VYPE OKC Area March 2011 by Austin Chadwick

28 | Vote for Nixon Gunnar Nixon has proven he’s one of the top athletes in Oklahoma, but can a case be made that Nixon may be one of the best high school athletes of all-time? Take a closer look at Nixon and decide for yourself.

32 | Media Day The 2011 VYPE Spring Sports Media Day was held at the Jim Thorpe Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and it was a huge success with teams from Central and Western Oklahoma making the trip.

38 | Dual State Get a full recap of the action from Dual State. Could Perry add another title to the trophy case? Is Tuttle as good as advertised and how will the big school fair in Class 6A and 5A?

Publisher/EIC Austin Chadwick Editorial Director Brad Heath Associate Editor Steve Braun Creative Director Chance Calvert Production Manager Megan Foster Market Sales Director Mark Lockhart Graphic Design Leah Weigle Josh Hollander Senior Sales Representative Steve Marshall Bill Huddleston Cheryl McCorkle Contributing Writers Steve Braun, Austin Chadwick, Rod Coulter, Brad Heath, Bill Huddleston, Mark Lockhart Photographers Brad Heath, Jerry Palmer, Brett Rojo, Rip Stell, Kirk Wells, Rainette Rowland, Trey Coursey, Kim Hough, Michael Mayberry, Bryan Cook, Josh Clough, Grant Williams, Carrie Cronk Cover Photo Bryan Cook Clipart iclipart.com, shutterstock.com

42 | State Swim Meet The state swim meet was held in the aquatic center of Oklahoma City Community College and the action in the water was incredible. With state records falling and a few surprise winners, this year’s event is one for the record books.

46 | Jim Thorpe Sports

Hall of Fame The Jim Thorpe Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame is a bucket list item for any sports fan. The Hall of Fame offers more than just a look at local legends, it brings to life times past and takes you on a journey through the history of sports in Oklahoma.

Next Month... As a thank you to all of the coaches and players that were present for Media Day, VYPE will bring you interviews, photos and more from the event and announce the next Media Day for Fall sports. 4

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Contact: Website: www.VYPE.com Digital Magazine: www.VYPE.com Editor: editor.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Advertising: sales.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Comments & Feedback: letters.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Phone: 918.495.1771 Fax: 918.495.1787 Subscriptions: 918.495.1771 VYPE is published monthly by Trinty Media Group, LLC. Reproductions in whole or in part without permission are prohibited. VYPE is not responsible for the return of unsolicited artwork, photography or manuscripts and will not be responsible for holding fees or similar charges. All digital submissions and correspondence will become property of VYPE. Editorial Disclaimer All rights reserved. For editorial matters, please contact the editor. The views of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the policies of VYPE nor that of the publishers. VYPE has a clear commitment to inviting and publishing corrections of fact and clarifying errors of context. Corrections of errors and mistakes are a necessity in obtaining credibility in the magazine. VYPE supports and encourages our staff and contributing writers and photographers to make any potential error known to our editor. Advertising Disclaimer All rights reserved. The views and opinions of VYPE advertisers does not reflect that of VYPE High School Sports Magazine. In accordance with the NCAA Bylaws, VYPE and its advertisers have complied in all advertisements present in VYPE.

VYPE Broadcasting Network

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& AUDIO

With Thunder On Demand, Cox takes you behind the scenes with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Enjoy special features on players and coaches along with in-depth game analysis and more. It’s the perfect compliment to live game coverage, and it’s FREE to Cox Advanced TV subscribers.

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Thunder On Demand available to Cox Advanced TV customers in the Cox Oklahoma service areas. Cox Advanced TV and digital receiver and remote rental required. Digital cable ready TV’s and other devices equipped with a CableCARD™ require a Cox digital set-top receiver in order to receive On Demand programming. Installation, taxes and fees additional. Some On Demand programming may be extra. On Demand Channels cannot be recorded. Cox Oklahoma reserves the right to change or end Thunder On Demand programming at any time. Other restrictions may apply. ©2011 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. MARCH 2011

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Pregame ®

A Letter from the Editor

Edmond Pride

We’re Live and On Air! Once again the VYPE Nation has spoken and we are responding. You wanted more coverage on our website? You’re getting that times ten! VYPE has entered the world of live streaming on our website at vypeok.com. That’s right. Log on and check out some of the games we have archived. For you spring sports fans get ready because VYPE is getting out and covering you more than ever. In this issue we took the opportunity to introduce you to Gunnar Nixon. The track and field standout is on his way to becoming a future Olympian. Is he the best we’ve seen?

The 2011 Media Day at the Jim Thorpe Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame was a huge success. We thought we should take this opportunity to thank everyone that came out and thank the Hall of Fame for being such a graceful host. Check out some of the photos from the event.

Dual state was a huge success for Perry and Tuttle. Find out how everyone else finished and who stepped up to help their team to victory. Oklahoma City Community College aquatic center hosted another record breaking state swim meet. Isaac McNight with another outstanding effort and Classen showed they are true sharks in the water. As we get closer to the warm weather and we start to head outside for some baseball, soccer, golf, tennis and track. When you have to opportunity send your business to the advertisers in this magazine. Without them there is no magazine. So take a close look at all of the advertisers, we’re positive you can find someone to support. And let them know you’re supporting them because they support high school athletics and VYPE. Don’t forget to check us out on Twitter at VYPEOK, on facebook at VYPE Oklahoma and at vypeok.com. •

We’re in the Game

Brad Heath

Editorial Director 6

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The story on the Edmond basketball players was dead-on. People don’t realize that the community of Edmond, while divided by schools, is still a community that is proud of all our athletes. Sure we could be this huge school like Broken Arrow, but our kids would suffer and that’s not what this community is about. Thank you for article and good luck to all of the Edmond athletes!

