Sandite Alumni Report: Holly Kersgieter named Big 12 Player of the Week

Charles Page High School Class of 2019 graduate Holly Kersgieter picked up Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, and Freshman of the Week honors following her collegiate debut with the University of Kansas Women’s Basketball Team (2-0) this past weekend.

Kansas kicked off the season with an 84-72 non-conference home win against Indiana State (1-1) Thursday evening, led by Kersgieter with 24 points and 10 rebounds in her college debut.

Kersgieter was the second player on the board, driving through triple coverage for a layup and a 4-0 lead, setting the tone of her performance to come.

The former Sandite All-State performer was 8-of-14 on field goals, 4-of-7 from three point range, and 4-of-8 from the charity stripe with 5 offensive rebounds, 4 defensive rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals.

Next up for Kansas was a dominant 91-50 beatdown of the University of Chicago at Illinois (0-3). In that game Kersgieter put up 8 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 offensive rebounds, and 5 defensive rebounds while shooting 3-of-6 on field goals and 2-of-2 on free throws.

The Jayhawks are coming off a 13-18 season with a 2-16 conference mark under now fourth-year head coach Brandon Schneider. They were picked to finish last in the ten-team Big 12 Conference in last month’s preseason coaches’ poll.

Kansas will return to action Wednesday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. with a home game against Omaha (1-2).

University of Tulsa (1-1) freshman Destiny Johnson didn’t see any action in the Hurricane’s season-opening 67-63 loss to Stephen F. Austin State University (2-0), but played five minutes of a 79-77 win over Arkansas State (1-1). The Sandite was 1-of-2 on free throws for 1 point, 1 steal, and 1 assist. She did not make any field goal attempts.

Northeastern State University (0-2) started the season with a 71-59 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma (1-1) and a 51-39 loss to the University of Mary (2-3). Freshman Isabella Regalado has yet to make her collegiate debut.

Men’s Basketball

The University of Central Oklahoma (0-2) went down 64-56 to the University of Mary (1-1) in overtime on Friday, then fell 63-55 to Northwestern Oklahoma State (1-1).

Sophomore Colt Savage only played 7 minutes in the season debut, collecting two defensive rebounds and going 0-of-1 in the field. He saw far more action on Saturday, going 2-of-6 on field goals and 4-of-6 at the stripe for 8 points and 1 defensive rebound.

The Bronchos will travel to Oklahoma Christian (0-0) Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. before playing William Jewel (1-1) and Upper Iowa (1-1) this weekend at the Fairfield Inn Classic in Warrensburg, Missouri.

UCO also picked up a recent commitment from Charles Page senior standout Davon Richardson, who averaged 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds in his junior year. Richardson will officially sign a letter of intent Wednesday morning.

Oklahoma dominates Georgia 68-2 in Dual Nationals round one

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Team Oklahoma got off to a fast start against Team Georgia Blue in the first round of the Junior Greco-Roman Dual Nationals Wednesday morning, building up a massive lead before the wrestling even started.

Jet Taylor, Jacob Butler, and Jaxen Gilmore received forfeits for 126 to 138. Tuttle's Brik Filippo wasted no time in putting points on the board with a 10-0 tech fall over Khyree Alexander, then Sand Springs's Payton Scott took down Dustin Berry 10-0 in thirty seconds flat. Ezequiel Rubio pinned Cole White in a quick twenty then Nick Mahan teched Chandler Miele 13-2.

Bear Hughes continued the winning streak with an 11-0 tech over Devyn Villafane. Zach Marcheselli received a forfeit, Tanner Hawkins picked up a 16-6 tech fall over Richard Walker, then Trenton Lieutance, Alex Fields, and Wyatt Adams all received forfeits.  Alec McDoulett teched Brandon Foster 11-0 and Westmoore's Dalton Duffield wrapped things up with a 12-0 tech of Alex Cain for a final score of 68-2 with no matches lost.

Up next for Oklahoma is Team Pennsylvania who solidly defeated Team Kansas Red 49-12 in round one. 

Carter Young wins Southern Plains Regional Championship

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Clyde Boyd Middle School student Carter Young is racking up yet another incredible summer resume and is currently sitting at a 50-5 record in 2016 after a dominating weekend in Dodge City, Kansas.

Saturday Young won a pair of tech falls and pinned one opponent in only 0:45 seconds on the way to his third consecutive Southern Plains Greco Roman Regional Championship. On Sunday he defeated Kansas's Devon Weber 10-0 in the Freestyle semi-finals and teched Colorado's Vince Cornella 12-2 for his third straight Freestyle Championship.

The eighth grade prodigy has been traveling all over since the school season ended, and has won tournaments inBerryhill, Putnam City, Owasso, Cushing, and more. At one point he rode a 26-straight winning streak before it came to an end in the OKUSA Schoolboy Freestyle State Championship. He won the State title in Greco-Roman, but settled for Runner-Up in Freestyle after getting pinned for the first time this year by Jordan Williams in the final round.

