
Tyler Johnson, Berryhill (NEO)
Willie Johnson, Tulsa Memorial (NEO)
Dominque Jones, Midwest City (Baylor)
Emmitt Jones, Star Spencer (NEO)
Gus Jones, Wagoner/OU (NSU)
Brendon Jordan, John Marshall (NEO)
Jordan Karriman, Grove/NEO (La.-Monroe)
Jacob Keller, Tulsa Union (La.-Monroe)
Jake Kelley, Beggs (Peru State)
Brandon Keplinger, Watonga (NWOSU)
Kyle Keplinger, Watonga (NWOSU)
Johnny Ketterman, Timberlake (NEO)
Drake Keys, Skiatook (SWOSU)
Chris King, Jenks (UCO)
Cecil Kirkendoll, Clinton (SWOSU)
Jarrett Lake, Jenks (Arkansas)
Alex Land, Edmond Santa Fe (Weber State)
Ricky Lawyer, Edmond North (NEO)
Justin Lepley, Seq. Tahlequah (NEO)
Chris Littlehead, Seq. Tahlequah (OSU)
David Lore, Jenks (Air Force)
Matt Luetjen, Hennessey (Army)
Randy Mack, Edmond Santa Fe (Washburn)
Tyler Mackey, Afton (NEO)
Dalton Mahoney, Alva (NWOSU)
Mike Major, Tulsa Kelley (Princeton)
George Mallett, Southmoore (SNU)
Beau Marsaln, Metro Christian (NEO)
Dominique Massengil, Lawton (ECU)
Mason Mathews, Yukon (Mid-America Nazarene)
Ty Matthews, Choctaw (SNU)
Chris McAlister, Del City (Central Arkansas)
Ryan McCaul, Moore/NEO (La.-Monroe)
Shawn McIntosh, Lawton MacArthur (SNU)
Nelson Medeiros, Edmond Memorial (Fort Hays State)
Ryan Merrill, Cordell (NWOSU)
Clifton Miller, Atoka (SEOSU)
Lucas Miller, Capitol Hill (NEO)
Brian Mills, Edmond Santa Fe (Princeton)
Corey Mitchell, Douglass (Weber State)
Deonte Morris, Tulsa Union (Tulsa/NEO)
Cory Mosely, Midwest City (Hutchinson)
Cole Mount, Deer Creek (Washburn)
Mason Myers, Southmoore (Colorado State)
Cody Nall, Ardmore (ECU)
Josh Napper, Lawton Eisenhower (SEOSU)
Carlos Nazario, Lawton (ECU)
Nic Nealy, Douglass (Grambling State)
Marco Nelson, Glenpool (Tulsa)
Chase Neuman, Dewey (SWOSU)
Jordan Newby, Southmoore (SNU)
Tanner Newby, Enid (NEO)
Justin Nole, Washington (SNU)
Alex Oden, Victory Christian (NEO)
Terence Olds, Star Spencer (NEO)
Cade Oller, Billings (NWOSU)
Tyler Ott, Jenks (Harvard)
Johnny Pack, Seminole (Southwestern, Kan.)
Dustin Parks, Waukomis (NWOSU)
Chris Patterson, McAlester (NEO)
Chris Peoples, Vian (SEOSU)
Richard Peoples, Norman North (ECU)
Gordon Perry, Weatherford (SWOSU)
Brandon Piercy, Muskogee (NEO)
Tre Porter, Carl Albert (Texas Tech)
Zac Powell, Garber (NWOSU)
Scott Powers, Sperry/NEO (Emporia State)
Ronnie Price, Broken Arrow (NEO)
Cody Pritchard, Stroud (NWOSU)
Sonny Puletasi, Lawton (Wyoming)
Chris Ramey, Wagoner (Arkansas Tech)
Sean Reed, Shawnee (ECU)
James Renfrow, Broken Arrow (NSU)
Joel Reser, Del City (NEO)
Sean Rigney, Shawnee (ECU)
James Roberson, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Thomas Roberson, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Kevin Roberts, Madill (SWOSU)
Brady Robinson, Broken Arrow (NEO)
Howard Roebuck, Tulsa Washington (Prairie View A&M)
Carl Salazar, Broken Arrow (Air Force)
Ian Sanders, CHA (SNU)
Kale Sawatzky, Weatherford (OU)*
Austin Schultz, Chisholm (SNU)
Taylor Schuyler, Bixby (Central Arkansas)
Tye Scott, Salina (NEO)
Derek Serowski, Southmoore (UCO)
Burgess Shaw, Sand Springs (ECU)
Tyler Shaw, Edmond Santa Fe (ECU)
Lamares Shields, Del City (ECU)
Denton Simek, Prague (Arkansas)
Ethan Simpson, Claremore (Pittsburg State)
D.J. Sims, Edmond Santa Fe (ECU)
Richard Sims, Edmond North (Dordt)
Kyler Skinner, Weatherford (SWOSU)
Ryan Smith, Muskogee (NEO)
Travis Smith, Durant (NEO)
Tyler Smith, Sand Springs (Pittsburg State)
Xavier Smith, Edmond North (Missouri)
Luke Snider, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Anthony Sparks, Stillwater (NEO)
Trent Spurgeon, Owasso (Arizona)
James Stephens, Broken Arrow (UCO)
Matt Stevenson, Edmond Memorial (Baker)
P.J. Stimson, Pryor (NWOSU)
Tyler Stitt, Mustang (NWOSU)
Ray Stovall, Tulsa Washington (La.-Monroe)
Jake Streck, Kremlin-Hillsdale (NWOSU)
Ricky Streck, Kremlin-Hillsdale (NWOSU)
Casey Strate, Dewey (NEO)
Clint Strate, Dewey (NEO)
Ryan Stringer, Clinton (SWOSU)
Caleb Sullivan, Seminole (Deer Creek)
Garrett Sullivan, Deer Creek (UCO)
Jon Swanfeld, Tulsa Union (SNU)
Nyko Symonds, Southmoore (OU)*
Kwame Tate, Elgin (UCO)
Dylan Taylor, Vian (NSU)
Matthew Tingle, Putnam North (NEO)
Robert Thomas, Sulphur/Cowley County (ECU)
Andre Thompson, Douglass (Langston)
Mike Thompson, Bartlesville (Pittsburg State)
Taylor Thurman, Seq. Claremore (Haskell)
Reuben Tiller, Ardmore (ECU)
Corey Todd, Hilldale (NWOSU)
Kobey Trower, Hominy (NEO)
Zach Trujillo, Deer Creek (Kansas State)**
Hayden Vencl, Garber (NWOSU)
Eddie Venters, Muskogee (NEO)
Markell Walker, Carl Albert (ECU)
Dillion Wallace, Tulsa East Central (NEO)
Patrick Wallace, Tulsa Central (NEO)
Nick Walters, Edmond Memorial/NEO (Arkansas)*
Davis Walton, Tulsa Kelley (NEO)
Raphael Watts, Capitol Hill (NEO)
Cole Way, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Clifford Weatherford, Muskogee (NEO)
Dane Weippert, Guymon (Panhandle State)
Stanley West, Westmoore (SNU)
Scott Whitaker, Norman North (Drake)
Norris White, Douglass (Weber State)
Jameel Whitney, McGuinness (ECU)
Ryland Widener, Southmoore (Northern Colorado)
Blair Williams, Beggs (NEO)
Kyle Williams, Broken Bow (SEOSU)
James Williams, John Marshall (NEO)
Terry Williamson, Broken Arrow (UCO)
Julian Wilson, Southmoore (OU)
Roman Wilson, Lincoln Christian (Princeton)
Ray Wolber, Tulsa Kelley (Drake)
Josiah Woodard, Stillwater (SEOSU)
Jordan Woods, Kingfisher (NWOSU)
Jeff Wright, Star Spencer (Langston)
Clayton Yancy, Seminole (Southwestern, Kan.)
Collin Yeary, Norman North (NEO)