Matt W. Edmond, OK

Web Question I noticed you’ve changed your website? Was VYPE bought out by iHigh or something? I do like it though.

Jay A. Oklahoma City, OK

(Editor’s Note: Thanks for the email Jay. Yes the website has changed. We are now part of the iHigh family and we’re very excited about this opportunity. We believe this change will better serve our readers and provide you with so much more than the previous site. Plus we have a ticker!)

VYPE-U When does the recruiting issue come out? Last year it was out in March with the college football magazine. Any info is greatly appreciated. My son is going to play baseball at Neosho and we’re wondering if he will be mentioned.

Janice T. Norman, OK

(Editor’s Note: Janice the VYPE-U issue is set to be released in May. We’re hoping to get all of the kids that have signed in the book and

the most accurate information for the college football breakdowns.)

Where’s My Magazine? I’m constantly looking for your magazine around town. My usual spot tends to run out in three or four days. Is there a way to get the magazine mailed to my house?

Cory N. Mustang, OK

(Editor’s Note: Cory, call this number, 918-495-1771 and speak to Megan. She will get you set up with a subscription.)

Spring Fever Just a quick reminder for VYPE to come out and watch Yukon play this season! Our baseball team is going to be awesome!

Joe the baseball guy, Yukon, OK

MARCH 2011

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01 01 RUMBLE WINS DUNK CONTEST

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

02 DEER CREEK CHEER AT DUAL STATE

WRESTLING WITH ANOTHER TROPHY PHOTO: KT KING 04 PUTNAM CITY CHEER MICHAEL MAYBERRY MAYBERRY

06 DAVID BUSH WITH THE LAYUP

08 TUTTLE CELEBRATES ANOTHER WIN

HIS OPPONENT

PHOTO: KIRK WELLS

WEST WITH THE EASY BASKET 8

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PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PHOTO: KT KING

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

09 PUTNAM CITY POM

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03 PERRY

05 IN THE HUDDLE WITH SHAWNEE

07 SARAH MAGNESS FOR PC WEST TO THE BASKET

11 GUTHRIE AND DEER CREEK FIGHT FOR POSITION PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PHOTO: MICHAEL

10 HARRAH HEAVYWEIGHT LIFTS

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

13 RUMBLE AND THE SHAWNEE CHEERLEADERS

PHOTO:

12 MARQUIS REYNOLDS OF PC

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PICTURE THIS

13 MARCH 2011

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PICTURE THIS 01 HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT? MAYBERRY

PHOTO: MICHAEL

02 CARL ALBERT CHEERLEADERS

MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PHOTO:

03 DENNIS MURPHY FOR GUTHRIE

GETS THE WIN

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

PC WEST BENCH

04 THE

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

DOMINIQUE RANEY OF PUTNAM CITY WITH THE JAM

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

06 HARRAH CHEER 07 THE CARL

AT DUAL STATE

PHOTO: KIRK WELLS

ALBERT BENCH

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

CREEK BENCH ERUPTS

08 DEER

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

GUTHRIE CHEERLEADERS

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

05 10

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PICTURE THIS 01 ADA 400 FREESTYLE RELAY TEAM

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

02 KAREN

CHAO OF MACARTHUR, LILLY THOMAS OF ALTUS AND HANNAH CANTRELL OF FT. GIBSON

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

03 JOSEPH BRAISHIER FROM SHAWNEE

PHOTO:

MAYBERRY

04 THE RECROD BREAKER ISAAC

MAYBERRY

05 ANTOHER RECORD BREAKER CHELSEA YE FROM NW CLASSEN

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

OXYGEN

FROM CHICKASHA

PHOTO:

06 PATRICK DOLAN FROM MCGUINNESS FINDING SOME

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

MCNIGHT

07 DEER CREEK SWIMMER BRYCEAN MCCONNELL

08 DALTON WALKER FROM BYNG

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

ALCORTA FROM ALTUS MAKING A PUSH FOR THE FINISH CALEB MCCORD FROM HARRAH

09 BRANDON

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

10 06

PHOTO: MAYBERRY

03 12

04 VYPEOK.COM

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NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT at the BOK CENTER GETTING CLOSER

Tickets still on sale by going online a www.ncaa.com/mbbtickets

ulsa, Oklahoma – “The NCAA Final Four Goes Through Tulsa” has been a common theme in the northeastern Oklahoma community the last six months. Why? Tulsa is one of eight sites nationwide to host the 2011 NCAA Second & Third Rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in March.

Tulsa will host eight teams in second and third round action. Who will be making the trek to Tulsa? The teams destined for Tulsa will be revealed on Sunday, March 13th, as the 68-team field will be announced on CBS Television that night.

The BOK Center will serve as the host site, March 17-20. Four games will be played on Thursday, March 18th, with two games scheduled for Sunday, March 20th. Open practice sessions on Thursday, March 17th will allow fans to visit the BOK Center free of charge to see the teams work out.

