NCAA Volleyball: Gloria Mutiri announces transfer to University of Oregon

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Charles Page High School alumna Gloria Mutiri kicked off the new year by announcing her intent to transfer from Kansas State University to the University of Oregon.

Mutiri was a mid-year graduate and early-enrollee from the Class of 2018. She was previously committed to Ohio State University before decommitting and signing with Kansas State in November of 2017. She finished her senior year with 524 kills, 79 blocks, and 106 digs in a 15-18 campaign, and was an All-State selection.

Mutiri was a two-year starter with the Wildcats, who wrapped up the season 9-19 overall and 4-12 in the Big 12. They were 15-12 in her freshman year, but have been in the bottom two of the conference for three-straight years.

In her two years with the Wildcats, Mutiri accounted for 553 kills, 8 assists, 20 aces, 322 digs, and 137 blocks. She was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Big 12 Rookie Team after her freshman year.

Oregon finished the 2019 season 9-20 overall and 5-15 for 9th place in the Pac-12, but are only a year removed from a 23-11 season that saw a program-best 13-7 runner-up conference finish. They are led by Head Coach Matt Ulmer, who is 50-43 after three seasons.

Oregon will look to replace three-time All Pac-12 selection Ronika Stone, as well as number-three scorer Willow Johnson, but will return ten of the twelve players who saw action this year. The Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class was ranked third in the nation by VolleyballMag.com, and Mutiri could provide an anchor for third-straight top-six class.

Cheyenne Walden wins sixth State Championship

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Cheyenne Walden is quickly becoming one of the most heavily decorated athletes in school memory. The Charles Page High School junior is already a three-time State Champion in Cross Country, and she now holds three State Championship medals in Track as well. 

The 2016 season came to a close Saturday afternoon at Moore High School with Walden standing high atop the podium hand in hand with her fellow medalists, a place quite familiar for the extraordinary runner.

This past fall Walden went undefeated for the entirety of the Cross Country season with nine first-place finishes. At the Regional Championship she smashed her personal record with a 17:35.02 finish and went on to win her third-straight State Championship. 

Walden also went undefeated in the 3200 all season long in Track and only failed to win the 1600 once. She won fourteen events and expanded her resume to include the 800 and the 4x800 relay. At the Regional track meet she won the 1600 and 3200 and placed 3rd in the 800 while also helping her teammates to a fourth-place finish in the relay. She became the first Lady Sandite ever to qualify for State in four different events in the same year, and also became a member of the first ever 4x800 relay team to qualify for State from Sand Springs.

Friday afternoon the relay team, which included Nia Byrd, Alexis Davis, and Elizabeth Watts, placed thirteenth with a time of 10:28.63. Walden defended her 3200 State Championship with a 10:55.99 finish and an incredible thirty-eight second lead on her closest competitor. 

Saturday she competed in the 800 and took fourth place, a mere six seconds behind the Champion with a career-best 2:17.58 time. She later competed in the 1600 and won her first State Title in that event with a career-best 5:02.46.

Walden now holds six State Championship medals as a junior. This past November she traveled to The Woodlands, Texas South Regional and improved to a sixth place finish, earning her way to the Nike Nationals in Portland, Oregon where she placed 59th with a time of 18:19. 

Walden quickly made her mark on the field her Freshman year when she won her first two-mile run and went on to rack up seven more by the end of the season, including Conference, Regional, and State Championships and a post-season win at the Meet of Champions. Not only did she win State by an eleven-second margin, but she did it with a nineteen second improvement over her personal best. 

As the Spring Track season came around Walden didn't slow down a bit, coming in runner-up in her first two 3200 meter runs and winning the next four. She also began competing in the 1600 and placed top-five in three meets. She won Conference and Regional Championships and qualified for State in both events, placing third in the 3200 and eleventh in the 1600.

Her sophomore Cross Country season saw five first place medals and Walden defended her Conference, Regional, and State Championship titles. After beating teammate and University of Oklahoma-bound Morgan Long by fifteen seconds for an incredible 11:19.5 5K State Title, Walden traveled to The Woodlands, Texas for the Nike South Regional where she placed 22nd. 

Walden went undefeated in the 3200 during her Sophomore Track season, winning eight meets and setting a new career best of 10:54.63. She also picked up a win in the 1600 and qualified for State in both events. She won her first State Championship in the 3200 and came in Runner-Up in the 1600.