BASEBALL
Wade Ambrose, Tulsa Union (Northeast Texas CC)
Tyler Carter, Ada (NOC-Enid)
Caden Cleveland, Christian Heritage (Morehead State)
Braden Cook, Chickasha (Connors State)
Cale Coshow, Deer Creek (OU)
Casey Coyle, Putnam North (OU)
John Davenport, Jay (NOC)
Luis DeJesus, Collinsville (EOSC)
Cale Elam, Oktaha (Wichita State)
Brad Fisher, Jenks (ORU)
Jonathan Furlong, Bixby (Neosho)
Nick Goza, Collinsville (EOSC)
Jonathan Gray, Chandler (OU)
Josh Halbert, Choctaw (Wichita State)
Landon Hallam, Edmond Memorial (Seminole)
J.R. Head, Midwest City (NOC-Enid)
Mason Justice, Holland Hall (Kansas State)
Shane Kinnear, Tulsa Union (Harding)
Jordan Lopez, Edmond Santa Fe (Texas Tech)
Joe McGee, Tulsa Washington (Connors State)
Jose Olizagosti, Collinsville (Seminole)
Mitch Osburn, Broken Arrow (Seminole)
Dillon Overton, Weatherford (OU)
J.T. Realmuto, Carl Albert (OSU)
Jacob Rice, Tulsa Union (Arkansas)
Dillon Robinson, Broken Arrow (Fort Scott)
Brandon Ruiz, Yukon (NOC)
Garrett Schaede, Owasso (Neosho)
Taylor Schneeberger, Broken Arrow (Connors State)
Cayle Shambaugh, Jay (OU)
Andrew Smith, Tulsa NOAH (Coffeyville)
Tyler Smith, Kelleyville (NOC)
Logan Taylor, Jenks (Texas Tech)
Billy Waltrip, Fort Gibson (New Mexico State)
Ryan Wilson, Owasso (Seminole)
Kyle Wood, Owasso (Fort Scott)

