2017 Sand Springs Wrestling Photo Gallery: Best moments from the best team in school history

/

The 2016-2017 Sand Springs Wrestling season was one for the history books. In fact, Sandite Pride News just published our first-ever commemorative Sand Springs Sports magazine to preserve the monumental accomplishments of our State and Dual State Championship team.

Relive the journey with some of our favorite moments of the season in the following photo gallery, and visit this link to purchase your own copy of our new magazine!

Click here to visit our full photo galleries from this season.

The Sandites started the season with the No. 2 ranking but improved to first after dominating Owasso 62-6 and winning the Perry Tournament of Champions.

One of the most exciting matches of the season, Delvin Jordan defeated defending State Champion Zach Marcheselli 4-3 in the Broken Arrow dual.

Zane Basma tied a 48-year-old national record by pinning his Putnam West foe in four seconds.

Beau Bratcher won a 3-0 decision over 2X Kansas State Champion Mason Wallace at the Ram Duals.

The Sandites claimed the 2nd Annual Ram Duals Championship with a 48-18 victory over 3A No. 1 Perry.

Homecoming Queen Candidate Jasmine Brown, escorted by Derek Davis and Mikey Burns.

Homecoming Queen Candidate Anna Andrews, escorted by Delvin Jordan and Cody Mathis.

Gage Fain and Blake Sargent escort Little Princess Sawyer Briscoe, Little Prince Max King, and Little Prince Westyn Avey. 

Delvin Jordan defeated defending State Champion Skyler Haynes 4-3 in the Dual State Finals.

Sandite Wrestling fans packed out Firelake Arena for the Dual State Championship.

Charles Page High School Principal Stan Trout presents the Sandites with their Dual State Championship trophy.

Delvin Jordan hoists the 2017 Dual State trophy.

Regional Runner-Up Tanner Ward qualified for State for the fourth-straight year.

Blake Sargent qualified for State for the second-straight year.

3X Regional Champion Jack Karstetter qualified for State for the third-straight year.

Regional Runner-Up Payton Scott qualified for State for the second-straight year.

2X Regional Runner-Up Zane Basma qualified for State for the third-straight year.

That look on Riley Weir's face when he realized there were mere seconds left and he had the lead.

Coaches Kelly Smith and Derek Fix hug Riley Weir in celebration of his first State Championship.

Daton Fix won his fourth State Championship and finished with an undefeated career.

Daton Fix leaped into his father's arms after winning his fourth State title.

Jack Karstetter made the finals as a junior, and won his first State Championship as a senior.

Assistant coach Derek Fix gets heated while coaching Beau Bratcher.

State Champion Daton Fix joined Head Coach Kelly Smith to coach Payton Scott in the finals.

Payton Scott celebrates his first State Championship with Daton Fix.

These young fans had signs for each of the Sandite finalists. 

Sand Springs brought home the gold for the first time since 1971.

Dacee Smith holds a sign bragging on her brother, Daton.

The 2016-2017 wrestling team brought home the first State Tournament trophy since 1971.

The entire varsity wrestling team received recognitions from the Sand Springs Board of Education.

The five State Champions received Mayoral Proclamations for their accomplishments, and the team as a whole received two for their two team State Titles.

The Sandites had their first big test at Broken Arrow and passed with flying colors, defeating the third-ranked Tigers 46-21.

The Sandites won their district duals by a combined score of 245-0 and set a national record for fastest dual, pinning the entire U.S. Grant team in 14:02. Jack Karstetter tied a 14-year-old national record by pinning his Putnam West foe in four seconds.

The Sandites steamrolled their way through the Owasso Ram Duals with two shutouts.

Michael Ritchey won a 4-0 decision over State Champion Cale Betchan at the Ram Duals.

Homecoming Queen Sarah Noble, escorted by Beau Bratcher and Payton Scott.

Homecoming Queen Candidate Katie Godown, escorted by Zane Basma and Tanner Ward.

Homecoming Queen Candidate Julia Lewis, escorted by Jack Karstetter and Michael Ritchey.

Homecoming Queen Sarah Noble with Kissing Captain Daton Fix.

Head Coach Kelly Smith is presented with the Coach's State Championship plaque by Sand Springs Superintendent Sherry Durkee.

The 2017 Sandites brought home the first Dual State Championship in school history.

Regional Champion Riley Weir qualified for State for the second-straight year.

Regional Runner-Up Michael Ritchey qualified for State for the second-straight year.

OSU-commit Daton Fix won his fourth-straight Regional Championship.

Regional Runner-Up Beau Bratcher qualified for State for the fourth-straight year.

Noah Almy qualified for State for the first time.

