VYPE Southwest OK Mar-Apr 2014

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MMUNITY

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Athlete theYear of

S C H O L A R S H I P

April 2014 Bank SNB has teamed up to grant a $1,000 Scholarship to be presented in the June issue of VYPE. Here is how it will work: • Each month, VYPE will take nominations for an Athlete of the Month and a boy or girl will be elected the Bank SNB Athlete of the Month. This will be a chance for boys and girls of all sports to be recognized for their performances.

• Nominees can be mailed to Oklahoma@VYPE. com. Give the nominee’s name, school, sport and reasons you believe the athlete should be awarded the scholarship.

• The nominees will need to be seniors this season but keep in mind that their accomplishments as juniors will be taken into consideration as well.

• Each monthly recipient will be a candidate for the scholarship that will be awarded in June.

• All sports will be eligible to have a nomination.

• The male and female athletes who are chosen each month will have a pictured bio, highlighting their accomplishments, placed on this page.

Nominees will be profiled in VYPE magazine, but it is not necessary to be profiled in order to win the scholarship.

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Katelyn Elrod Chickasha High School Katelyn Elrod is this month’s Chickasha Scholar Athlete nominee. A two-sport player in soccer and volleyball, the junior carries a 4.25 GPA in the classroom. Outside of the classroom and athletics, Katelyn serves as Key Club President, FCA Co-Captain and as a member of both the Academic Team and the Scholastic Team. Her advanced classes include Honors Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Trigonometry, Physiology, AP World History, AP English Language, and AP US History.

Outside of school, Katelyn is a member of the College Heights Baptist Church Youth Group and enjoys reading and writing. Her plans after graduation include majoring in English at either Oklahoma State University or Oklahoma Baptist University.

Kayla and Sheldon Reynolds – Clinton High School Kayla and Sheldon Reynolds are both multiple sports stars for the Clinton Red Tornadoes and Lady Reds. The siblings both start on their respective basketball teams and both have plans to hopefully continue their playing career at the college level.

VYPE: What is your favorite sport and why?

VYPE: What are your plans after high school?

K. Reynolds: Basketball because K. Reynolds: I want to be a pediatrician so hopefully I can it is just something that I am get into college on an athletic good at.

S. Reynolds: Basketball because scholarship playing basketball.

If not I want to join the Air it is just my best sport and I Force. have been playing since the third grade.

VYPE: Who are your role models in life?

K. Reynolds: My sister, Abby Reynolds because she was the shortest player on our team and all the other team’s underestimated her but she was still our best player.

S. Reynolds: My parents, because they are the ones who get me up for practice, come to my games, and are always there to support me.

S. Reynolds: I am going to Haskell University in Lawrence Kansas to play basketball but I am still undecided on a major.

VYPE: Who is your favorite sports team?

K. Reynolds: The Phoenix Mercury.

S. Reynolds: The Phoenix Suns.

VYPE: What is your Favorite Food?

K. Reynolds: My mom’s homemade chili.

S. Reynolds: Pizza.

Caddo Kiowa Technology Center

9 | All-VYPE The All-VYPE selections are announced for basketball, swimming and wrestling.

13 | Lady Highlanders Soccer Head coach Skip Warner has a young squad, but what they lack in experience they make up for in talent.

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APRIL 2014

Champions are crowned and the Big House is locked up. Find out who made Oklahoma high school basketball history.

Trinity Media Group, LLC 6737 S. 85th E. Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74136 All rights reserved.

Publisher Austin Chadwick Partner/Editorial Director Brad Heath Oklahoma Sales Director Roscoe Migliore Partner/Director of Operations Rod Coulter Editor Kyle Kendrick Partner Mark Rodgers Contributing Writers Brad Heath, Lynn Jacobsen, Rex Holt, Tiffany Rogers, Joel Hahn, Kyle Kendrick Contributing Photographers Brad Heath, Rip Stell,, KT King, Wes Sharp, Kim Hough, Defininng Moment, Sport Shots OKC, Josh Clough, Michael Mayberry, Brett Rojo, Kirk Wells, Rolf Clements, Kyle Kendrick Contact Information: www.VYPEOK.com • Phone: 918.495.1771 •Fax: 918.495.1787 Subscriptions: 918.495.1771 VYPE is published monthly by Trinity 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 correspondences will become property of VYPE.

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Southwest F E AT U R E

All-VYPE Basketball Southwest Oklahoma Boys Player of the Year Luke Lewallen – Elk City Coach of the Year Landon Scales - Lookeba-Sickles First Team Jacob Hammond - Comanche Connor Karpe - Lookeba-Sickles Chezden Nease - Thomas Mykel Shaw - Anadarko Keyshawn Perkins - Lawton Eisenhower Luke Lewallen - Elk City

Chandler Roof Weatherford

Luke Lewallen Elk City

Second Team Jaz Gayanich - Velma-Alma Tyler Bess - Hollis Bryson Lierle - Lookeba-Sickles Jagger Jones - Tipton Pierson Waugh - Merritt Destry Kelly - Elk City Girls Player of the Year Makenzie Janz – Erick Coach of the Year Jeff Zinn - Anadarko

Dominique Golightly Chickasha

Jacob Hammond Comanche

First Team Makenzie Janz - Erick Chandler Roof - Weatherford Ashley Beatty - Anadarko Gabbie Parsons - Cordell Dominique Golightly - Chickasha Jentry Holt - Elgin Second Team Andi McGill - Turner Rylie Torrey - Weatherford Madison Bradshaw - Sterling Jamie Gibson - Thomas Alex Stewart - Chickasha Tandra King - Anadarko

Andi McGill Turner 6

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V Y P E O K . C O M

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Keyshawn Perkins Lawton Ike 2 0 1 1

Oklahoma All-VYPE Wrestling Southwest Oklahoma

Josh Latham Chickasha

Cole Powers Lawton Mac

1st Team 106 – Briar Adams – Lawton MacArthur 113 – Zach Atencio – Plainview 120 – Cole Powers – Lawton MacArthur 126 – Blake Dauphin – Tuttle 132 – Colby Powers – Lawton MacArthur 138 – Dayton Garrett – Tuttle 145 – Jake Castleberry – Elgin 152 – Dakota Head – Tuttle 160 – Cameron Loving – Altus 170 – Braden Stringer – Blanchard 182 – Riley Williams – Chickasha 195 – Josh Latham – Chickasha 220 – Riley Fielder – Tuttle 285 – Dustin Mason – Tuttle 2nd Team 106 – Noah McQuigg – Tuttle 113 – Tanner Litterell – Tuttle 120 – Beau Guffey – Tuttle 126 – Tyson Brown – Elk City 132 – Shaquille Wright – Elk City 138 – Wyatt Schoolfiled – Comanche 145 – Hunter Kelly – Duncan 152 – Brok Williams – Lawton MacArthur 160 – Seth Shelton – Tuttle 170 – Taylor Wattenbarger – Lawton 182 – Tristan East – Anadarko 195 – Jacob Hoffman – Weatherford 220 – Taven Birdow – Altus 285 – Jose Cuevas – Weatherford

Karen Chao Lawton Mac Dakota Head Tuttle

Charles Espinola Duncan

Garrett Thompson Altus

Cameron Loving Altus

Braden Stringer Blanchard

All-VYPE Swimming Southwest Oklahoma

Timon Schaefer – Lawton Shannon Jordan – Lawton Corey Grochow – Lawton Morgan Haag – Lawton Jessi Hildebrand – Newcastle Brandon Lundmark – Altus Karen Chao – Lawton MacArthur Garrett Thompson – Altus Ruby Hill – Lawton Eisenhower Damon Demar – Duncan Bailey Dickson – Altus Jacob Oden – Altus Cassidy Pearl – Altus Daniel Brown – Altus Brennan DeHart – Duncan Dale Courtney – Chickasha Charles Espinola – Duncan Patrick Coneghan – Lawton MacArthur APRIL 2014

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OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS

Player of the Month These players bring the energy to their team!

Karen Chao g Lawton Mac Swimmin

Lawton MacArthur Lady Highlanders senior swimmer Karen Chao is the Oklahoma Natural Gas Female Athlete of the Month. Recently at the Class 5A state meet Chao won the 50-yard Freestyle race with a time of 25.44 just edging out second place finisher Madison York of Kingfisher. Chao troke with a time of also won the 100-yard Backs of a second in front of 1:00.90 finishing 19 tenths two wins at the state meet Piedmont’s Kasey Rein. The ional meet in Edmond were just repeats of the reg events. where Chao again won both place as a team at the th 12 Lawton Mac finished in m points, 40 of which state meet with 62 total tea own.

Chao accounted for on her

Cameron Loving Altus Wrestling

Altus junior Cameron Loving is the Oklahoma Natural Ga s Male Athlete of the Month.

Last season as a sophomore Loving claimed a state title at 152 pounds with an overall record of 36-4. This season as a junior Loving wrestled at 160 pounds and won his second-straight state championship this time with an overall record of 41-4.

In his first match at the state tou Deer Creek’s Jacob Schimme rnament, Loving pinned ls in just over three and a half minutes. In the semifin als Loving again won by fall, pinning Collinsville’s Ry an Haymaker in just over a minute. Finally, in the state championship match Loving defeated Colton Jump of Law ton decision to once again be cro MacArthur by a 4-1 wned a state champion.