BOYS BASKETBALL
Will Baysinger, Owasso (MIT)
Cameron Downing, Tulsa Memorial (Buffalo)
Amric Fields, Putnam West (TCU)

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Ashlie Baker, Tulsa East Central (Fort Scott)
Jimi Blagowsky, Edmond Santa Fe (Air Force)
Desiree Bradley, Carl Albert (USC)
Brenna Burnett, Dale (Palm Beach Atlantic)
Y’Cedria Devers, Bixby (Pittsburg State)
Lindsey Hammer, Seq. Tahlequah (Mercer)
Meagan Henson, CHA (TCU)
Whitney Hocutt, Claremore (NOC)
Aianne Hunter, Putnam North (Dartmouth)
Ebonie Jackson, Tulsa East Central (Friends)
Richa Jackson, Midwest City (Duke)
Kortni Kendrick, Kansas (John Brown)
Christian Key, Victory Christian (ORU)
Kalie Lucas, Harrah (Missouri Southern)
Sophia Mahmoodjanloo, Edmond Santa Fe (State Fair College)
Mylie Mayes, Carl Albert (UCO)
Jessica McCarville, Sulphur (Southwestern, Kan.)
Ashlee Pitts, Tulsa East Central (SW Baptist)
Cara Pugh, McGuinness (OCU)
Lacy Reinke, Lawton (Cameron)
Hannah Ritter, Jay (Fort Hays State)
Kendra Suttles, Lawton (OSU)
Morgan Toben, Owasso (New Mexico)
Talor Ward, Beggs (Okla. Christian)
Kala White, Claremore (Labette)

EQUESTRIAN
Kelly Bovaird, Tulsa Kelley (Kansas State)

FIELD HOCKEY
Amanda Adwon, Holland Hall (Michigan)
Maggie Brady, Holland Hall (Brown)
Lauren Hauge, Holland Hall (Michigan)
Natalie Hood, Holland Hall (St. Louis)

GOLF
Lindsey Bensch, Broken Arrow home school (UCO)
Tressa Brumley, Chouteau (UCO)
Ian Davis, Deer Creek (OSU)
Macy Douglas, Broken Arrow (SNU)
Talor Gooch, Carl Albert (OSU)
Brad Hager, Bartlesville (NSU)
Matt Helms, Edmond Santa Fe (Wichita State)
Lauren Michael, Jenks (Drury)
Taylor Neidy, Clinton (UCO)
Cody Reed, Edmond Santa Fe (NSU)
Jade Staggs, Westmoore (OSU)
Shelby Stavely, Sallisaw/Harding (NSU)
Zach Tucker, Putnam North (NSU)

GYMNASTICS
Brittany Harris, Tulsa Union (Oregon State)

ROWING
Courtaney Miller, Jenks (SMU)