No matter what teams are assigned to Tulsa, it is a major sporting event the likes of which this city has not seen. Fans from eight schools will converge on Tulsa, transforming the community into a basketball hotbed for the week, thus having a huge economic impact on the city. “Having the second and third rounds of the NCAA tournament

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in Tulsa is a tremendous opportunity for our community,” Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. “With an estimated $13 million economic impact, community support is such an important factor when a tournament of this magnitude comes to town. Many businesses are already planning for special events during the tournament and we expect high traffic volumes at our many arts, entertainment and shopping districts. “We hope with Tulsa’s strong community spirit that NCAA representatives will keep Tulsa on their radar screen and return to Tulsa in the near future.”

Tickets for second and third round games – a total six contests – are available for the one-time price of $237. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.ncaa.com/mbbtickets.

“The NCAA Tournament is one of the largest events downtown Tulsa has hosted in the recent past. While our VisitTulsa and Tulsa Sports Commission programs work diligently to bring conventions, meetings and events to town that will have a positive economic impact on our city, like the NCAA Tournament with an estimated $13 million economic impact, we are also extremely thrilled at the opportunity to show off Tulsa to thousands of visitors, added Mike Neal, President and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Tulsa has not hosted an NCAA Tournament game since 1985, when the ORU Mabee Center was the host site. •

NCAA TOURNAMENT FACTS

What: 2011 NCAA Second & Third Round Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Dates: March 17-20

Open Practice Date: March 17 (Free admission)

Game Dates: Friday, March 18 and Sunday, March 20

Game Times: TBA (will be announced Monday, March 14) Cost: $237 (all-session ticket includes 6 games)

To Purchase Tickets: www.ncaa.com/mbbtickets

MARCH 2011

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locker talk

Ryan Spangler is a senior at Bridge Creek High School where he plays varsity basketball and football. Ryan has committed to play basketball for Gonzaga University, but answering this months Triple Play questions was more difficult than choosing where he’ll spend his next four years. Larry Spangler is from Tuttle, Oklahoma and currently works for Weatherford Drilling Services as a Senior Directional Driller. Coach Sanders is the head boys basketball coach at Bridge Creek. Can coach Sanders handle the pressure or will Ryan’s father Larry pull out the win?

Ryan Spangler

Bridge Creek High School Favorite subject in school? One thing Ryan can’t live without?

Ryan’s Dad

Jason Sanders

Bridge Creek Basketball Coach

Math

His victory chocolate milk

Headphones

Sports

Favorite place to eat?

Texas Roadhouse

Taste of China

McDonald’s

What actor or athlete would play Ryan in a movie about his life?

Sam Bradford

Matthew McConaunghey

Some famous athlete

Ryan’s bedroom is controlled chaos, disaster area or neat and clean?

Neat and clean

Controlled chaos

Does Ryan have any superstitions?

I like to keep the same schedule on gameday

His milk and coach Sanders has to wear the sweater vest

He doesn’t have any

Politician or comedian?

Comedian

Politician

The first thing you bought for college?

A T.V.

Big screen TV

He bought a television

Snow skiing, water skiing or a trip to the beach?

Trip to the beach

Water Ski

Dream date?

Jessica Alba

Megan Fox

Taylor Swift

4 Correct Nice work, Dad!

3 Correct Good try, Coach!

TOTAL POINTS: 16

Math

Larry Spangler

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Day… TM

March 1st, 1988 Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record by scoring his 1,050th assist of his Hall of Fame career. Gretzky, an Edmonton Oiler Center, did it in nine seasons while fellow Hall of Famer Gordie Howe 26 seasons to set the record Gretzky broke.

March 6th, 1981 Kris Anderson left Lakeland, Minnesota in a hot air balloon called Knight Hawk and 600 miles later he landed in West Virginia setting a new record for the greatest distance traveled in a hot air balloon.

March 11th, 1892

The first public basketball game was played between students and teachers at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. The students beat the teachers, 5-1. A gym teacher at the school had invented basketball a few months prior to the game.

March 20th, 1948

The first college hockey playoffs were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The University of Michigan defeated Dartmouth, 8-4 to win the championship.

March 22nd, 1969 UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (Kareem AbdulJabbar) was named the MVP of the NCAA basketball championship for the third year in a row.

March 27th, 1949 The University of Kentucky became the second team in NCAA basketball history to repeat as tournament champions. They beat the only other team to win it twice, the Oklahoma State University Aggies. The final score was, 46-36 and Kentucky’s Alex Groza was named tournament MVP.

March 29th, 1976

Indiana University beat the University of Michigan, 86-68 to win the NCAA basketball title and complete a perfect season. The Hoosiers became only the seventh team in history to take the championship without losing a game. VYPEOK.COM

M arch 2 0 1 1

THE

TRAINERS TABLE Training the Sprinter Many techniques go into training your short distance sprinters. Power and a quick burst are just two essential elements of the sprinter, but much more goes into creating a true sprinter.

Many experts believe it starts with a good posture and stability of the trunk. Some believe this is more important than leg and arm strength. Improved balance is a crucial element of a sprinter. If you are unable to maintain balance while running at top performance levels your speed will decrease and you will never reach your full potential. Jogging can actually serve a good purpose for the sprinter, especially before competing. Having the muscle warm and ready to go is one of the more underrated techniques sprinters use in competition. Many times a sprinter will use this as an opportunity to mentally view the race and go over his or her techniques, but a good sprinter will also use this as a time to focus on their muscles and warming up. That includes all of the muscles from your abs and back to legs and arms.