Loving’s effort also helped Alt us the Class 5A state tourname finish third as a team at nt behind only Collinsville and Lawton MacArthur.

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<--Sierra Gillian & Zachary Morrison-->

School Lawton Ike High

Zachary Morrison

Sierra Gillian

Lawton IKE High School

Sierra Gillian Lawton Ik

e High School Junior Sierra Gilli an is this issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lawton Area Female Academic At sport player in so hlete of the Month. A threeftball, basketball and track, Sierra exhibits effort in the non-weighted GP classroom as well. Carrying a A of 4.62, her advanced 3.91 and a weighted GPA of classes include AP Macro & Micro Ec onomics, AP Chem English, AP istr World History. Her extracurricular ac y and AP tivities include Student Council, Hon graduation, Sierra or Society and Key Club. After pl and minor in busi ans to major in biochemistry ness.

on

orris ZacharyIkeM High School Lawton

lection for the on is the VYPE se the Month. A ris or M y ar ch Za of er, ademic Athlete Lawton Area Ac tterman for Lawton Eisenhow le er cc e th so r in four-yea hen not s a 4.83 GPA. W the senior carrie y is involved with Student ar classroom, Zach ional Honor Society. He Nat e th d ol through Council an outside of scho er cc so s ay er Club. also pl cc So n the Lawto ith w t en em lv invo s include n, Zacharyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan iversity of tio ua ad gr r te Af Un ogram with the s eventual the pre-med pr Hi y. og ol bi in g in Oklahoma, major an ophthalmologist. e goal is to becom

Submit your nomination for the BancFirst Academic Athlete of the Month to: Oklahoma@VYPE.com

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Young players and a veteran goalkeeper could be the formula that propels the team into the playoffs.

A young team doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive. Head coach Skip Warner is excited about the level of talent MacArthur is fielding this year.

“We have a very young team. Eighteen players are in the ninth and tenth grades, but this team is solid in all phases of the game,” coach Warner said.

Junior goalkeeper Tifani Langston returns after a solid performance a year ago. Langston stopped 1.5 goals per game in 2013. Langston gives credit to her defenders for preventing most opponents from getting clean shots on goal.

“I have the best defenders. I love them dearly. My expectations for my defenders are to help me protect the goal and they do that and more,” Langston said. “Our team expects the gold ball. We have the skill and talent to

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get us there.”

Left defender Haleigh Russell has excellent speed and according to coach Warner, “Russell gets into the attack quite often and is a great defender.”

Right defender Baylee Green is a fast, versatile defender giving the Lady Highlanders two quality defenders for Langston to count on defensively. “As a defender my first priority is to protect my goal. I try to keep our defense strong and motivated. I also want to help support my team in any way I can,” Green said. “Our strength this year is our motivation and skill. Most of our girls play for traveling teams so we have a lot of talent. We are looking forward to making the district playoffs again this year. Another strength is our coaching staff. We have three amazing coaches that push us and shape us into better players individually and as a team.”

Freshmen Preciosa Lasker-Garcia and Amber Hobbs give coach Warner two scoring threats on the offensive end.

Lasker-Garcia will start at forward and has scored nine goals in preseason.

Hobbs is an attacking midfielder with tremendous ball winning skills and is a great distributor of the ball.

“We are looking to be competitive in our district and make the playoffs this year,” coach Warner said.

going ‘balls to the wall’ in everything she does has made a statement with the USAO softball team.”

USAO, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the alwaystough Sooner Athletic Conference, is the state’s only public liberal arts college. The university enrolls nearly 150 student-athletes each academic year — athletes who excel just like Landmark.

As one of USAO’s starting pitchers as a true freshman, Landmark Tate Landmark pitches for USAO earlier this has secured seven wins, season in a home game against Langston which is in the Top 50 in University. (Jessica Jackson/USAO) the NAIA. Additionally, she’s thrown eight Tate Landmark already has made complete games and leads the a statement in Chickasha as a true Drovers in strikeouts with 47. freshman with the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s But Landmark isn’t just powerful softball team. in the circle — she is a driving force at the plate as well. As one of the “Tate is a special individual with a Drovers’ five players to start in every work ethic that will take her above single game this year, Landmark and beyond expectations,” USAO has a batting average of .347 and Head Coach Jadyn Wallis said. “Her leads the team in hits with 34 on the natural ball savvy, her drive and

USAO.edu (405) 224-3140

season.

She’s claimed 17 runs and 19 runs batted in, both of which are second on the squad. Further, she is one of four Drovers to hit two home runs on the season and has stolen eight bases so far for USAO. Landmark decided to attend USAO because she loved the campus, the team and the coaches and because of the university’s proximity to her hometown of Lawton.

“It’s amazing to get the opportunity to play softball at the next level,” Landmark said. “My first season going really well. I like it, and I’m having fun.”

At Cache High School, the pitcher was named All-State and All-District.

She helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to become Slow Pitch State Champions in 2012. Additionally, Cache earned State Runner Up in fast pitch in 2010 and State Semifinalists in 2012.

The Drovers, who aim to finish off the season strong, look forward to three more years of Landmark’s aggressive pitching and outstanding performances at the plate.

college for the curious mind APRIL 2014

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Elgin Boys and Girls Track Teams Hoping To Improve On Fifth Place Finishes From Last Year competes in the 200 and 400-meters and also is a member of the 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams which both placed at state last year. Dillon meanwhile competes in the 800-meter run along with being a member of the 4x800 and 4x400-meter relay squads.

Junior Alex Sauerwein is another athlete that Elgin will count on heavily after he placed second in the pole vault at last year’s state meet.

Ethan McCracken Last season both the Elgin boys track team and the Elgin girls track team finished in fifth place as a team at the Class 4A state meet. This season the Owls and Lady Owls are looking for more of the same types of results they got last year.

Leading the boys team is a trio of seniors that all made it to the medal stand last season. Ethan McCracken will be the team’s leader in the throwing events after placing third in the discus last season. McCracken also competes in the shot put and has the talent to compete for a medal in that event as well this year. Rounding out the trio of senior leaders are Darby Burton and Dillon Burton. Darby

“We have to fill a few holes left from graduation, but we have young guys ready to fill them,” Elgin boys track head coach Jon Hughes said.

“We are also very excited about our returning field events as well as our improvement in our distance events.”

On the girls Tiara Davis, Bobbi Fuglsang and Shiraz Blassingame will all be a part of several relays and individual events. Davis is a member of the 4x200, 4x100 relay teams and will run the 200-meter dash. Fuglsang is also a member of the 4x200 and 4x100 relays but will also run the 4x800-meter relay and the 400-meter dash. Blassingame meanwhile will run the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400-relays along with the 100-meter dash. Last year Davis, Blassingame and Fuglsang earned medals in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays and Fuglsang placed sixth in the 400. Blassingame also

placed fifth in the 100-meter dash last season.

Senior Brooke Rankin is back competing in the 100-meter hurdles after placing sixth in the event last year and senior Kirsten McCracken is back in the shot put and discus. Last year McCracken placed fourth in the discus.

“We have a mix of veterans and young athletes with extreme potential. We placed fifth at state last year and look to finish that high this year as well,” said girls head coach Tomi Lorah.

“Look for freshman distance runner Eliza Cummins and freshman middledistance runner Ashley Youngkin to do well along with our seniors.”

Brooke Rankin

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Majors Brings Star Power to Cache Soccer When it comes to building a successful soccer program, Kendal Majors knows a thing or two. The former UCLA defender, Majors (previously Billingsley) brings NCAA Tournament experience to her first coaching position at Cache. Her experience should help a young Cache team.

“We are a very new team in that we only have six players who have played soccer before,” said Majors, whose team is ranked 15th. “Ten of our girls are firstyear players. I am looking for our returning players to play a big role in helping them learn and understand the game of soccer, keeping each other accountable on the field and being leaders both vocally and by how they step onto the field and play.”

Veterans include Courtney Adams, Lindsay Gladwell, Melissa Drulen, Brooklyn Sullins, Alyssa “Misty” LaPierre and Julyssa Muniz.”

As a newcomer to the area herself, Majors, who moved here with her husband who is stationed at Fort Sill, admits she isn’t sure what to expect in district play.

“Being new to Oklahoma, It’s hard for me to get a feel

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for soccer in this area,” Majors said. “Our goal is to come out with some wins of course but really to keep improving, evolving. Hopefully with improving, we can bring some wins along with that. I told them as long as we are improving and working hard, that is what is most important.”

In addition to her time at UCLA, Majors also played professionally in Sweden.

Like her players, she is adjusting to a learning curve of her own.

“I’m learning along with the girls,” she said. “I’m enjoying my time here. The thing I love the most is the people. Everyone is really helpful. They are very friendly. I’m still getting used to the weather. Other than that, it’s been great. And adjusting to life in a small town, I come from a southern Orange County town that’s a little bit bigger.

“I’m fortunate to have a great administration here.