SOCCER
Jennifer Abernathy, Tulsa Union (ORU)
Ashley Bechtold, Putnam North (Missouri Southern)
Bobby Behrens, Sand Springs (John Brown)
Ashlynn Betts, Jenks (William Penn)
Leah Bickers, Victory Christian (ORU)
Rochelle Bohuslavicky, Edmond Memorial (Troy)
Bailey Boulware, Mustang (OU)
Whitney Brannon, Victory Christian (ORU)
Matt Bray, Putnam North (Missouri State)
Devon Bullard, Sand Springs (Rogers State)
Corbin Campbell, Deer Creek (OBU)
Sara Chalmers, Tulsa Kelley (Abilene Christian)
Sherri Collins, Edmond North (UCO)
Madison Cook, Tulsa Union (SWOSU)
Kyle Craft, Tulsa Kelley (Notre Dame)
Natalie Crosslin, Bixby (SWOSU)
Jessica Dale, Wagoner (Neosho)
Sam Diacon, Tulsa Washington (Missouri S&T)
Sam Duininck, Summit Chr. (Liberty)
Krista Dyess, Broken Arrow (NSU)
Kelsey Godfrey, Tulsa Union (SNU)
Tyler Groh, Putnam North (Missouri State)
Austin Gross, Jenks (Memphis)
Ashley Haines, Jenks (NSU)
Drew Hall, Edmond Santa Fe (OCU)
Mary Kate Halsmer, Jenks (ORU)
Jordan Harris, Claremore (UMKC)
Hayley Harryman, Edmond North (OSU)
Garron Hayes, Tulsa Union (Rogers State)
Hailey Haynes, Seq. Claremore (Central Arkansas)
Madi Hillis, Edmond Memorial (Kansas)
Bradi Hinch, Jenks (Tulsa)
Tyrell Jackson, Tulsa Union (Rogers State)
Morgan Jones, Jenks (Mid. Tenn. St.)
Kristen Kelley, Tulsa Kelley (OSU)
Kelsey Killion, Broken Arrow (Tulsa)
Preston Langholz, Tulsa Washington (Stanford)
Logan Lax, Putnam North (OBU)
Loren LeForce, Coweta (Rogers State)
Lindsey Lofton, Skiatook (NSU)
Omar Mata, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Sally Matthews, Owasso (NSU)
Shelby Martin, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Meghan McMahon, Putnam North (OCU)
Tori Peters, Tulsa Union (Tulsa)
Amy Petrikin, Tulsa Kelley (OU)
Caitlin Phillips, Claremore (UCO)
Jessy Phillips, Bartlesville (NSU)
Kristin Pollard, Broken Arrow (Central Arkansas)
Brandon Reed, Owasso (Drury)
Stephanie Romera, Tulsa Kelley (Lipscomb)
Aubrey Roth, Tulsa Union (SWOSU)
Camille Sanders, Edmond North (OU)
Ryan Sanders, Broken Arrow (OCU)
Brianna Shamblin, Miami (Rogers State)
Jessica Sisney, Broken Arrow (Rogers State)
Dillon Stallings, Putnam North (OBU)
Alex Starrett, Tulsa Kelley (Arkansas)
Andrew Stone, Cascia Hall (St. Edward’s)
Jeremy Swift, Bixby (Rogers State)
Jenna Taylor, Bartlesville (Harding)
Alex Tiem, Broken Arrow (Rogers State)
Addie Tipton, Metro Christian (USAO)
Claire Walker, Tulsa Washington (Penn)
Carley Yates, Edmond North (OU)
Miranda Zoller, Jenks (Tulsa)