Practice relaxing while running. A good sprinter can run fast and make it look easy. Most are taught at a young age to relax when running, whether it’s a short distance or a long distance. Relaxing is another important element to becoming an outstanding sprinter. Overall fitness is critical when preparing for events. What you fuel your body with can be the difference between first and second place. Also use different techniques when training. For example a sprinter can use medicine balls, skip jumping, sand boxes, dancing and progressive circuit training to improve his or her numbers. Learning to be flexible and stretching is another aspect of the total package. Every sprinter should have a daily stretching program. Even when you are not preparing for an event, you should still stretch and keep your muscle from tensing up. Muscle elasticity is extremely important and can make the difference in running several events in one day or limiting yourself to one or two.

The main thing is to not create bad habits then continue to practice those habits. Once a sprinter has developed these habits and their muscles are repeating these actions he or she can develop slower than their competitors and subsequently have less than desirable performances.

By Malik Montgomery

On This

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Kyle Vail and Sawyer Barnard Moore Baseball The one-two punch of Vail and Barnard present an electrifying pitching situation for the Lions baseball team. Vail brings it from the left-handed side while Barnard hurls from the left side. “We have a lot of guys returning and we will have high expectations,” said Barnard. Vail has exceptional movement on the ball and Barnard brings the smoke. “I love to blow it by them,” said Barnard. The Moore Lions will be much improved from a 14-18 season last year.

Jason Swafford and Derek McMahon Bethel Baseball Swafford and McMahon were both integral parts of the Wildcats’ run to the 2010 state title. Swafford pitched for two wins in the state tournament last year. “We are really looking forward to getting back and defending in 2011,” said McMahon. “Coach (Robbie) Burch has been driving us to not settle on last year’s success.” The Wildcats averaged over 12 runs per game last year but it was the pitching and defense that propelled them to the title.

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SPOTLIGHT

John Lassiter Edmond Memorial Baseball The senior second baseman, along with shortstop Ryan O’Donnell providethe Bulldogs with a wonderful defensive tandem up the middle. “We areexcited and we have a good group of guys coming back,” said Lassiter.“We play as a team, we get dirty, and we play extremely hard.” TheBulldogs finished the season 30-14 last year and will have a chance tomake the state tournament if they continue to develop.

Tony Tasetano Mount Saint Mary’s Soccer The senior multi-sport athlete is the team “Rock” on the defensiveside of the ball. Leading the Rockets to the state tournament lastyear, Tasetano compiled enough yellow cards to keep him out of thefirst round match-up against OCS which sent them home 0-1. Now theRockets, under coach Francois Boda, look to improve on last season andmake it further through the state tournament.

Trevor Lafoon and Will Smith Norman North Soccer The Wolves have a chance to repeat in Class 6A as champions with the return of five bona fide D-1 prospects. Of the two, Laffoon will be attending ORU next year while Smith will head to Dallas and play for the SMU Mustangs. Smith, the leading goal scorer from last year’s team will have help with of Laffoon managing the defensive side of things. Look for a full team feature in April’s issue. 22

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Titans looking to bounce back in 2011 The Carl Albert Titans and coach Wayne Dozier are all business in 2011. With a stable of starters returning, the Titans will not be missing 2010 Player of the year J.T. Realmuto too much. Caleb Price is also gone, but back is the threeheaded monster of A.J Wilson, Alex Polston, and Taylor Hawkins. All three hit over .420 last season and are primed for another run. Last year the Titans went 35-7 and will look to improve on the playoff run as Dozier has his sights set on a third state title in five years.

Jakob Hanlon

Taylor Hawkins

Alex Polston

Anthony Fraziers

Wayne Dozier

Jordan Hammer

Mark Meadors

AJ Wilson MARCH 2011

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Gunnar Nixon has been annihilating the record books across the country and abroad in track and field. The junior Olympic decathlete has a chance to be the first Oklahoma Olympian decathlete ever. Which begs the question, is he the best high school athlete we have ever seen in Oklahoma?

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F E AT U R E By Austin Chadwick | Photos by Bryan Cook

For

those who are not familiar with track and field in Oklahoma, we in the Sooner state have a rich history. The state championship track meets for 2011 will be one to remember as the field for great athletes is deep. One athlete that will be noticed is Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon. Ranked as the #1 decathlete (under-19) in the entire country, Nixon is a hopeful to compete in the decathlon for the United States in the Olympics one day. The University of Arkansas commit was the first-ever, first-year decathlete to win the Junior Olympic summer track competition. “In 2007 I was too young to compete in the decathlon so I had to settle for

competing in the high jump and hurdles,” said Nixon. “The next year, I was fortunate enough to compete and win.” Nixon has been able to compete across the country and abroad and did so at the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010. “Opening and closing ceremonies in Singapore were unreal,” said Nixon. “It was amazing to be a part of the entire experience.” This month, Nixon will be competing in the New Balance National Indoor Meet in New York. Last year in Arcadia, Gunnar competed in the decathlon and set the junior class national record and amassed enough points to finish second all-time in the national high school decathlon record. This month, he will be a heavy favorite to annihilate the field in the pentathlon in New York.

For indoor meets, Nixon does the pentathlon, but for outdoor meets, it is the decathlon. “Before 2007 I really didn’t even know what a decathlon was,” he said. “But now I absolutely love it. Hopefully if everything goes well, I will have an opportunity to compete at the Olympic level.”