I feel very blessed in that regard and the same with the girls. Even though we have a lot of new faces, the personality of the girls is really sweet, they work hard, and they have good character. Our captains – Misty, Brooklyn and Melissa – have all been great. They all have different strengths they bring to the team. Melissa is very upbeat, very positive. Misty is a great player, hard worker, very vocal and Brookyn is a workhorse.

She leads by example.” free shipping Seniors Shannon Dereis Melissa Drulen Lindsay Gladwell Brooklyn Sullins on footwear or orders over $39 at academy.com

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Juniors Courtney Adams Alyssa “Misty” LaPierre Cheyenne Prescott

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District Schedule April 8 – at Ada April 10 – vs. Elgin April 15 – at Chickasha April 22 – at Newcastle April 25 – vs. Madill APRIL 2014

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Rumble in the Big House

Zach Antencio - Plainview Southwestern Oklahoma wrestlers showed up in force at the 2014 State Wrestling Tournament. Every weight class was loaded with talent from the area and several made wrestling history. Here are the wrestlers who made their schools, coaches and families proud.

106 3rd Briar Adams – Lawton Mac (5A) 3rd Noah McQuigg – Tuttle (4A) 4th Blake Matherly – Blanchard (4A) SQ Gage Gomez – Altus (5A) SQ Darius Clark – Plainview (3A) 113 1st Tanner Litterell – Tuttle (4A) 1st Zach Antencio – Plainview (3A) 2nd Montorie Bridges – Altus (5A) 3rd Ryan Williams – Clinton (4A) SQ Wyatt Adams - Lawton Mac (5A) 120 1st Cole Powers – Lawton Mac (5A) 1st Beau Guffey – Tuttle (4A) SQ Bodhi Hines – Clinton (4A) SQ Tanner Leonard – Elgin (4A) SQ Stephen West – Plainview (3A)

126 1st Blake Dauphin – Tuttle (4A) SQ Dakota Resendez – Chickasha (5A) SQ Tyson Brown – Elk City (4A)

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132 2nd Brik Flippo – Tuttle (4A) 3rd Colby Powers – Lawton Mac (5A) VYPEOK.COM

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Dustin Mason - Tuttle 4th Shaquille Wright – Elk City (4A) SQ Reece Maitlen – Elgin (4A) SQ Brody Brantley – Hinton (3A) SQ Garrett Willis – Plainview (3A) 138 3rd Dayton Garrett – Tuttle (4A) SQ Mikie Abuan – Altus (5A) SQ Wyatt Schoolfiled – Comanche (3A) SQ Kyler Vowell – Hinton (3A)

145 2nd Jake Castlebury – Elgin (4A) SQ Donovan Washington – Lawton Mac (5A) SQ Hunter Kelly – Duncan (5A) SQ Keegan Davidson – Sulphur (3A) SQ Bodie Davis – Plainview (3A)

152 1st Dakota Head – Tuttle (4A) 3rd Brok Williams – Lawton Mac (5A) 4th Connor Kelly – Duncan (5A) SQ Makia Hurley – Blanchard (4A) SQ Tanner O’Neal – Plainview (3A) 160 1st Cameron Loving – Altus (5A) 2nd Colton Jump – Lawton (5A) 2nd Seth Shelton – Tuttle (4A) 3rd Seth Scarbrough – Marlow (3A) SQ Triston Hill – Chickasha (5A) SQ Steven Baker – Sulphur (3A)

170 1st Braden Stringer – Blanchard (4A)

Jose Cuevas - Weatherford 2nd Taylor Wattenbarger – Lawton (6A) 2nd Dillon White – Lawton Mac (5A) 4th Austin Baldwin – Altus (5A) SQ Connor Kinnaird – Duncan (5A) SQ Josh Exinia – Weatherford (4A) SQ T.J. Lodermeier – Hinton (3A)

182 3rd Riley Williams – Chickasha (5A) 4th Connor Webb – Davis (3A) SQ Blake Handley – Lawton Mac (5A) SQ Tristan East – Anadarko (4A)

195 1st Josh Latham – Chickasha (5A) SQ Jacob Hoffman – Weatherford (4A) 220 1st Taven Birdow – Altus (5A) 1st Riley Fields – Tuttle (4A) 1st Braden Ruth – Davis (3A) 2nd Garrett Shaw – Lawton Mac (5A) 3rd Ben Ervin – Weatherford (4A) 3rd Cameron Hanan – Plainview (3A) SQ Jonathon Gomez – Duncan (5A) 285 1st Dustin Mason – Tuttle (4A) 2nd Jose Cuevas – Weatherford (4A) 4th Dorian Fagan – Plainview (3A) SQ Joseph Pollard – Lawton Mac (5A) SQ Keegan Pride – Altus (5A) SQ Hunter Jones – Davis (3A)

Bombers Move Into The 2A Ranks With Youthful Roster

Last season the Frederick Bombers went 17-11 while competing in Class 3A. This season the Bombers drop to Class 2A which should be a good thing for a roster that is very young but also very talented.

“We are a young team led by seniors and River Haston. We are looking to fill a lot of spots from a year ago and improve on our 17-11 record, the drop down to 2A will be good for us,” head coach Charlie Stone said.

The team is unlikely to be hearing too much Gap Band during their games this year depending greatly on their pitching and defense, not an offense full of home run hitters according to Stone. That vaunted pitching staff will be led by Zuniga and junior Tarren Flores. When not on the mound Zuniga will start at second base while Flores will start in center

field when he doesn’t toe the rubber.

The remainder of the pitching staff will be filled out by sophomores Bryce Garza and Mario Ibarra. Garza and Ibarra meanwhile are both first baseman and will see some time there this season.

Zuniga said that in order to be successful the team needs to just do the little things right.

“We just need to play our game like we know how. Do the little things, make routine plays, and work harder than the next guy,” Zuniga said.

Haston added a few different goals with a touch of baseball humor as well.

“Be aggressive on the bases and know what’s going on before it even happens. Oh and cage bombs all day,” Haston said.

The Bombers started the season 1-1 with an 11-0 win over Mountain View-Gotebo and a loss to Class 4A No. 17 Cache.

The Bombers also competed in the very competitive Altus tournament picking up a win over the Altus junior varsity but lost to Class 5A Altus and Cache in the other two games of the tournament. With a schedule loaded with ranked teams or 3A and 4A teams the Bombers will definitely be battle-tested by the time the postseason rolls around. That schedule will include games at the Hobart and Velma-Alma tournaments in April which both promise to present challenging sets of games.

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We salute the Weatherford Cross Country Team as they made theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re way across the state to pose for the magazine

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Character is a combination of qualities that distinguishes one person or group from another. VYPE celebrates achievements of local high school athletes by presenting the monthly “Character Counts Award.”

A 4.0 student, junior Oakley Winters admits she would rather be busy than not doing anything.

The two-sport athlete keeps a hectic schedule with honors classes in Spanish III, Chemistry II, English III and trigonometry in addition to U.S. History, and home economics. Winters is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, Key Club, Spanish Club and Too Much Too Lose, an organization against underage drinking. “I went to Stuco districts a few months ago,” Winters, the March Female Weatherford High School said Character Counts Athlete. “Some of the activities I have been involved in through school include Caring and Sharing in which we gave up presents at Christmas. We also do food baskets. I helped out with our Wellness Fair earlier this year.” She is also active in the youth group at First Baptist Church where she just returned from a mission trip to Kansas City over spring break. Winters, who scored a 30 on her ACT test, has not decided on where she will attend college but plans to study medicine, possibly as a pediatrician or physical therapist. She confides she is “addicted to chocolate and watches Grey’s Anatomy religiously.”

Oakley Winters

Weatherford junior Kolton Kardokus typifies what comprises not only student-athle but also character counts. The football/ track athlete boasts a 3.89 grade point average. A gem in the classroom, Kardokus is in honors English, Spanish, math, science and history in addition to psychology. He is active in FCA as vice-president, Student Council treasurer, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, Too Much Too Lose and is also Junior Class President.

He also volunteers in the Early Bird readers program that pits Weatherford High School high school students with first graders once a week to improve reading skills. A member of the First Baptist Church youth group, he returned home from a spring break trip to Kansas City for mission work. One of his highlights he says was a trip to Paris, France last summer on a mission trip. “We got to learn about the culture and we were able to introduce the Gospel to them,” he said. “It was really good.” College is in his plans although he has not decided on where he will attend. His plans now are to study pre-med in either biology or biochemistry. Kolton Kardokus is the March Character Counts Male Athlete.

Kolton Kardokus

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Rebuilding Effort Continues For Weatherford With Caulkins, Torrey and Koper set for the 3,200 relay that leaves Escobedo and sophomore Ashley Nabors battling for the fourth spot.

In all, Haley has eight freshmen that will compete in sprint, hurdles and high jump, including Kylee Stewart, who will run both hurdle events and be on the sprint relay team.

“It will be interesting to see how they develop,” Haley said. “Kylee had a really good eighth grade season.”

Haley also is hopeful that Chandler Roof will return this season. The senior high jumper missed all of last season with an injury.

Riley Torrey With a pair of state qualifiers each to build around, the Weatherford girls and boys track teams are looking to make some noise at the Class 4A state meet later this spring.