Last month Young found himself in Rochester, Minnesota for the Northern Plains Regional. This was the wrestler’s first time at the event and he fared well, dropping only three matches between the Freestyle and Greco tournaments. In Greco-Roman he teched his first two opponents by a combined 21-0, but lost 4-4 in an ultimate tie-breaker round to Landen Parent. He rebounded with a 12-4 win in his next match, but dropped a 14-3 tech fall to Chance Lamer for fourth place. In the Freestyle bracket he had a few close calls, riding out an 8-8 ultimate tie-breaker win over Matthew Hogue, but dropping a 2-1 decision to Iowa’s Matthew Lewis and taking third place.

Back in April, Young came in first place in both styles at the OKUSA National Team Qualifier at Union High School, earning him a spot on Team Oklahoma at the Schoolboy National Duals in Indianapolis, Indiana. That tournament will beginWednesday June 8th and run through Sunday June 12th.

Sand Springs librarian Richard Why leads double-life as professional golfer

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Local Charles Page librarian Richard Why is not your typical book nerd. When he's not stocking shelves and checking out books, he can be found on disc golf courses across the Midwest, playing professionally for Team Fossa. Richard and his wife, Tara, are both sponsored by Fossa Disc Golf.

Why played competitive ball golf throughout high school, but made the switch to disc golf after graduating.

"I realized how expensive it was. Playing disc golf for free really appealed to my college budget. I bought one disc and met (a friend) at the Riverside disc golf course one day after work and that's where it all started."

The twenty-nine-year-old father of one has been competing in PDGA events since 2010 when he took 8th place in the Advanced division in his first tournament, the Oklahoma Open. Why continued golfing in Advanced through 2011 and won his first tournament on February 4th, 2012.

"The real turning point for me came in 2012 when I beat everyone in my division by 8 strokes and my overall score would have placed me at second in the Pro Open division. Seeing the other guys walk away with a couple hundred dollars in cash looked way better than my stack of discs I had won, so I decided to move up and start playing in the Pro division," says Why.

That tournament was the Dynamic Discs Winter Warm-Up, a B-tier event held in Lewisville, Texas. In his division alone, he bested 39 other golfers.

Two weeks later he made his professional debut at the Dynamic Discs Cedar Hill Chill in Cedar Hill, Texas and tied for last place in a tough competition that included Eric McCabe and Jay "Yeti" Reading. He didn't let that loss weigh him down, however, and finished top-ten in his next five tournaments.

"When I first started out I didn't really follow disc golf too much. I watched Youtube videos on how to play and get better but didn't know of many touring Pros. I do admire Paul McBeth though, he is the current No.1 ranked player in the world and has won the last 4 World Championships in a row. He is taking disc golf more mainstream. He is well spoken and a great ambassador for the sport for younger players."

Why finally won his first pro tournament in July that same year, finishing three strokes ahead of Matthew Wright at the 3rd annual Monkey Trap Open in Springdale, Arkansas. At the same time, he was on his way to a first place finish at the ten-round, ten-week league event, McClure Monday Mayhem, here in Tulsa. 

In 2013 he took first place at the 5th Annual Lucky 13, the Denison Parks and Recreation Open, and the Oklahoma State Flying Disc Championship. He finished top-ten in all but two of his 18 tournaments that year.

In 2014 he placed first at the Battle at Bell Park, the Doer at McClure, and the Kan-U-Wyco in Wyandotte, Kansas. At Wyco he pulled a major upset over 2010 World Champion Eric McCabe by a single stroke. In January of 2015, he came in fourth place at the Dynamic Discs Winter Warm Up, finishing a single stroke behind McCabe.

"Personally, Disc Golf has impacted my life on quite a large scale. I play almost every weekend with my wife and son. It's a great form of exercise and gives me a chance to spend time in many of the beautiful parks around the Tulsa area. It has introduced me to so many great people, it has also given me the opportunity to travel to some places I probably never would have gone if it wasn't for disc golf. I have been to the 4 surrounding states many times, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, but I have also traveled as far away as Georgia and South Carolina to compete."

Tulsa has a rich history of disc golf, being one of the earliest cities to embrace the sport. According to PDGA records, there were only 60 courses on the planet in 1980. Tulsa had five of them. 

Today there are 15 in Tulsa and 24 in the greater Metro area. Sand Springs used to have a 9 hole golf course at Ray Brown Park, next to the High School. Those baskets were relocated to River City Parks in 2012 to be used in a new 18 hole course.

Why hosts an annual summer technique clinic for kids at Charles Page Library. This year it will be on August 3rd at 10:30 AM. When the couple isn't golfing, they often help run tournaments and participate in course cleanup days around Tulsa. 

Sand Springs Librarian Richard Why leads double-life as professional golfer

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
with: Virgil Noah, Marketing Director

Local Charles Page Public Librarian Richard Why is not your typical book nerd. When he's not stocking shelves and checking out books, he can be found on disc golf courses across the Midwest, playing professionally for Team Fossa. Richard and his wife, Tara, are both sponsored by Fossa Disc Golf. Richard is also sponsored by Millennium Golf Discs. 

Why played competitive ball golf throughout high school, but made the switch to disc golf after graduating.

