CPHS Senior Cheyenne Walden signs with Oklahoma State University Cross Country

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior Cheyenne Walden officially signed with Oklahoma State University Track and Cross Country Tuesday morning at Ed Dubie Fieldhouse.

The OSU Cowgirls are ranked No. 15 in the nation and are the highest ranked team in the Big 12. The Cross Country team finished second in the Midwest Regionals recently to qualify for the NCAA National Championship. Four cowgirls were named to the All-Region Team. The cowgirls also took second in the Big 12 Conference Championship. Head Coach Dave Smith has been the Men's Head Coach since 2006 and has coached both the Men and Women since 2009. He has been voted the Big 12 Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year eight times and the Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2015. He has led the Men's program to three National Championships. She is a three-time Sandite of the Week award winner.

Walden is a four-time Frontier Conference Champion, four-time Regional Champion, and four-time State Champion. She was thrice named the Gatorade Female Cross-Country Runner of the Year, thrice named the Tulsa Metro Cross-Country Runner of the Year, and has won the Oklahoma Meet of Champions three times. She has made the All-Conference Cross Country and All-Conference Track team three times and the All-State Cross Country team four times. Her 5K personal record is 17:32 and her one-mile record is 5:21. 

She is a three-time State Champion in Track and has gone undefeated in the 3200 meter run for two-straight years. She holds a State Championship medal in the 1600m and two medals in the 3200m. Her personal record for the 800m run is 2:17.58. Her PR for the 1600m is 5:02.46 and her PR for the 3200m is 10:45.43.

Last year she ran at the Nike South Regional Championship and took sixth place to qualify for Nationals where she finished 59th. She will compete again at Regionals this Saturday at Bear Branch Park in The Woodlands, Texas against runners from five states.

SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jake Terry officially signs with University of Oklahoma baseball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Sydney Pennington signs with Oklahoma State University Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jessica Collins signs with Connors State College Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Alexis Davis signs with SWOSU Cross Country
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Kyle Keener signs with University of Central Oklahoma Basketball

Berryhill Maidens edge out Lady Sandite Softball in extra innings

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Story and photo by: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School slow-pitch softball team (1-3) is well behind where they should be for the season after starting several weeks behind the rest of the state. The first several games were cancelled due to the other teams not having enough players, leaving the young Lady Sandites lacking in adequate slow pitch experience. Offensively the Sandites are consistently hitting to the fence, but fielding has been plagued with errors for unearned hits and runs. 

After dropping losses to Jenks and Tahlequah on Tuesday, the girls finally got in the win column Thursday evening at Berryhill against the Locust Grove Lady Pirates (3-7). Junior Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington hit two home-runs and batted in four in the 16-5 six-inning run-rule victory. Senior Northeastern State University-signee Jessica Schuler (1-0) got the win on the mound and also hit a homer.

The 5A No.13 Berryhill Maidens (6-4) would be a far tougher opponent, however.

Pennington doubled in the first to score Kennedy "Goose" Salyers, then came home on a Jessica Collins sacrifice. Madelyn Blair tripled to score Schuler, who was intentionally walked, and was stranded as the Maidens came in trailing 3-0.

Alyson Cramer doubled for Berryhill and came in on a Kaelee Escoe homer in the bottom of the first. The Lady Sandites responded quickly as Cameron Clemons singled, Jacie Taber doubled, and Salyers sacrificed to score Clemons. Kimi Presnall batted in Taber with a double, Pennington batted in Presnall with a double, and the Sandites furthered their lead to 6-2. 

The home team tied things up in the bottom of the third as Escoe singled and came in on a Cramer homer, then Kennedy Zimmerman singled to score Cooper Lawley and Ashlynn Inhofe. 

Both teams scattered hits throughout the next four innings, but neither managed a run and the game went into extra innings.

The Lady Sandites and Maidens each stranded one in the eighth, but in the top of the ninth Prenall homered in Rachel Blair and Salyers for the 9-6 advantage.

Jaeden Rosenquist hit a leadoff single for the Maidens, Escoe reached on a Presnall error, and Taylor Vaughan singled to load the bases with a single out. Rosenquist and Escoe came in on a double, then Shelby Harger singled to score Vaughan to tie it up. Baylie LaBarge was intentionally walked to load the bases and Kylie Crockett singled for the win.

Senior Mid-American Christian University-signee Stella Millican (0-3) got the loss on the mound for the Lady Sandites while LaBarge got the win for the Maidens. Sand Springs will return to action Monday at the Jenks festival.