Returning state placers for girls coach Matt Haley is 800-meter state placer Rylie Torrey and Jordan Caulkins in the high jump. Both also ran on the 3,200-meter relay team.

Torrey was ninth in the 800 and Caulkins placed sixth in the high jump.

Makynna Koper, Elva Escobedo and Kylee Stewart are three freshmen Haley expects to help in the medal chase at state.

Koper placed 10th at the 4A girls cross country meet in the fall. A versatile runner, Koper could run anything from 400 to 3,200 meters.

Koper finished fourth in the 800 meter run (2:39.43) at the Marlow Invitational.

“At our first meet, she did well,” Haley said. “We’re trying to find her best race. She will also be the third leg on the 3,200 relay.”

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“Chandler was a state placer in the high jump as a sophomore,” said the coach. “She could have a chance to win the high jump, she’s that good.”

For the first time in three years, Haley has sprinters.

graduation a couple of years ago and right now we’re in the stages of blooming a new team. We’re still young but we’re finally able to put together relays again this year.”

Seifert has approximately 25-30 kids out. Some to keep an eye on include quarter miler Wesley Rose, long jumper Mason McCormick, sprinters Dakota Hayden and Kell Parker, and the only senior, Scott Selsor, at shot and discus.

“We always stress the relays,” Seifert said. “If you can compete in relays, you can compete in individual (events). We’re fighting out way back out of famine. It does look promising, we just have to be patient. We’ve been fortunate in the past and we’ll see who develops.”

“I’m not sure they are state meet level yet but it is nice to have some sprinters to coach,” he said.

Boys coach Dennis Seifert would love to get the Eagles back to state championship form of 2004 and 2006.

He looks to build around state qualifiers Dylan Hayworth and Roger Escobedo.

Hayworth will compete in the shot put and discus and Escobedo in the mile. Both are sophomores.

“Dylan and Roger are pretty good,” Seifert said.

“We lost a lot to

Jordan Caulkins

Pond and Stinson represent the best of the Eagles my parent’s Sunday School class cleaning up properties, painting houses,” he said.

“I really like to hunt and fish. Baseball is my favorite sport.” He throws a full compliment of pitches from four-seam fast ball, two-seam fast ball, curve, change-up and slider.

Riley Stinson, Cheerleader/Track

Brooks Pond, Baseball This 4.0 student takes care of business on the baseball diamond, the basketball court and the classroom. A pitcher/infielder for the Eagles in baseball, Pond hopes to continue his playing career in college. His college choice is Oklahoma State where he plans to major in civil engineering. He is the March male Athlete of the Month.

In school, he studies Forensics, Financial Planning as well as core classes in math, science and English. In his spare time he is active in his church, First Baptist in Weatherford. Among the mission activities he has been involved in is in community development. “I worked with

“I want to attend OSU and major in elementary education,” said Stinson, a 4.0 student.

She carries a full course load at Weatherford that includes Honors classes in Pre Calculus and Trigonometry, Anatomy, Chemistry II and Pre AP English III. Stinson is a volunteer in the district’s Early Birds reading program. Additionally, she is a cheerleader and high jumper (4’8”).

“I really enjoy reading,” she said. “I work with a little girl who is precious and I’m excited to see her growth from when we first started reading together.”

Stinson plans to attend Oklahoma State and major in education.

“I’d like to become a Kindergarten teacher.

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I really have a love for small children.”

In addition, she is active in FCA, National Honor Society, vice-president of the Student Council and is the STUCO representative for the junior class.

She attends youth group at First Baptist Church and participates in mission trips such as the group’s recent trip to Kansas City.

“It was a great trip,” Stinson said. “Kansas City is so different from Weatherford. The biggest impression I came away was the fact that no matter what language you speak or what color your skin is, we all worship the same God and he’s great to all of us.”

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Grant Schamburg - Weatherford Baseball Education comes first for two-sport Weatherford senior tar Grant Schamburg.

The baseball/football player sports a 3.85 grade point average with a heavy course load that includes AP Psychology, AP English, personal finance, criminology at high school and two Southwestern State courses in public speaking and computer access and info.

He plans to study physical therapy in college but has not settled on where he will attend after high school. “I’m still waiting on a baseball scholarship,” said the pitcher/first baseman. “I’ve had some injuries in my career and I’ve done physical therapy many times. It is something I would be good at.” Schamburg is president of FCA and Student Council and is an officer in National Honor Society. Outside of school, he participates in the Church of Christ youth group in Weatherford. The youth group is active in mission trips to Houston. He also volunteers at Agape Clinic in Weatherford. Schamburg said he likes to hunt and fish and is a selfdescribed Harry Potter nerd.

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“Our goal isn’t just to get there,” Gaunt said. “We always set our expectations high. We want to win the whole thing. But we understand it’s a tough chore, especially in Class 4A. There are a lot of good teams from top to bottom. There are a lot of quality teams in Class 4A.” The Eagles entered the 2014 season ranked third.

Todd Gaunt returns seven full- or part-time starters as Weatherford gears up for yet another state tournament run.

Gaunt is in his 16th year as head coach and 23rd overall.

Among the seven returnees, six are seniors in pitcher/shortstop Garrett Gaunt, pitcher/first base Grant Schamburg, infielder Jason Nichols, centerfielder C.J. Davis, outfielder Paden Morris and designated hitter/first base Austin Hunt. Jacob Hoffman, a junior outfielder, and Brooks Pond, a junior pitcher/third baseman also saw extensive playing time last season.

“Garrett, Grant and Jason have played for us since they were freshman and C.J. started as a sophomore,” Gaunt said. “We’re very experienced with a veteran ball club and a great group of seniors. In years past, when we had a good group of seniors, usually good things happened.

That’s what we are hoping for this season.”

Gaunt said sophomores Spencer

Ard and Jay Whitson could also find playing time at the varsity level.

“We have a lot of depth,” Gaunt said. “That’s where we are different from the past. The last two years we have made it to the state tournament and bowed out in the first round. We return all our pitching from last year, which is a good thing.

“Our expectations are what they always are – get to the state tournament and hopefully have a chance to win it.”

The Eagles lost to Tuttle in the first round last season and understand what it takes to get there.

“I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to rankings until it gets later in the season,” Gaunt said. “What we need right now is to play. We need to figure out what our lineup is going to be. Because of the weather, we haven’t had a chance to play.”

Among the teams Weatherford will face this season is defending state champion Berryhill, Tuttle, Bishop McGuinness, Anadarko, Heritage Hall and Woodward.

“We don’t have a conference but we are working on putting one together for next year,” Gaunt said. “At Weatherford, we’re going to play Clinton, Elk City, Cache, Woodward every year. There’s a lot of quality baseball out this way. Then I try to schedule other people like Chickasha and Tuttle.”

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Grant Lee Clinton senior and three-sport athlete Grant Lee is the Clinton Male Academic Athlete of the Month. Lee plays football in the fall, wrestles in the winter and then competes in track and field in the spring for the Red Tornadoes.

An offensive and defensive lineman for the football team Lee has committed to play football at Northwestern Oklahoma State University next season while he majors in Pre-Med.

Despite his hectic schedule with athletics Lee still makes sure to concentrate on his schoolwork and excel in the classroom. Lee carries a 3.86 grade point average and takes advanced placement classes in Calculus, English and American History.

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Paige Neidy

depending on the situation.

Clinton Lady Reds senior Paige Neidy is the Clinton Female Academic Athlete of the Month. Neidy is a three-sport star for the Lady Reds playing volleyball, basketball and golf.

On the volleyball court Neidy is an outside hitter for the Lady Reds while in basketball her athleticism allows her to play both guard and forward

In the classroom Neidy also excels by carrying a 4.56 weighted grade point average and a 3.84 unweighted grade point average. Neidy also takes AP American History and several concurrent enrollment classes at Redlands Community College.

Following high school Neidy plans to attend Oklahoma Baptist University and play golf but is currently undecided on a major.

• • • • • •

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Cordell Baseball Team Will Count on Experience, Depth To Propel Them on a Deep Postseason Run

The Cordell baseball team will bring back a good number of starters from last season and with the addition of move-in Retsyn Ootton the Blue Devils should be a tough team to contend with this season.

“We have lots of starters back and Retsyn will provide valuable innings on the hill.

We should have depth in our pitching staff and be able to put the ball in play offensively, if our defense develops a consistency we should have a strong season,” Cordell head coach Bobby Blackburn said.

Ootton will not only pitch for the Blue Devils but also play some third base and even some shortstop. Ootton does possess an 85 mile per hour fastball, hit .433 and was an all-district player at his school in Rhode Island last year at his school in Rhode Island according to Blackburn.

Also doing some pitching for the Blue Devils will be senior Micah Waters, junior Dalton Ball and sophomore Colton Hensen. Waters and Hensen will both play in the infield when they aren’t toeing the rubber. Waters will play either third or first and Hensen will play shortstop. Ball meanwhile will catch or play second base when he doesn’t pitch.

Ball and Waters also figure to be major factors in the Cordell offense this year after they hit .315 and .350 respectively last season. Senior outfielder Bryce Waldrop will also be crucial at the plate this year after hitting .424 last year with four doubles, two triples and one home run.