"I realized how expensive it was. Playing disc golf for free really appealed to my college budget. I bought one disc and met (a friend) at the Riverside disc golf course one day after work and that's where it all started."

The twenty-nine-year-old father of one has been competing in PDGA events since 2010 when he took 8th place in the Advanced division in his first tournament, the Oklahoma Open. Why continued golfing in Advanced through 2011 and won his first tournament on February 4th, 2012.

"The real turning point for me came in 2012 when I beat everyone in my division by 8 strokes and my overall score would have placed me at second in the Pro Open division. Seeing the other guys walk away with a couple hundred dollars in cash looked way better than my stack of discs I had won, so I decided to move up and start playing in the Pro division," says Why.

That tournament was the Dynamic Discs Winter Warm-Up, a B-tier event held in Lewisville, Texas. In his division alone, he bested 39 other golfers.

Two weeks later he made his professional debut at the Dynamic Discs Cedar Hill Chill in Cedar Hill, Texas and tied for last place in a tough competition that included Eric McCabe and Jay "Yeti" Reading. He didn't let that loss weigh him down, however, and finished top-ten in his next five tournaments.

"When I first started out I didn't really follow disc golf too much. I watched Youtube videos on how to play and get better but didn't know of many touring Pros. I do admire Paul McBeth though, he is the current No. 1 ranked player in the world and has won the last 4 World Championships in a row. He is taking disc golf more mainstream. He is well spoken and a great ambassador for the sport for younger players."

Why finally won his first pro tournament in July that same year, finishing three strokes ahead of Matthew Wright at the 3rd annual Monkey Trap Open in Springdale, Arkansas. At the same time, he was on his way to a first place finish at the ten-round, ten-week league event, McClure Monday Mayhem, here in Tulsa. 

In 2013 he took first place at the 5th Annual Lucky 13, the Denison Parks and Recreation Open, and the Oklahoma State Flying Disc Championship. He finished top-ten in all but two of his 18 tournaments that year.

In 2014 he placed first at the Battle at Bell Park, the Doer at McClure, and the Kan-U-Wyco in Wyandotte, Kansas. At Wyco he pulled a major upset over 2010 World Champion Eric McCabe by a single stroke. In January of 2015, he came in fourth place at the Dynamic Discs Winter Warm Up, finishing a single stroke behind McCabe.

"Personally, Disc Golf has impacted my life on quite a large scale. I play almost every weekend with my wife and son. It's a great form of exercise and gives me a chance to spend time in many of the beautiful parks around the Tulsa area. It has introduced me to so many great people, it has also given me the opportunity to travel to some places I probably never would have gone if it wasn't for disc golf. I have been to the 4 surrounding states many times, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, but I have also traveled as far away as Georgia and South Carolina to compete."

Tulsa has a rich history of disc golf, being one of the earliest cities to embrace the sport. According to PDGA records, there were only 60 courses on the planet in 1980. Tulsa had five of them. 

Today there are 15 in Tulsa and 24 in the greater Metro area. Sand Springs used to have a 9 hole golf course at Ray Brown Park, next to the High School. Those baskets were relocated to River City Parks in 2012 to be used in a new 18 hole course. That course is currently unplayable as many of the baskets and tee pads are uprooted due to renovations the park is going through. The construction of the new splash pad and handicapped parking have bisected the course and it's uncertain when it will be playable again.

Why hosts an annual summer technique clinic for kids at Charles Page Library. This year it will be on August 3rd at 10:30 AM. When the couple isn't golfing, they often help run tournaments and participate in course cleanup days around Tulsa. 

#13 Sandite dribblers snap losing streak at #15 Bishop Kelley

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief with Morgan Miller, Staff Writer

After a rocky start, the #13 Charles Page High School varsity basketball team (8-4) finally snapped out of a three-game losing streak Tuesday night at Bishop Kelley. 

The 5A #15 Comets (5-6) got off to an early lead, limiting the Sandite scoring action to a series of Kyle Keener free throws for most of the first quarter. Finally, Brooks Haddock sank a three to get the Sandites back on the right track. 

Mack Thompson struck a series of field goals midway through the second period to help carry the Sandite momentum, and the boys began to lead for the duration of the half. 

The Comets, however, came out firing in the third to take a 39-35 lead before the Sandites once more found their feet and began to build some cushion. 

Trailing by four with a minute to play, the Comets began a series of desperation fouls, but were unable to close the gap, thanks to the near-perfect free throw capabilities of the Sandites, and the visitors returned home with a 57-53 victory. 

Kyle Keener led the Sandites with 15 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the charity stripe, 4-of-5 from field goal range, and adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in an outstanding performance consistent with what we've come to expect from the talented giant. 

Mack Thompson and Colt Savage were right behind Keener, each scoring 14 points, with Savage shooting a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws. Brooks Haddock also doubled with 10 points. Haddock has doubled in all but one game this season, and Thompson tied his career-high. 

The Sandites return to action on Thursday night in Coffeyville, Kansas against Nathan Hale at the Interstate Classic tournament.  

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