SOFTBALL
Kacey Acker, Guthrie (SNU)
Jessica Barnes, Pawhuska (Pittsburg State)
Shelby Blanton, Newcastle (Tulsa)
Kristin Blasingame, Carl Albert (Rogers State)
Page Boling, Hilldale (Connors State)
Sierra Bronkey, Edmond Santa Fe (Arkansas)
LaDarra Brown, Muskogee (Carl Albert)
Tiffany Brown, Catoosa (Pittsburg State)
Julie Brunk, Mustang (SNU)
Bailee Cartwright, Moss (Northwestern St., La.)
Tara Chatkehoodle, Tulsa Rogers (Haskell)
Jordan Clark, Muskogee (Carl Albert)
Kylee Cole, Collinsville (NEO)
Lacie Cook, Collinsville (Labette)
Aimee Creger, Mustang (Tulsa)
Morgan Deerinwater, Savanna (Carl Albert)
Kaiti Dutton, Tulsa Union (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
Hannah Edmiston, Coweta (Independence)
Allison Edwards, Duncan (Oklahoma Wesleyan)
Katie Ellington, Tulsa Kelley (NOC)
Lindy Fluman, Cleveland (NEO)
Shelby Foreman, S. Coffeyville (Coffeyville)
Dani Fox, Yukon (Washburn)
Devon Frazier, Little Axe (St. Gregory’s)
Sydney Garcia, Moore (OCU)
Shaylee Griffin, McAlester (OCU)
Sutton Halferty, Harrah (St. Gregory’s)
Meagan Hardy Fry, Checotah (Haskell)
Ashley Harper, Drumright (Carl Albert)
Haley Henshaw, Catoosa (Tulsa)
Javen Henson, Red Oak (OU)
Paige Hightower, Chickasha (Washburn)
Whitney Hocutt, Claremore (NOC)
Jordan Jones, Skiatook (Connors State)
Hannah Justus, Catoosa (UCO)
Candace Kellar, Coweta (Rogers State)
Jamie King, Tulsa Union (NEO)
Miranda Kiser, Tulsa Union (NEO)
Kayce Long, Moss (Carl Albert)
Beth Manship, Harrah (Southeastern)
Mya Mahsetky, Little Axe (NOC)
Mary Kate McKay, Madill (Angelo State)
Alex Milligan, Moore (Cameron)
Taylor Mills, Fort Gibson (Austin Peay State)
Holly Mock, Drumright (Carl Albert)
Candace Monigold, Broken Arrow (NEO)
Shelby Morose, Seq. Claremore (Concordia)
Ashlee Nation, Tulsa Union (William Jewell)
Jeneva Nelson, Frontier (Lipscomb)
Shylar Nichols, Carl Albert (USAO)
Caitlin O’Hagan, Midwest City (St. Gregory’s)
Sam Oxford, Adair (Fort Scott)
Katie Parsons, Pryor (NWOSU)
Ashley Paxton, Mustang (Okla. Christian)
Sarah Peoples, Piedmont (Okla. Christian)
Allyson Pogue, Claremoer (NEO)
Lauren Poole, Putnam North (Seminole State)
Natalie Powers, Holland Hall (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
Hillary Price, Moss (Carl Albert)
Sarah Raunikar, Coweta/Connors State (Central Baptist)
Shelbi Redfearn, Stillwater (Baylor)
Madison Reed, Muskogee (Missouri Southern)
Megan Robison, Catoosa (NEO)
Morgan Rockwell, Coweta (Rogers State)
Kylee Rounsaville, Mustang (OCU)
Meghan Russell, Bristow (Farleigh Dickinson)
Kenna Self, Madill (OBU)
Carly Skinner, Verden (UCO)
Megan Sullivan, Broken Arrow (NEO)
Cheyenne Thomas, Coweta (Labette)
Jessica Turner, Broken Arrow (Santa Clara)
Lauren Tyndall, Edmond Memorial (Northwestern, Ill.)
Tara Underhill, Henryetta (Central Arkansas)
Shelbie Wagnon, Beggs (NEO)
Brianna Walker, Rogers (Haskell)
Emily Wares, Morris (Connors State)
Hillary Weatherford, Carl Albert (Washburn)
Shelby Wheeler, Westmoore (St. Gregory’s)
Kala White, Claremore (Labette)
Hannah Wilkinson, Coweta (Rogers State)
Briana Williams, Midwest City (Western Illinois)

SWIMMING
Dakota Wheeler, Westmoore (South Dakota)

TENNIS
Brandon Champagne, Jenks (OSU)
Logon Collins, Tulsa Union (Marquette)
Ashley Coleman, Owasso (Seminole State)
Emily Conrad, McGuinness (Abilene Christian)
Casey Distaso, Edmond North (Georgetown)
Cale Hammond, Tulsa Kelley (Duke)
Mia Lancaster, McGuinness (OU)
Evan McElwain, Tulsa Washington (Cornell)
Whitney Ritchie, McGuinness (OU)
John Harry Warden, Tulsa Union (OU)
Danielle Whitehorn, Tahlequah (OU)

TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY
Beau Brown, Edmond Santa Fe (Bethany)
Dewayne Golbek, Claremore (Arkansas)
Jenna Griffin, Pawhuska (Southwestern, Kan.)
Rozlyn Hamilton, Idabel (Okla. Christian)
Brock Hime, Woodland (Cowley County)
Hillarie Kessler, Deer Creek (WOSC)
Michelle Marcha, Altus (Okla. Christian)
Ryan Minkley, Ardmore (Tulsa)
Erin Patterson, Tulsa Union (ORU)
Rachel Roberts, Guthrie (Harding)
Darren Ross, Edmond Memorial (Okla. Christian)
Michael Spencer, Edmond Memorial (Okla. Christian)
Emma Steele, Holland Hall (Dartmouth)
Antonio Taylor, Northwest (Okla. Christian)
James Turner, Plainview (Okla. Christian)