“This is a really fun bunch of guys returning,” Blackburn said. “Every year they come up with some type of mascot and one player is selected to take care of it, it will be interesting to see what this team comes up

with.”

On a more serious note Blackburn said that the team’s streak of 15-straight district titles came to an end last year and this year’s team is hungry to start a new streak.

Roster Name

Class Pos. No.

Dalton Ball

11

C

2

Bryson Ball

12

1B

4

TJ Sanchez

10

Rilan Sewell

OF

12

OF

Bridge Buffing 10

2B

Jesus Miranda 11

OF

Avery Ramirez 10

OF

Alec Pankhurst 10

OF

Colten Henson 10

SS

Trevor Hileman 10

2B

Jonathan Edison 10

OF

Tyler Beasley 11

IF

Bryce Waldrop 12

OF

Preston Switzer 12

1B

Dustin Elizondo 12

C

Micah Waters 12

3B

Retsyn Ootton 12

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10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20

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Defense, Defense, Defense: The Ninnekah baseball team is built on a belief that defense wins games.

Ryan Williams As the Ninnekah baseball team began preparations for the 2014 season, one thing became clear to head coach Tom Hurst; the Owls were building a defensive minded team with excellent pitching.

Clay Chaney is one of the players coach Hurst will lean on for solid performances from the mound and salty play in the infield. “I think our strength is our ability to play good defense,” said Chaney. Cody Chaney will join Clay in the pitching rotation this year. “This year I will pitch, play second base and see some

time in the outfield,” said Cody Chaney.

It’s not only defense that makes this team a threat. Blake Daggs and Chris Busby are two talented hitters the coaching staff is excited to see swing the bat this season. Both Daggs and Busby showed a lot of promise last year and according to sources close to the program the combo will give opposing pitchers problems in the batting order.

Also look for Zach Baxter to contribute from several positions this season. Like Daggs and Busby, Baxter has the talent to play multiple positions and make a real difference in the lineup.

Devin Robnett is another pitcher the Owls will look to for quality outings.

With Silo, Dale, Latta and Tushka competing to be the top dog in the class, Ninnekah is patiently waiting their turn to prove they belong in the conversation for a potential title competitor.

Big wins over Fletcher and Gracemont early in the season

Canadian Valley Technology Center’s

have helped the Owls prepare for a tough schedule that features road games against Fletcher and Wayne, but home games in late April against Centennial and Marlow will help determine just how good this team has become.

Clay Chaney is a student at Canadian Valley Tech where he takes Auto Service classes.

“I selected the auto program because I really love cars and I wanted to know how to do repairs to them. My grandpa did it basically his whole life and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” said Chaney.

Cody Chaney is involved in the Welding Program at Canadian Valley Tech and has his own reasons for selecting that field.

“I thought welding would be fun and so far it has been.”

Other teammates involved in the Welding Program at CV Tech are Blake Daggs, Zach Baxter and Chris Busby.

For more information on these programs and others offered at Canadian Valley Tech log on to www.cvtech.edu.

STAR ATHLETES

EXCELLING ON THE FIELD WHILE PREPARING FOR A CAREER “Over the two years I have attended CV Tech, I have not only learned a skill that will last a lifetime, but I have also grown to become a strong leader through opportunities like the Ambassadors and SkillsUSA.”

Zachariah Baxter Ninnekah High School CV Tech Program:

Welding

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Tigers Hoping This Fall’s Semifinal Finish Leads to Spring Gold over 2.

Garrett Curry This fall the Sterling Tigers baseball team made it all the way to the Class A semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Silo by a score of 11-3.

That followed a semifinal appearance last spring making the Tigers a heavy favorite to make a run at a gold ball this spring.

That run will all start with pitching according to Sterling head coach John Morgan. The head of that pitching staff is senior Tucker White. Last year White threw 64 innings and piled up 124 strikeouts and a 1.33 ERA with a 9-1 overall record. Sophomore Garrett Curry will fill the role of the team’s number two starter after finishing last year with a 7-3 record and an ERA just

At the plate juniors Dillon Wright and Ty Woolbright will be the team’s leaders after they led the team in hitting last year as sophomores. Other key pieces in the Sterling offense will be seniors Bailey White, and Caleb Break along with Tucker White. Break, Bailey White and Woolbright will start in the outfield while Wright will spend the majority of his time behind the plate with Tucker White playing shortstop when he isn’t on the mound.

Freshman Austin Kuhlman will also play a major role in the Sterling lineup batting in the two-hole. Kuhlman is a talented hitter and infielder who coach Morgan said could be a big contributor.

something about a hungry freshman or sophomore that can really make you a dangerous team when you pair them with upperclassmen like we have.”

The Tigers will also be battling a tough schedule this year that is loaded with several ranked teams but Morgan said he would challenge his team even more if he could.

“If I could I would schedule even tougher with 5A and 6A teams but with the way they have to schedule their districts it’s tough to play a lot of them,” Morgan said.

“We had him hitting sixth or seventh this fall but have put him in the twohole this spring and he has just caught fire,” Morgan said.

The youth Kuhlman brings will blend well with the experience that the Sterling upperclassmen possess according to Morgan.

“We really do have a good mix of experience and youth. The great thing about that is that our young kids are all hungry to contribute and make their impact on the program and there is just

Tucker White

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<--Bailey Bryan & Riley Willliams-->

School Chickasha High

Riley Willliams

Bailey Bryan

Chickasha High School

Bailey Bryan

Chickasha High School

Senior Bailey Brya n is this month’s VY PE Chickasha Female Academic Athlete of the Mon th. A threesport player in softb al also assists the athl l, golf and swimming, Bailey etic department as a soccer manager. In the clas sr GPA, with advanced oom, Bailey carries a 4.12 cl Chemistry, Honors asses that include Honors Trigonometry, Hono rs Geometry, Honors Algebra II, Hono AP Language, AP Li rs Biology, AP World History, te AP Calculus. Outsid rature, AP US History and e of the classroom , Bailey is a member of FFA, Key in school, Bailey sh Club and FCA. When not ow veterinary clinic. Up s pigs and volunteers at a on attend Oklahoma St graduation, Bailey plans to ate University to st udy zoology.

ms Riley Wa Hiilghllia School Chickash

ale E Chickasha M P Y V ’s th n o m is this r is a Riley Williams onth. The junio d soccer.

M e th f o te le Academic Ath te in football, wrestling an ith his le w three-sport ath , Riley carries a 4.25 GPA, World m AP o , ro ry ss to In the cla ing AP US His Honors d lu c in s e rs u o , panish III advanced c age, Honors S Chemistry and u g n a L P A , ry nors Histo ors Biology, Ho om and Algebra II, Hon etry. Outside of the classro d First an om Honors Trigon Riley is a member of FCA s, l food it a u c rs lo athletic pu lunteers at a vo o ls a e H e studying . d h Baptist Churc duation, Riley’s plans inclu try for ra is pantry. Upon g and eventually work in min y tr is in m applied youth.

Submit your nomination for the Monk Chirpractic Academic Athlete of the Month to: Oklahoma@VYPE.com

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Character is a combination of qualities that distinguishes one person or group from another. State Farm celebrates achievements of local high school athletes by presenting the monthly “Character Counts Award.”

ng back my way aying Giving backGiving back is my way is my way ” ank you.

Shawnee Jones - Chickasha High School

Priscilla Gallegos - Chickasha High School

Shawnee Jones is month’s VYPE Character Counts Priscilla Gallegos is this month’s VYPE Character Male Athlete of the Month. The junior basketball player Counts Female Athlete of the Month. In the classroom, holds a 4.21 GPA, with advanced classes that include the senior dance team member carries a 3.86 AP Language, AP World History, Honors Algebra I, GPA, with advanced classes that include Honors Honors Algebra II, Honors Biology, Honors Geometry, Trigonometry, AP Language and AP Calculus. Outside Honors Chemistry, and Honors Spanish III. When not of the classroom, Priscilla is involved in show choir, on the court or in the classroom, Shawnee serves his attends April’s Dance Studio and has played the piano in this together .April plans to attend community as a member of FCA and Southern Hills for nine years. Upon graduation, Baptist Church.has He also volunteers his timea at the the University of Central Oklahoma, double majoring in m® long Chickasha Resurrection House. Shawnee plans on piano-performance and music production. of attending being there.

That’s Michael Day Ins Agcy Inc Michael Day We’re allInsinAgcy thisInctogether.We’re all in this together. college after graduation.

Mike Day, Agent Mike Day, Agent on why Chickasha, I’m proud to OK 73018 Chickasha, OK 73018 State Farm® has a long State Farm® has a long Bus: 405-224-1968 Fax: 405-222-4320 Bus: 405-224-1968 Fax: 405-222-4320 Student Athletes!!!. tradition of being there. That’s www.mikedayagency.com tradition of being there. That’s www.mikedayagency.com one reason why I’m proudone to reason why I’m proud to support Student Athletes!!!.

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Michael Day Ins Agcy Inc support We’re all in this together.

of saying of saying Givingyou.” back “Thank you.”

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Giving back is my way of saying “Thank you.”