The #1 rated decathlete (19-and-under) has some serious opportunities and don’t let his modesty fool you, he definitely has a chance to not only be an Olympian, but compete against the best in the world. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect is the fact that it

is difficult for Nixon to practice with his team at Edmond Santa Fe. “It is tough sometimes,” said Nixon. “I have to train in so many different events that I can’t always run and train with the guys. I have to do it on my own with all the other events and it is a little difficult.” Nixon’s resume speaks for itself. So it begs the question. Is this the best athlete in Oklahoma high school? He will be competing in multiple events at the Oklahoma state track meet this spring and has a chance to win state in those events. Oklahoma high school track does not have the decathlon event in competition so all of Gunnar’s competitions in the decathlon and pentathlon are outside of Oklahoma high school track events. Even so, the lanky kid from Edmond will be favored in the hurdles and the high jump in the Oklahoma state championships in 6A.

There isn’t another athlete in Oklahoma who has the ability to be close to Nixon in any sort of multi-event decathlon or pentathlon. Perhaps the likes of Putnam City’s Dominique Raney or Edmond Santa Fe’s Josh Hamilton could muster up enough ability to compete, but the skill set of hurdles, pole vault, javelin and high jump are no where near what Nixon is able to accomplish. Seriously, the kid has the MARCH 2011

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F E AT U R E

ability “to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” all while throwing a shot put and hurdling his way to the finish line.

Sure some players have the hand-eye coordination to take a basketball and cross opponents over. Some can couple that with a monstrous dunk. Others can take 4.4 speed and break away from defenders and catch a football with one hand in stride, all while wearing 15 pounds of pads. Does anyone remember the Nike commercials of Dan vs. Dave? Dan O’Brian and Dave Johnson

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were the most notable decathletes for the United States in the 1992 Barcelona games. The two always claimed that the decathlon was the greatest culmination of sport that an athlete can test himself with. And they weren’t lying. Perhaps there is no true measure of the state’s best athlete. But when it comes to running fast, jumping high, bounding, throwing, and vaulting, there are none better than the 6-foot-4 phenom from Edmond. •

MARCH 2011

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F E AT U R E

VYPE Oklahoma invited all area spring sports teams, coaches and athletes to take part in the Spring Sports Media Day February 12th at the Jim Thorpe Association and OK Sports Hall of Fame.

Dylan Keester. Owen Vetter, Grant Bohuslavicky, Brad Honeycutt, Kyle Ashpole. John Lassiter, Coach Kyle Roberts.

EDMOND MEMORIAL BASEBALL

Megan Wilson

YUKON SOCCER

Coach Geo Claros, Trevor Laffoon, Kyle Allen, J.J. Harrison, Josh Phillips, Will Smith.

NORMAN NORTH SOCCER 32

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F E AT U R E Tiffany Holt, Kylee Webb, Chelsea Hardesty, Shai Feehan, Hailey McCorvey

PUTNAM CITY SOFTBALL

Devon Hastings

MSM SOCCER Photos by Ripp Stell

VYPE

has developed the first of three installments of VYPE Media Days. The 2011 Spring Sports Media Day was an absolute success with more than 650 athletes coming to celebrate the upcoming season.

Each school in the central oklahoma and western part of the state, were invited to bring any and all spring sports teams to get interviewed for the magazine, have a photo shoot done, and to conduct TV and radio interviews. All teams from sports like tennis, golf, track, soccer, softball, and baseball were present and each team was treated like the superstars they are.

“This is a really neat event for all the athletes to get exposure,” said Edmond Memorial baseball coach Kyle Roberts. “Our kids are having a great time and we love to highlight them.” Coaches from all over attended with a handful of players and were able to take part during the busy time at the Oklahoma Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. All athletes participated in one-on-one interviews, radio and TV interviews, and high-quality photo shoots. Each athlete was allowed to tour the museum and Hall of Fame as well.

“This is such a cool event,” said Moore baseball player Kyle Vail. “We got a chance to talk about our team, get photos and get on TV.”

In partnership with Oklahoma Sports and Orthopedics Institute and Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, VYPE Oklahoma was able to conduct the first-class event

on February 12th. Interviews from the event will be used for future publications. Athletes also got a chance to nominate themselves and others for monthly sponsored awards for VYPE High School Sports Magazine. “This was such a great event for us to get involved with because working with high school athletes is something that we do every day,” said Alex McDonald of OSOI. “We have been working with athletes on injury prevention and rehabilitation and this event allows us to come and meet athletes, coaches and parents from all the areas we cover.” Edmond North boys golf has had a tremendous run during the past several seasons and coach Jeff Dougherty was excited to get this year’s team to the media day. “This event is fantastic because it allows them to get some coverage and exposure that they wouldn’t normally get,” said Dougherty.

VYPE also streamed the entire event live on VYPEOklahoma.com where everyone can check out all the interviews and highlights.

“This was much larger and successful that we had anticipated for our spring sports media day,” said VYPE publisher Austin Chadwick. “Being able to highlight these athletes and coaches every month in the magazine is very special and now we have an event like this that these athletes will never forget.” VYPE Oklahoma will be conducting the second media day in 2011 for the Football/Fall Sports Media Day (July 2011). The last installment will be for the Basketball/Winter Sports Media Day in October 2011. To RSVP your school or team, send your requests to Oklahoma@VYPE.com. • MARCH 2011

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Nicole Workman and Erin Workman

TUTTLE SOFTBALL and BASKETBALL

F E AT U R E

Travis Hinton

EDMOND SANTA FE TRACK

Mark Lockhart and son Sam

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F E AT U R E Anna Anthony

Emmanuel Robinson

MSM SOCCER

GUTHRIE TRACK

Coach Brad Black, Jessica Se, Taylor Cusack, Cassidy Herbster, Alexandra Counts.