VOLLEYBALL
Ashley Acklin, Carl Albert (Radford)
Tyler Cockrell, Tulsa Washington (Gardner-Webb)
Jordan Cook, Broken Arrow (NOC)
Sarah Groesbeck, Jenks (SNU)
Tate Hardaker, Edmond Santa Fe (UCO)
Julie Labarthe, Heritage Hall (Quinnipiac)
Sallie McLaurin, Carl Albert (OU)
Laura Taylor, Tulsa Union (ORU)
Alyssa Wilson, Clinton (Northern Colorado)

WRESTLING
Christian Bailey, Davis (OCU)
Ronnie Balfour, Tulsa Union (OU)
Justin DeAngelis, Jenks (OU)
Greg Delk, Skiatook (OCU)
Quincy Mondaine, Muskogee (OU)
Dax Perrier, Pawhuska (OU)
Jared Porter, Carl Albert (Central Michigan)
Dustin Reed, Choctaw (OU)
*Will walk on
**Graduated last year, currently enrolled at Kansas State

Santa Fe AD Barry Blagowsky is bombarding me right now with stuff, all good stuff. First, some basketball updates.

Santa Fe vs. Putnam North will be Wednesday. Girls at 5 p.m., boys at 6:30.

Santa Fe vs. Yukon will be next Thursday (Feb. 11). No JV games. Girls at 5:30, boys at 7.

The Wolves have nine kids signing Wednesday. One in soccer, one in track and seven in football. I know about Alex Land to Weber State and Brian Mills to Princeton, and I’m sure there are others I’m just forgetting.

Mills committed to Princeton last Friday. I spent all weekend hounding him, so I’ma give him the bizness about not picking up his phone for me.

Mills was extremely impressive this season. He’s not a bad runner, but he is one heckuva leader and person and helped keep this team together during the heartbreaking struggles.

After being 1-7, the Wolves closed out the season with back-to-back wins against Norman North and Moore to finish 3-7. In the Moore game, Mills eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. It was announced by the PA announcer, and you could tell it meant something to Mills.

Looking forward to getting out there for a double dip of Santa Fe sports Wednesday with the signing day stuff and then the basketball games at PC North.

Bowles’ time of 4:22.24 equaled the indoor record time set by Scott Crocker at the Myriad in 1981. The 4:22 clocking also is faster than any 1,600 time posted in Oklahoma last season. Bowles also ran a 1:59.48 in the 800 at the Arkansas High School Invitational to place second.

Here are the ones I have so far:
BASEBALL
Cale Coshow, Deer Creek (OU)
Casey Coyle, Putnam North (OU)
Cale Elam, Oktaha (Wichita State)
Brad Fisher, Jenks (Oral Roberts)
Josh Halbert, Choctaw (Wichita State)
Mason Justice, Holland Hall (Kansas State)
Jordan Lopez, Edmond Santa Fe (Texas Tech)
J.T. Realmuto, Carl Albert (OSU)
Jacob Rice, Tulsa Union (Arkansas)

BOYS BASKETBALL
Cameron Downing, Tulsa Memorial (Buffalo)
Amric Fields, Putnam West (TCU)

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Jimi Blagowsky, Edmond Santa Fe (Air Force)
Brenna Burnett, Dale (Palm Beach Atlantic)
Meagan Henson, CHA (TCU)
Kalie Lucas, Harrah (Missouri Southern)
Ashlee Pitts, Tulsa East Central (SW Baptist)
Cara Pugh, McGuinness (OCU)

GOLF
Tressa Brumley, Chouteau (UCO)
Ian Davis, Deer Creek (OSU)
Talor Gooch, Carl Albert (OSU)
Matt Helms, Edmond Santa Fe (Wichita State)
Lauren Michael, Jenks (Drury)
Cody Reed, Edmond Santa Fe (NSU)

SOCCER
Corbin Campbell, Deer Creek (OBU)