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Chickasha Wrestler is Athlete of the Month

Josh Latham

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Josh Latham is the Chickasha Athlete of the Month. Last year’s regional and state champion at 182 pounds, Josh’s overall record of 43-3 was more than respectable. Yet, as a senior, Josh moved up to 225 pounds and earned a dominating record of 45-1. His honors included individual first place finishes in the Anadarko Christmas Tournament and the Deer Creek Tournament, all-conference and all-state honors, and a repeat as state champion.

In addition to his accolades in wrestling, Josh has also made his mark in both powerlifting and football.

As a power lifter, he has

earned regional champion honors two years in a row. On the gridiron, Josh has been named an alldistrict running back and the Chickasha High School Football Player of the Year.

This past season, Josh was the second-leading team rusher and was third in leading team tackles—all while only starting five games as a defensive player.

When Josh isn’t on the mat or on the field, he can be found in the weight room, riding a dirt bike or in the saddle.

Upon graduation, Josh plans on continuing his wrestling career on the collegiate level.

Minco Baseball Eyes Second-Straight District Title Bulldogs Bring Back Seven Starters and Hope To Improve On Last Year’s Finish Coming into this season Minco head baseball coach Jason Little is optimistic that his team can improve upon last season’s 1911 overall record that included a district championship.

There is good reason for that optimism since the team returns seven starters from last year’s squad.

Leading that group of returners is junior pitcher and first baseman Dahlton Berg. Last season Berg went 3-0 on the

mound with a 4.06 ERA but also was dangerous at the plate with a .311 batting average. Another key returner is junior Asher Blade, who along with being one of the team’s top pitchers also plays second base or shortstop. Last year Blade had a 4-0 record on the mound with a 3.91 ERA and a .939 fielding

percentage. Blade is also one of the Bulldogs’ top hitters batting .322 last season.

Ringo Garrett is another key player the Bulldogs will rely on this year. A utility player, Garrett will not only spend some time on the pitcher’s mound this season but also at second base and in centerfield.

In his sophomore campaign last year Garrett hit .329 and had a 1-0 record on the mound.

Sophomores Dakota Porter and Brenton Wallis will also pitch and spend time at multiple positions this year. Last year Wallis went 2-2 on the mound with a 2.13 ERA and hit .347 giving him very impressive numbers for a freshman. Porter meanwhile was 1-0 when he toed the rubber and hit for a solid .286 average. Senior Joe Mitchell will also be a big contributor this year starting in left field.

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Southwest Oklahoma Teams Battled for Glory “On Thursday, Jace Kerr sprained his ankle pretty bad,” Kerr said. “We weren’t sure if he was going to play Friday and Saturday. At one point, the trainer thought his ankle was broken, but an X-ray showed it wasn’t broken, so we were fortunate there.”

Not to be outdone, Preston went on a 21-5 run in the final 10 minutes of the second quarter to clinch a 28-21 lead at halftime.

For the Panthers, nothing was going to get in their way of winning the state title.

As the time slowly ticked away, the Pirates relied on Dungee to hold off Cordell’s rally and get the job done. With 8.4 seconds left in regulation, Dungee sealed the Pirates’ fate by knocking down two crucial free throws. The free throws were also Dungee’s only points in the quarter.

Jace ended up putting up 23 points against the Panthers.

Tandra King Anadarko Faced Tough Foe in Ft. Gibson Over on the girl’s side of the bracket, No.1 Ft. Gibson won the gold ball by defeating of No.3 Anadarko 50-47 in a nail-biter and clinching their second straight Class 4A state championship.

Anadarko did not make the win easy for the Tigers, for they were down by as much as 16 points late in the third quarter.

Glover finished the night with 8 points and junior Desiree Phipps finished with a team-high 17 points.

Anadarko’s Ashley Beatty finished the game with 18 points.

Not since 1981 in Class 4A, has a team recorded back-to-back state championships. It also marks the first time ever that such a feat has been accomplished in 5-on-5.

Ft. Gibson’s win was solidified by Allie Glover, who knocked down a 25-foot jump shot as the clock winded down.

Lookeba-Sickles Battles Forgan For Title

In front of their fans, the Forgan Bulldogs walked out of the State Fair Arena as Class B state champions by defeating LookebaSickles 77-69.

The Bulldogs have now won three titles in the last four years.

“This year’s team is a completely different group of kids,” Bulldogs coach Todd Kerr said. “These championships are all really special and different and they don’t stand out by themselves.”

Before they claimed the state title, however, Kerr said the team was almost dealt a big blow.

Kerr said one of the best attributes his team has is how tough they are, so when Chandler Bryer got kneed in the nose and it wouldn’t stop bleeding, he wasn’t shocked.

“My guys are tough top to bottom one,” Kerr said. “When Bryer’s nose was bleeding like crazy, I wasn’t shocked because I have a couple of bleeders,” Kerr said.

Bryer didn’t let a nose bleed stop him from knocking down 15 points.

“We had some guys that were battling through some stuff and they just had a mindset that they weren’t going to be denied,” Kerr said.

Making their first-ever state championship game appearance, the Panthers kept the game close.

On the backs of Bryson Lierle and Connor Karpe, each scoring 22 points, the Panthers never trailed by more than 13.

On their path to the state championship game, Forgan trounced Cave Springs 7840 in the quarterfinals.

After extending to a 38-25 lead by the start of the fourth quarter, Preston looked to have sealed the win. Cordell, however, had other plans. With 1:30 left in the game, Preston saw a 13-point lead dwindle down to a 43-39 lead.

Dungee, who has verbally committed to Oklahoma, finished the night with a gamehigh 23 points. Parsons finished the night with 22 points.

Cordell wasn’t the only team to challenge the Pirates in their road to gold. In the quarterfinals, the Pirates had to fight tooth and nail, as well as climb back from a seven-point deficit twice, to put away No.8 Latta 51-48 in overtime. After escaping with the win against Latta, the Pirates advanced to the semifinals, where they faced No.7 Tonkawa.

Tonkawa was able to contain Dungee in the first half by holding her to two points.

But by the second half, Dungee bounced back and finished the game with 16 points and helped Preston advance to their ninth state championship game with a 49-41 win.

In the semifinals, Forgan was taken into overtime by Arnett, but were able to escape with a 66-61 win.

Preston Finishes; Cordell Doesn’t Go Away Easy In 2009, the Preston Lady Pirates got their first taste of winning a state championship. Four years later, No.3 Preston ended its basketball season in style by being crowned Class 2A state champions by defeating the No.5 Cordell Blue Devils 45-41 at the State Fair Arena.

In a back-and-forth matchup, No.5 Cordell was not going down without a fight against Preston sophomore and Gatorade Oklahoma Girls Basketball Player of the Year Chelsea Dungee and the Pirates.

Cordell senior Gabbie Parsons opened the game up by raining buckets and scoring the Blue Devils’ first 10 points. By the end of the first quarter, Cordell was up 16-7.

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The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes along with its Business Enterprises would like to wish the 2013-2014 Warriors and Lady Warriors great seasons in all areas of sports.

Good Luck Warriors and Lady Warriors!

Wichita Gaming Commission Wichita Industries Wichita Tax Commission

Wichita Travel Plaza 34

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Anadarko Ready For Tough Slow-Pitch Schedule push and post-season play with districts to be completed by April 26 followed by regionals scheduled May 3-4 and the state tournament on May 6.

Anadarko Slow Pitch Softball Schedule March 31 vs. Lindsay, 4:30 p.m.

April 1 vs. Elk City, 6 p.m.

April 3 at Lindsay, 4:30 p.m.

April 4 at Riverside, 4 p.m.

April 7 vs. Fletcher, 4 p.m.

April 8 at Southeast, 4:30 p.m.

April 14 vs. Westmoore, 4:30 p.m.

April 15 vs. Amber-Pocasset, 5 pm.

April 17 at Lookeba Sickles, 4 p.m.

April 21 at Hobart, 1 p.m.

April 22 vs. Riverside, 4 p.m.

April 28 at Southmoore, 5 p.m.

April 29 vs. Southeast, 4:30 p.m.

Shayna Gibson A regular season schedule that includes 11 ranked teams will prepare the Anadarko Lady Warriors for postseason play under head coach Tammy Bates.

The 20-year veteran coach, including three years as head coach at Anadarko, welcomed back six starters, each of whom is underclassmen. The infield is anchored by junior returnees Shayna Gibson at shortstop, Cara Osceola at first base and Jennifer Ladyman at second base and sophomore Rylie McCann at third base. Look for Ladyman to also play some outfield.

Sophomore Katelynn Wilkerson should see action in the outfield

and at second base. Junior Kylie Freie returns to play the outfield.

“We are still going through some growing pains,” Bates said. “But we are making great progress daily. Competing in Class 5A is a great challenge for us but we look forward to it.”

Ranked opponents include Class 3A No. 9 Amber-Pocasset, Class 2A No. 3 Ft. Cobb-Broxton, Class 4A No. 16 Hobart, 4A No. 9 Frederick. Also, Class 2A No. 19 Fletcher, Class 6A No. 5 Westmoore and Class 6A No. 6 Southmoore.

Anadarko, like all teams, is gearing up for a late season

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Kassidy Williams and Callie Goombi come into the 2014 track season with hopes of setting new personal best times and finding their way to the podium at state.