SOUTHMOORE GOLF

OKC SOUTHEAST BASEBALL

Anotnio Hernandez, Nolan payne, Dakoda Sutton, Shawn Wilson, Maclen Oluedo, Eduardo Velador. 36

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Megan Wilkerson

YUKON SOCCER

MARCH 2011

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F E AT U R E

The dominant forces in wrestling stayed that way during Dual State. Perry, Tuttle, Collinsville and Broken Arrow proved they are the teams to beat.

Class 3A Perry has more championships than they can count. Head coach Scott Chenoweth is no stranger to the spotlight of dual state and neither is his team. Perry only gave up 28 points heading into the finals of Class 3A. Hinton lost to Perry, 6510 in the quarterfinals while Vian defeated Geary, 60-15. Newkirk beat Little Axe, 43-27 and in a back and forth battle Comanche beat Pawhuska, 43-30. That set up Perry to face Comanche in the Semifinals and Vian to square off with Newkirk. Comanche and Newkirk didn’t have enough in the tank to make the finals as Perry and Vian rolled to victory. That set up the matchup everyone wanted to see. Perry versus Vian. In the finals both teams won seven matches, but in the end it was Perry on top, 30-26. Perry’s two pins to Vian’s one helped them come out on top despite giving up a point during the 152-pound match. Colton Leach, Tyler Adams and Groom contributed wins to help Perry to the title.

Quarterfinals

Perry 65 Hinton 10 Vian 60 Geary 15 Comanche 43 Pawhuska 30 Newkirk 43 Little Axe 27

Semifinals

Perry 49 Comanche 18 Vian 36 Newkirk 28

Finals

Perry 30 Vian 26

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Class 4A Tuttle was on a collision course with Sallisaw in Class 4A, but both teams had to make it through a tough bracket to get to the finals. Tuttle would face Catoosa in the quarterfinals and Cushing in the semifinals, while Sallisaw took on two tough opponents in Weatherford and Blackwell. Catoosa did a good job of early but they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough to hold off Tuttle as the Tigers went on to win that match, 52-18. Sallisaw was looked into a battle with Weatherford, but the experience of the Black Diamonds was too much and they pulled out a ten-point win, 40-30. The semifinals for Sallisaw were a nail bitter. Blackwell took the Black Diamonds to the final match, but lost, 30-27 and the win sent Sallisaw to the finals to face the favorite in Class 4A, Tuttle. After defeating Tuttle the Tigers turned their attention to Sallisaw and when the final bout was over the Tigers had a dual state championship. Gunner Laffoon, Doherty and Berry were major players in the Tigers victory.

Quarterfinals

Tuttle 52 Catoosa 18 Sallisaw 40 Weatherford 30 Blackwell 50 Bristow 18 Cushing 46 Vinita 24

Semifinals

Tuttle 37 Cushing 15 Sallisaw 30 Blackwell 27

Finals

Tuttle 46 Sallisaw 16

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F E AT U R E

Class 5A Could two teams just a few miles a part be this good? Collinsville was surprising opponents all season while Claremore showed they had dominating wrestlers at several weight classes. Deer Creek and Harrah were no pushovers either. In the quarterfinals Altus made a big statement by defeating Tahlequah, 57-15. Collinsville was able to just get by Deer Creek, 31-27, while Claremore had a nice performance against Harrah, 53-18. The semifinals were set and the Claremore versus Altus match was very intriguing, but when it was over the Zebras left no questions unanswered as they won, 45-23. The Cardinals of Collinsville took care of Duncan, 42-18, which set up the finals for the two rivals. In the closest dual state match this year regardless of Class, Collinsville edges Claremore, 27-25. Dylan Helm, Zach Abkemeier and Will Steltzlen all recorded big wins for Collinsville.

Quarterfinals

Collinsville 31 Deer Creek 27 Claremore 53 Harrah 18 Duncan 50 Shawnee 15 Altus 57 Tahlequah 15

Semifinals

Collinsville 42 Duncan 18 Claremore 45 Altus 23

Finals

Collinsville 27 Claremore 25

Class 6A Despite a few bumps in the road both Muskogee and Edmond North were feeling confident about their chances this season. And rightfully so. Both teams have excellent talent and seniors that know how to win. The Broken Arrow Tigers were poised and ready to strike and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly what they did. In the quarterfinals the Tigers defeated Westmoore, 61-6. Edmond North knocked the Sandites of Sand Springs out of the tournament, 45-16 and Muskogee sent Moore home, 59-10. Sapulpa picked up a nice win over Yukon, 40-16, but the reward for that win was facing Broken Arrow. The Tigers beat Sapulpa, 41-15, while Muskogee beat the Huskies of Edmond North, 40-18. In the finals Broken Arrow and head coach Shawn Jones made all the right moves and calls to pick up the victory and the title over Muskogee, 30-22. Zach Skates, Cody Johnson and Caleb Clarke all had big wins for Broken Arrow.

Quarterfinals

Broken Arrow 61 Westmoore 6 Muskogee 59 Moore 10 Sapulpa 40 Yukon 16 Edmond North 45 Sand Springs 16

Semifinals

Broken Arrow 41 Sapulpa 15 Muskogee 40 Edmond North 18

Finals

Broken Arrow 30 Muskogee 22

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MONTH YEAR

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F E AT U R E

2011 State Swim Meet Edmond North girls win a state title, while the Jenks boys prevent the Edmond North sweep of Class 6A. Fort Gibson girls do what was expected and Harrah claims the boys championship in Class 5A. Photos by Michael Mayberry

Class 6A Girls

Edmond North Lady Huskies knew coming into the state meet the competition would be tough with Jenks, Union and Enid all bringing great swimmers and cross-town rivals Edmond Memorial having a shot at upsetting the field. Edmond North’s 200 Medley Relay team hit the wall at 1:54.65 to finish first as Union came in a second behind the Lady Huskiees. Jenks was disqualified in the race and that could have been the difference between finishing fourth or third in the team points.