SOFTBALL
Shelby Blanton, Newcastle (Tulsa)
Sierra Bronkey, Edmond Santa Fe (Arkansas)
Tiffany Brown, Catoosa (Pittsburg State)
Bailee Cartwright, Moss (Northwestern State, La.)
Dani Fox, Yukon (Washburn)
Shaylee Griffin, McAlester (OCU)
Haley Henshaw, Catoosa (Tulsa)
Javen Henson, Red Oak (OU)
Hannah Justice, Catoosa (UCO)
Beth Manship, Harrah (Southeastern)
Mary Kate McKay, Madill (Angelo State)
Lauren Poole, Putnam North (Seminole State)
Natalie Powers, Holland Hall (Tenn.-Chatt.)
Shelbi Redfearn, Stillwater (Baylor)
Kylee Rounsaville, Mustang (OCU)
Kenna Self, Madill (OBU)
Lauren Tyndall, Edmond Memorial (Northwestern, Ill.)
Hillary Weatherford, Carl Albert (Washburn)
Briana Williams, Midwest City (OCU)

TENNIS
Logon Collins, Tulsa Union (Marquette)

VOLLEYBALL
Ashley Acklin, Carl Albert (Radford)
Tate Hardaker, Edmond Santa Fe (UCO)
Julie Labarthe, Heritage Hall (Quinnipiac)
Sallie McLaurin, Carl Albert (OU)
Alyssa Wilson, Clinton (Northern Colorado)

WRESTLING
Ronnie Balfour, Tulsa Union (OU)
Justin DeAngelis, Jenks (OU)
Greg Delk, Skiatook (OCU)
Quincy Mondaine, Muskogee (OU)
Jared Porter, Carl Albert (Central Michigan)
Dustin Reed, Choctaw (OU)

Here’s a few I’ve come up with. Let me know, either through a comment here or an e-mail (raber@opubco.com), if you have any others.

I’m sure there are plenty more I’ve missed but here are a few:

- Morrison and Shattuck’s 90-game winning streaks in football
- Tulsa Union’s and Jenks’ stranglehold on the 6A football title
-Asher and Owasso baseball dominance
-McGuinness girls cross country
-Bethel girls basketball state tournament streak
-Bartlesville boys swimming
-El Reno wrestling
-McGuinness girls tennis
-Cascia Hall boys tennis

ESF's Gunnar Nixon has had quite the good little summer...

...And so has Edmond Memorial's Isaiah Duke

Yea, we’re getting ready for the start of football season but wanted to give some love to a couple of Edmond runners who definitely deserve it.

Gunnar Nixon of Edmond Santa Fe and Isaiah Duke of Edmond Memorial.

Both were superb at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Greensboro, N.C., late last month and earlier this month.

Nixon and his success isn’t too much of a surprise as he was a member of the Big All-City track team last year.

But the dominance he showed in the Boys Intermediate Division in the decathlon is something to marvel at.

Nixon posted 7,000 points, breaking a record that had stood for 11 years. But that wasn’t enough for him as Nixon won the 400 hurdles and also placed second in the high jump.

He’s already 6-3, just wait until he grows into his body. Shouldn’t take away too much from his speed, but man, should give him some crazy-good power.

At the same event, Edmond Memorial’s Isaiah Duke had a little fun, too. He won the 400 with a final time of 48.49 in the Intermediate division.

It didn’t stop for Duke there as competed the next week in Des Moines, Iowa, for the AAU national championships.

There, against an even better field of competition, Duke ran a personal-best 47.81.

And on a week where Jamaica’s Usain Bolt destroyed his own 100 (9.69 to 9.58) and 200 records (19.30 to 19.19), why not throw a little track in?

I don’t know what’s more fun with Bolt: watching him run or hearing commentator Ato Boldon talk about Bolt after Bolt dominates the competition. Gots to love Ato.

Roberts finished fifth in his heat, around 0.6 seconds behind third place Johann Wissman of Sweden. The top three in each heat qualified for the semifinals. Three Americans did qualify, all from different heats than Roberts.

Roberts is racing in the fifth of seven heats in the event. Roberts best 2009 time, 44.86, which is also his personal record, is the best 2009 time in the heat. Sweden’s Johann Wissman (44.56) and France’s Leslie Djhone (44.46) have run better times in their careers.

Roberts should emerge from the heat, though, as the first three of each heat and the three best other times advance. The semifinals of the 400 are Wednesday, before competitors get some time off before Saturday’s finals.

-Ryan Aber

Follow me on Twitter: @ryaber