Anadarko head track coach Keith Shaull has spent 31 years coaching track athletes, 10 of which were spent at Anadarko High School. In that time period coach Shaull has seen several athletes capable of winning or placing at state. The 2014 squad is no different.

“Kassidy Williams and Callie Goombi have been to the state meet two years in a row and have a great chance to move up in finished places. They keep getting better. They placed third and fourth in the 3200 relay two years in a row, but have to replace two spots on that relay,” coach Shaull said.

Williams was a regional champion as a sophomore and a state placer in the 1,600, 3,200 and the 3,200 relay. The junior has continued to improve and looks to make this season her best yet.

“My goal this season is to set new personal records in all my events and finish better this year at state than I did last year,” said Williams. “We have a great team. Another person to watch is Callie Goombi. She runs the 800 and the 1,600 meters.”

Goombi was the regional runner-up in the 1,600 and a

state placer in the 3,200 meter relay with Williams.

Coach Shaull is excited to see her run the 800 meters and be a part of the 3,200 relay again this season.

“My goal is to run my personal best and to wear gold around my neck with my team for the two mile relay.

God has a plan for me and I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Goombi.

Catera Spray, who is only a sophomore, has the potential to make noise in the shot put this year. Last year she qualified for state, but was a few feet short of making the podium.

“Distance, high jump and hurdles have really good, young athletes. Things are looking brighter in girls track with more athletes coming out,” coach Shaull said.

The team did graduate Kylee Parker who placed seventh in the 800 meters at state, but the numbers continue to grow for coach Shaull, which could translate into more purple on the podium at state.

Anadarko Baseball Team is Young, but Talented The Anadarko baseball team doesn’t boast much experience but according to head coach Jim Pahcoddy the entire team is very coachable.

“We will be very young but the kids listen very well and they will play hard,” Pahcoddy said.

Last season the Warriors finished the year with a 22-12 overall record but

Ethan Smith

lost a whopping eight seniors, including players like Russell Mithlo, Keenan Knight and Kris Whitfield, off of that team leaving the team turning to several young players to make a big impact this year. Four seniors, Mithlo, Whitfield, Caleb German and Kolby Williams, accounted for 18 of the team’s 22 wins on the mound last year leaving the Warriors looking for young players to step up and perform well there as well.

Senior Conner Bost will be one player the Warriors

need to have a big year both at the plate and wherever they plug him in defensively. Bost who can play third base, catcher or give the Warriors valuable innings on the mound hit .384 last year with 27 runs batted last year. Bost also was solid defensively with a .991 fielding percentage. Fellow senior Ethan Smith will also be relied upon both on the mound and at the plate. Last season Smith went 3-3 on the mound with over 30 innings pitched while making a big contribution offensively with a .359 batting average, a .524 on base percentage and 41 RBI’s.

Junior Brandon Pollard is the other player that has significant experience that Anadarko will

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percentage last year. Pollard also recorded an .802 fielding percentage last year spending the majority of his time at shortstop.

Dawson Alley need to fill a leadership rule. A shortstop and pitcher Pollard hit .363 last season with 13 runs batted in and a .515 on base

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Another player that the Warriors will look to for big things is freshman outfielder Dayton Moser who Pahcoddy said “plays extremely hard.”

Sophomore outfielder Dawson Alley got very limited playing time last year according to Pahcoddy but will be a strong helper this

spring. Alley also has the ability to don the tools of ignorance and give the Warriors a lift behind the plate as well.

The Warriors picked up a win in their opening game of the season beating Pauls Valley by an 11-9 score but then dropped two-straight games to Class 4A No. 17 Cache and Class 2A No. 17 Mangum. The young team will continue to be tested as they compete in very challenging tournaments at home in Anadarko and at Oologah later this month. Following the Oologah Invitational seven of the Warriors’ remaining 15 games will come against ranked teams.

Bronchos Looking For Another Stellar Year Last season the Central High Bronchos finished the year 19-10.

This season the Bronchos are looking for an even better finish under first-year head coach Jeff Jones. Although Jones is in his first year at Central he has been coaching for 24 years with stops at Stuart, Afton, Webbers Falls and Braggs among others.

“I am really looking forward to this season.

We return several players from last season,” Jones said. “We have a seven-man pitching staff and should hit well for average.”

Leading the campaign for Central this year are seniors Kade Taylor and John Repp.

Taylor is a player with a strong arm who hits for serious power and will play both third base and also pitch some for the Bronchos this year. Meanwhile Repp is a very good defensive player with good speed that he will showcase in the Central outfield this season.

Another key upperclassmen in the Bronchos’ lineup this year is

junior Mikey Womack. Womack is a player with good quickness who can hit for a high average that will spend time at both second base and on the mound according to Jones.

Sophomores Joseph Flood and Casey Reed will also figure heavily into any success the Bronchos have this season. A left-handed player that will see time on the mound and in the outfield Flood is another player who can hit for a high average.

Reed meanwhile will play in the infield and pitch and is the team’s best defensive infielder with a strong arm according to Jones.

Freshman utility player Keeton Sallee is another player with a chance to have a big year for Central this year according to Jones who described the young player as “young but with great potential to be a very good player.”

The Bronchos are currently ranked No. 14 in Class A and opened up their season by winning two of their first three games.

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Duncan Track Last Season

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After a long, hard winter, spring sports around Oklahoma are itching to get outdoors. Duncan is no different.

The boys soccer team lost its first two matches, 4-1 to Southmoore and 7-0 to OKC Grant.

The girl’s team dropped an opening season match to Lawton 5-2 but rebounded to beat OKC Grant 3-2. After a two-week break the Demons were scheduled to take the pitch in early April with seven district matches.

District play opens April 4 against Northwest Classen followed by matches against Piedmont (April 8), at Lawton Mac (April 10) and Deer Creek (April 15) at home.

The Demons take to the road for matches at Lawton Eisenhower (April 18) and Altus (April 22) then finish up the regular season at home against Western Heights (April 25).

It’s also been a slow start for track with only two meets. But already the teams are heating up.

Rebecca Brewer already has seven individual Top 10 finishes in meets at Norman and OC McGuinness, including a pair of sub 14-second times in the 100 meter dash.

Teammate Madison Bowles has a pair of Top 10 finishes in the 200 and 400 meter events. Mattie Bivens finished fifth in both the VYPEOK.COM

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800 and 1,600 meter run at OC McGuinness.

The boy’s team is led by Walker Clampitt, Mason Bivens and Kevin Roddy all won events at the McGuinness meet. Clampitt recorded a time of 2:04.12 in the 800 run. Bivens took top honors in the 1,600 run with a time of 10:18.98 while Roddy won both the shot and discus events with throws of 55’ 10 “ and 156’ 10”.

Norman High Track Invitational (Top 15 Finishes) Girls 100 dash – Rebecca Brewer, 10th, 13.56 100 Hurdles – Rebecca Brewer, 8th 17.20 300 Hurdles – Rebecca Brewer, 5th 51.23 3,200 Run – Rebecca Brewer, 8th 400 Dash – Madison Bowles, 10th 1:04.69 800 Run – Alexa Cabelka, 14th 2:43.19 Long Jump – Skylar Standokes, 5th 15-10

Boys 800 Run - Walker Clampitt, 4th 2:03.66; Maston Bivens, 5th 2:04.09 1,600 Run – Walker Clampitt, 7th 4:39.99; Mason Bivens 4:41.47 3,200 Run – Mason Bivens, 2nd 9:58.39 Pole Vault – Jerad Reyes, 2nd 13-06

Bishop McGuinness Invitational (Top 15 Finishes) Girls 4x100 Relay – 6th 54.26 100 Hurdles – Rebecca Brewer, 4th 18.48 800 Run – Mattie Bivens, 5th 2:44.81; Macey Lagaly, 6th 2:46.98 100 Dash – Rebecca Brewer, 2nd 13.92 400 Dash – Madison Bowles, 4th 1:05.57 300 Hurdles – Rebecca Brewer, 3rd 50.94 200 Dash – Madison Bowles, 7th 28.83 1,600 Run – Mattie Bivens, 5th 6:10.67; Macey Lagaly, 12th 6:20.21 4x400 Relay – 6th 4:36.97 Discus – Falon Howell, 5th 82-09 Long Jump – Skylar Standokes, 3rd 15-10 Pole Vault – Karlie Montgomery, 3rd 8’00”; Adrienne Gibson, 4th 7’00”; Alexa Cabelka, 6th 7’00” 4x100 Relay – 6th 54.26 Boys 4x100 Relay – 6th 46.53 4x800 Relay – 6th 8:58.15 110 Hurldes – Connor Kelly, 10th 20.49 800 Run – Walker Clampitt, 1st 2:04.12 3,200 Run – Mason Bivens, 1st 10:18.98 100 Dash – Trenton Bell, 8th 12.18 300 Hurdles – Connor Kelly, 5th 43.90; Hunter Kelly, 9th 45.78 1,600 Run – Mason Bivens, 1st 4:31.40; Walker Clampitt, 4th 4:45.67 4x400 Relay – 7th 3:49.51 Shot Put – Kevin Roddy, 1st 55-10 Discus – Kevin Roddy, 1st 156-10 High Jump – Adam Stewart, 7th 5’ 04” 4x100 Relay – 6th 46.46

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Mom of the

Month

Delyn Cronk - Duncan Mom Mother of Duncan athletes Courtney and Caleb Cronk Delyn Cronk may spend her working hours as a data analyst for Halliburton Energy Services, but the rest of her time is devoted to the youth of Duncan. For this reason, Delyn is the VYPE selection for this issue’s Mom of the Month.