Enid went on a run of gold medal winners as Meagan Holthoff won the 200 Freestyle, Sara Nazari won the 200 IM and Hunter McEachern pulled out a victory in the 50 Freestyle over

Isaac McKnight Chickasha

Kimmie Reneau from Westmoore with a time of 24.45 for McEachern to 25.14 from Reneau.

Abbie Imes from Edmond North won a close race in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 59.17, which was good enough to beat Sara Nazari from Enid. Erin Beu from Owasso placed third. Jenks took the gold medal in the 100 Freestyle as Montana Gaffney beat Hunter McEachern from Enid and Madison Myers from Ponca City. Gaffney finished with a time of 53.50.

The Lady Redskins of Union walked away with two gold medals. The first came with Megan Myers winning the 500 Freestyle over Jacque Medina from Norman. Then Erika McGovern won the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:08.42. Hailey Bozeman from Edmond Memorial placed second.

Enid dominated the 200 Free Relay and the 400 Free Relay defeating Edmond North in the 200 and Jenks in the 400.

Class 6A Boys Jenks kept Edmond North from sweeping the meet by winning the team state title with 298 points to Edmond North’s 244. But the story everyone was talking about were the two state records set in the 200 Freestyle and the 50 Freestyle.

Eastman Holloway from Union blazed to a 1:39.97 gold medal and state record in the 200 Freestyle and Jenks swimmer Jacob Pearce set a new record in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 20.25. Wilson Wei from Norman North brought home a gold medal in the 200 IM with a time of 1:54.75, better than second place finisher Chase Davis from Union with a time of 1:56.00. Southmoores’ Paul Le won two gold medals; one in the 100 Butterfly and the other came in the 100

Jessi Hildebrand Newcastle

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F E AT U R E Heritage Hall won gold in the 200 IM with Mason York from Kingfisher placing second. But York would bring home a gold medal in the 100 Breaststroke.

Nate Yorkell Bishop McGuinness

Brady George of Altus dominated the water in the 50 Freestyle swimming a 22.92 good enough to beat Braden Hobaugh from Harrah. Ft. Gibson won the 200 Medley Relay over Harrah and Altus with Bishop McGuinness placing fourth.

Backstroke. Le cruised to victory in both with the competition two seconds behind him. Holloway from Union won his second gold medal by defeating Dylan Anderson from Edmond North in the 500 Freestyle. Pearce from Jenks also picked up his second gold medal as he beat teammate Colby DeWeese in the 100 Freestyle. Bartlesvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only gold medal came in the 100 Breaststroke when Trevor Rietfors touched the wall with a time of 58.77 over Davis from Union with a time of 1:00.19. In the 200 Free Relay and the 400 Free Relay Jenks won gold as they defeated Bixby in the 400 by 13 seconds.

Class 5A Girls There was no stopping Ft. Gibson as the Lady Tigers cruised to a state title, but several state records fell and NW Classen showed they are capable of big things. Hannah Cantrell of Ft. Gibson won their only individual gold medal when she touched first in the 100 Freestyle.

Lilly Thomas of Altus brought home two gold medals; the first in the 200 Freestyle then she won the 50 Freestyle. Altus continued winning with a gold medal in the 200 Medley Relay. NW Classen placed second in points as a team, but Chelsea Ye broke two state records winning gold in both. Ye set a new record in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 56.11 then set another record in

the 100 Backstroke with a time of 57.50. Classen wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done. Annah Baykal won the 200 IM and the 100 Breaststroke. Then in team relays, (200 Free and 400 Free) Classen won gold in both over Altus and Ft. Gibson.

Bishop Kelley swimmer Brendan Dolan posted a 5:05.47 time in the 500 Freestyle, which was good enough to defeat Nick Lawson from Ft. Gibson and Dalton Walker from Byng who finished second and third.

Newcastle swimmer and now state record holder Jessi Hildebrand won the 500 Freestyle and set a new record with a time of 5:16.16.

Class 5A Boys Harrah edged Altus in the boys standings as two state records fell and the competition in Class 5A reached new levels. As a team Harrah won the 200 Free Relay over Tulsa Memorial with a time of 1:34.14. Harrah did place second in the 400 Free Relay behind Altus who finished the 400 with a time of 3:30.75. Miami swimmer Khyle Hill set a new state record in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 52.38, while Nate Yokell from Bishop McGuinness placed second. Hill went on to win his second gold medal in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 54.05. Isaac McKnight, the standout from Chickasha set a state record in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 45.96, then went on to win the 200 Freestyle with a time of 1:41.71.

Matt Veneklasen from

Chelsea Ye Classen

Annah Bykal Classen

F E AT U R E

Harrah Boys Team Standings Class 6A Girls Edmond North 295.5, Union 241.5, Enid 210, Jenks 203, Edmond Memorial 183.5, Bartlesville 164, Norman 135, Norman North 110, Edmond Santa Fe 86.

Brandy Kennicutt Fort Gibson

Class 6A Boys

Jenks 298, Edmond North 244, Bartlesville 236, Union 204, Norman 190, Norman North 177, Edmond Memorial 139, Bixby 128, Edmond Santa Fe 90, Stillwater 81.