“I think the kids are the most important thing,” said Delyn.

First, Delyn’s involvement with Duncan athletics stems from the involvement of her children. Her daughter, Courtney, is a junior on the Pom Squad, while her son, Caleb, is a sophomore with Duncan Basketball and Band.

Yet her involvement goes beyond transporting her children to games and practices. A member of the Tip-In Club, Pom Moms and Band Boosters, Delyn finds her way to attend all of the football and basketball games.

Delyn also goes the extra mile by helping make sack lunches for the basketball teams’ away games. She told VYPE that the sack lunches are a big hit with not only the players, but also with the coaches and bus drivers.

Delyn also extends her devotion to the young by serving as a youth sponsor at her church.

“I believe very much that young people need adults who support them, care about them and encourage them to be their very best,” Delyn said.

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Ben Petersen

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gh School Ben Petersen is the VYPE Duncan Ma le Academic Athle Month. The junior te of the basketball player not only carries a High School, but 4.0 at Duncan he also carries a 4.0 at Cameron Un well. His advanced iversity classes include AP evening Cameron English along with as courses. By gradu ation time, Ben pla his accumulating at least 25 hours of ns on college credit.

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Benâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans after graduation includ e serving a two-ye with his church. ar mission Upon completing his services, Ben college and major will attend in accounting. His graduate school law school to foc plans include us on mergers an d acquisitions.

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emic e Duncan Acad selection for th ll and volleyball â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PE VY is tts Andee Beth Fi hman basketba with a 4.0 GPA. m Month. The fres Athlete of the r dedication into the classroo ish I, STEM Intro gl he En s ie AP rr eca Pr er es ay pl work includ se ur co y. og ed ol nc Bi Her adva r etry and th is a membe Design, Geom to Engineering urt and classroom, Andee Be ent Oklahoma co pres Outside of the Decathlon Team and will re on April 23-27. ic aii w em Ha ad in Ac ls e th na of the cathlon Natio De , Key Club and ic ub em Cl ad s er Ac re Ca in the th al He ember of She is also a m ristian Athletes. ber Ch of o and is a mem ip sh Fellow Beth plays pian h Group. She also e de An , ol ho Outside of sc e Marlow Yout ans t Church and th Hospital. Her graduation pl of First Baptis al ic on st gi diagno Duncan Re ol to become a volunteers at d medical scho an ge lle co e includ radiologist.

Submit your nomination for the Whitten Academic Athlete of the Month to: Oklahoma@VYPE.com

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Demons Eyeing High District Finish Duncan baseball coach Tim Hightower has set some lofty goals for his Demons squad. The veteran skipper and the team have their sights set on one of the top two spots in district play.

Hightower, who guided the Demons to the state playoffs from 2004-06 before retiring then coming back in 2012, knows his team has its work ahead of them with a district that includes defending state champion Carl Albert, Chickasha, Noble, Lawton Mac, Ardmore and Altus.

“We feel like we have an opportunity to finish as a top two team in our district,” Hightower said. “Carl Albert is a top team in our district. Our strength of schedule should prepare us for a playoff run. We’ll have to win

some games that we aren’t expected to win.”

The nucleus of the squad is eight seniors, seven of whom start. John Campbell returns at second base and will also be used as a reliever. Blaine Hillin will cover the hot corner at third base. Taber Kaspereit is back to play center field, Hunter Phillips will get weekend duty behind the plate and play right field other games. Skyler Rodriguez, Mason Pewitt and Trevor Stone are all tabbed for work on the mound. Junior Murillo is back after taking last season off who will be used primarily as a pinch hitter.

The Demons have experience in the junior class as well with catcher/ pitcher Mason Hightower, utility player Bryce Byford, 1st base/pitcher Dylan Zawicki, pitcher Scott Cooper, outfielder/pitcher Kolby Sylvester and outfielder Matthew Ramsey.

“We’ve got some experience in the senior class,” coach Hightower said.

“Mason (Pewitt) and Trevor are primarily relief pitchers for us. Skyler and Dylan are our district starters.

Mason (Hightower) is a playmaker behind the plate. Dylan (Zawicki) is our No. 1 or 2 starter. We’ll use him primarily as a district starter.

“When he’s not on the mound, he will play 1st base. Scott is capable of playing multiple positions. Bryce is definitely a starter. Wherever we need consistency that’s where we put Bryce.

He swings a left-handed stick for us.

Kolby has been a nice surprise on the mound. He’s also competing for a spot in the outfield. Matthew Ramsey will

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play some outfield but will primarily be used as a courtesy runner.

Hightower has four sophomores who are battling for playing time.

Mason Rogers has been tabbed as a district game starter. Aaron Haley has wrapped up the starting spot in left while Connor Kinnaird and Collin Klingensmith are battling for playing time in the outfield and at shortstop, respectively, coach Hightower said.

Class 5A has some strong playoff contenders in Deer Creek, Guthrie, Bishop McGuinness, Noble, Shawnee, McAlester, Claremore and Coweta in addition to Carl Albert and Chickasha.

“There is plenty of good teams in 5A but Carl Albert would have to be the team to beat.”

Taylor McEntire Taylor McEntire is the Altus Female Academic Athlete of the Month. The senior’s accomplishments in swimming include earning a letter for the past four years and qualifying for state the past three years.

In addition to her aquatic accomplishments, Taylor carries a 3.9 GPA, serves in the National Guard and works daily at Cato’s. Her plans after graduation include attending basic training and then enrolling at SWOSU, majoring in psychology.

About her efforts, Taylor said “Hard work always pays off.”

Daniel Brown Sophomore Daniel Brown is this month’s Male Academic Athlete of the Month. The two-year letterman’s aquatic accomplishments include a first place finish in the 400m freestyle relay and second place finishes in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and the 200m freestyle relay. Daniel also holds both school and state records in swimming. When on land, Daniel carries a 3.9 GPA and takes both AP English and AP Biology courses. A member of the National Honor Society and dedicated to his church, Daniel is known for his strong work ethic and dependability.

His plans upon graduation include majoring in athletic psychology and continuing his swimming career. “You will never regret dedicating your life to excellence,” Daniel said.

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Character is a combination of qualities that distinguishes one person or group from another. VYPE celebrates achievements of local high school athletes by presenting the monthly “Character Counts Award.”

Logan Ybarra is this Junior Cameron Loving month’s VYPE Character is this month’s VYPE Counts female nominee.

Character Counts male A senior basketball nominee. A two-sport player, Logan carries a athlete in wrestling and 3.9 GPA and has already track, Cameron is a twoearned 12 credit hours time state champion toward a college degree wrestler and a 2013 state and will be a certified qualifier in the 4x800 cosmetologist upon her relay. When away from high school graduation. the mat and the starting Her additional post-high block, Cameron carries school plans include a 3.57 GPA and spends attending college in the his free time attending Cameron Loving Logan Ybarra Houston, Texas area and Martha Road Baptist majoring in dentistry.

Church.

According to his Altus High School Altus High School “Believe in yourself and coaches, Cameron is “a all that you are,” said complete role model on Logan. “Know that there is something inside you that is and off the mat,” and has earned his accomplishments greater than any obstacle.” through “hard work and dedication.” Cameron plans on continuing his wrestling career through college.

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Head coach Will Trisciani is well aware of the pitfalls a coach can face starting young players, but he’s confident they will play hard and enjoy some success this season.

Hall is another big stick hitting .408 with 24 RBI’s a year ago.

When he’s not on the mound Hall can play multiple positions in the infield. Sam Chandler is the third senior on the squad this year.

The Tigers start the 2014 season with three seniors on the roster.

Rhontrey Burkhalter returns as one of the starting outfielders, but it’s at the plate where Burkhalter does most of his work. Last season he hit .369 with 16 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases. Senior pitcher Chris

The youth movement starts with sophomore outfielder/pitcher Jake Patterson. As a freshman Patterson hit .390, accounted for 17 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases. On the mound he had a record of 3-1 with an ERA of 1.25.

“I’m looking forward to a season of growth. We will start five

sophomores, so the future of Tiger baseball is bright,” coach Trisciani said.

Bodee Coffman is one of those five sophomores coach Trisciani referred to as a starter. Coffman is an infielder/pitcher with good speed on the bases and a tough out at the plate.

Other players looking to contribute this season include Corey Pender, Jonathan Kuykendall, Breyden Brookshire, Jarredd Hall, Seth Nightengale, Easton CarterDaniels, Tristen Salazar, Jaxon Potter, Casey Campbell, Trevor Bray, Clay Atwood, Ryan Shirley, Chris Garcia, Marvin Noland, Braden Lyles, Wil Nightengale, Tom Silvas and Jared Redding.

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