Class 5A Girls

Fort Gibson 252, NW Classen 188, Altus 157, MacArthur 127, Kingfisher 112, Booker T. Washington 105, Harrah 104, Heritage Hall 78, Shawnee 63, Metro Christian 59.

Class 5A Boys

Harrah 302, Altus 282.5, Fort Gibson 197, Bishop McGuinness 174, Booker T. Washington 151, Tulsa Memorial 136, Heritage Hall 101, Duncan 95.5, Byng 81.

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Isaac McKnight Chickasha

Jim Thorpe Museum & Oklahoma Sports Hall of fame

overnor Mary Fallin recently stated that the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame is a point of pride for the entire state. The museum is housed in a state of the art facility, located just north of the capital building in Oklahoma City. Run and maintained by the Jim Thorpe Association, the museum highlights not only Jim Thorpe, considered by most to be the world’s greatest athlete, but all Oklahomans who have excelled in the world of sport. Opened in late 2009, the museum encompasses 9,800 square feet of gallery space. Exhibits feature Jim Thorpe’s athletic career, past Jim Thorpe Award winners, and the 127 members of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Current special exhibits include Steve Owens’ Heisman Trophy, Jon Kolb’s four Super Bowl rings, Wayne Wells’ 1972 Olympic gold medal for wrestling, and Michele Smith’s Olympic uniform. Artifacts are rotated annually, allowing visitors to discover something new with each trip. Other features include Jim Thorpe’s original letters from Carlisle Indian School signed by Pop Warner and Olympic participation parchments from the 1912 Olympics. The museum actively collects artifacts, continually growing the collection. “There are a lot of Oklahomans who are not aware of the rich athletic history this state has,” said Eddie Griffin, Executive Director of the Jim Thorpe Association. “Beginning with Jim Thorpe, there are hundreds of Oklahomans who have achieved greatness in so many sports, and we are proud to honor their accomplishments in our museum.”

In addition to successful Oklahomans, the Jim Thorpe Museum has the unique distinction of being one of the only museums to house a gallery display for all of the Thorpe Award winners. The Thorpe Award is given annually by the Jim Thorpe Association to the top defensive back in college football. All of the Thorpe Award winners, dating back to 1986, are prestigiously represented at the Jim Thorpe Museum. Just this year, former winners and current NFL stars, Eric Berry and Antoine Cason visited their displays in the museum. Both the museum and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame are run by and administered by the Jim Thorpe Association, which was incorporated in 1987. The association awards the Jim 46

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Thorpe Award in February and inducts new members into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame every August. This year’s induction ceremony will feature John Starks, Tommy Evans, Crystal Robinson, T. Boone Pickens, Jim Bolding, and Lucious Selmon. As a way to reach out to the community, the Jim Thorpe Association also oversees the Bright Path Youth Program. Bright Path is the English translation of Jim Thorpe’s Indian name “Wa-tho-huck.” It is also the name given to the association’s awards, scholarships, youth programs and other activities affecting school children in the Oklahoma City community. The programs encourage students of all ages to set goals, participate in positive activities, and build self esteem. ArtFest, which is held every spring, is a contest where students from across Oklahoma City submit original artwork. ArtFest encourages creativity, and students can see their artwork on display for a month at the Science Museum Oklahoma.

Whether it’s through the museum, the Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame or the Bright Path Youth program, the Jim Thorpe Association encourages excellence in sports, academics, health and fitness. •

Jim Thorpe Museum & Oklahoma Sports Hall of fame Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Admission: Adults: $5 Children 12 and under: FREE Seniors 65 and over: FREE

The Case of Champions Museum Gift Shop is also open!

For more information, please call 405-427-1400.

March

VYPE has combed through everyone’s schedules to give you all the big games and events that you don’t want to miss. Check out the calendar to set up your playbook every month.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

1 6 13

• Deer Creek Tennis Tourney • Noble @ Lawton-G

• Deer Creek Tennis Tourney • Yukon @ Mustang-BS • Edmond North at Putnam City North-BS

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

• Clinton @ McGuinness-BS • Norman North @ Edmond North-BS • El Reno @ Deer Creek-BS

• Class A-B State Basketball • Rose Rock Tournament-S

• Deer Creek Tennis Tourney • Putnam City Tourney-T

• 6A-2A State Basketball

FRIDAY

• Class A-B State Basketball • Rose Rock Tournament-S

11 • 6A-2A State Basketball • Piedmont @ El Reno-S

SATURDAY

• Class A-B State Basketball • Southmoore @ Mustang-BS • Carl Albert @ Edmond Santa Fe-S

• 6A-2A State Basketball

• Little Axe Tourney-BS • Anadarko Baseball Tourney (17th-20th)

• Duncan Tennis Tourney • Deer Creek @ McGuinness-BS • Noble @ Blanchard-BS

• Edmond Santa Fe @ Yukon-BS • Piedmont @ Deer Creek-S • Woodward @ Clinton-BS

• Shawnee @ Piedmont-BS • Norman North @ Norman-BS • Chickasha @ Deer Creek-BS

23 • Edmond Memorial @ Edmond Santa Fe-S

30 • Del City @ Edmond Santa Fe-S

24 • Norman North @ Mustang-BS

• Yukon @ Westmoore-BS • Piedmont @ Western Heights-T • Noble @ Ardmore-BS

Key: BS=Baseball, T=Tennis, G=Golf, TR=Track, S=Soccer, SO=Softball 48

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