2X Regional Champion Delvin Jordan qualified for State for the third time.

Sand Springs had plenty of fans in the stands.

Riley Weir won the first State Championship of the night.

Coaches Kelly Smith and Derek Fix celebrate Daton Fix's State Championship win.

Jack Karstetter celebrates his first State Championship win with coaches Dustin Kinard and Jay Fleischman.

It was an emotional night for each of the Sandites.

State Champion Beau Bratcher hugs his coach and uncle Kelly Smith.

Sand Springs alumnus and referee Josh Briscoe eagerly watches Payton Scott's finals match.

Sand Springs Wrestling fans cheer on Payton Scott.

After the adrenaline subsided, each of the Sandite Champions was overcome with emotion.

Delvin Jordan defeated Skyler Haynes twice in the regular season, each time by a single point. This time the defending State Champ came out on top.

The three State Champions from the Class of 2017.

Head Coach Kelly Smith gives a post-tournament interview, Beau Bratcher tries to get him to mention "The Beau Show."

Sand Springs Athletic Director Rod Sitton presents the State Tournament trophy to CPHS Principal Stan Trout, Head Coach Kelly Smith, and Superintendent Sherry Durkee.

The 2016-2017 Sand Springs Wrestling coaching staff.

Three Sand Springs fishing teams qualify for National Championship

/

Three fishing teams from Charles Page High School will advance to the Bass Nation High School National Championship after their successful finishes to the regular season this past weekend at Lake Eufala.

This was the second year that Sand Springs participated in the Oklahoma Bass Nation (OBN) trail and the club doubled in size from last season. The OBN trail consists of five tournaments that count for points in State standings. The five top teams from the trail advance to Nationals, as do the top two teams from the State Tournament.

Fishing is not recognized as an official sport by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) and is not funded by the State or the schools. Each team is responsible for finding their own sponsors, providing their own boat and equipment, and finding their own coach/captain—which is usually a parent. The student anglers are not allowed to pilot their boats, and the captains are not allowed to physically assist in any way but piloting.

Noah Daczewitz and Hunter Hilger placed 25th on Saturday with four fish totaling 6.38 pounds. They fared even better on Sunday when they totaled 10.36 pounds from four fish for eighth place. This was their third top-ten finish of the season. They finished the season fourth in the standings with 364 points to advance to Nationals.

John Miller and Caden Pennington placed seventh on Saturday with four fish totaling 9.94 pounds for their best finish on the trail this season. They previously placed second at the OBN State Championship, but that tournament doesn’t count towards trail points. They were successful on Sunday as well, hauling in a 9.08 pound catch for tenth place and their fourth top-ten finish of the season. They finished fifth in the season standings with 359 points. Because their runner-up finish at State qualified them for Nationals, the fifth qualifying spot from the trail went to Seth Kearns and Cole Scott.

Kearns and Scott took first place on Saturday with four fish totaling 13.11 pounds. Their largest weighed in at 4.12 pounds and was the fifth-largest catch of the day. They failed to place top-ten for only the second time this season on Sunday, but still finished 30th with two fish weighing 5.41 pounds. They finished the season sixth in the standings with 354 points.

Jerret Haley and Corbin Williams landed a 2.27 pound fish for 51st place on Saturday, and improved to 36th place on Sunday with two catches weighing 5.12 pounds. They finished the year 43rd with 205 points.

Kyle and Kale Hilligoss had their best finish of the season on Sunday, netting four fish for sixth place and 10.46 pounds. They finished the season fourteenth with 329 points.

Braden Millican and Ty Steelman placed 30th on Saturday with three fish totaling 4.9 pounds. They were unable to compete at the Sunday event, however, as Millican had to leave for football camp at Pittsburg State University. Between football and baseball conflicts, Team 3 only managed to fish a pair of tournaments this year, but still finished 59th overall with 156 points.

Austin Smith and Joe Nelson were right behind the Hilligosses on Saturday in 52nd place with a 2.09 pound catch. They finished the year in 75th with 118 points.

89 boats took to the water Saturday and hauled in a total of 152 fish. 26 teams returned empty-handed. Sunday’s boaters fared about the same as 87 teams brought in 151 fish with 28 failing to land a catch.

The 2017 Costa Bassmaster National Championship will be held on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee on June 19th. Kentucky Lake straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky border and the boaters will launch from Paris Landing State Park. The final day’s weigh-in and award presentation will be held in downtown Paris.

Three Sand Springs wrestlers win gold at Southern Plains Regional Championship

/

Several members of the Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club competed at the Southern Plains Regional Championships in Dodge City, Kansas this weekend. The Sandites brought home four gold and three silver medals from United Wireless Arena.

Charles Page High School Class of 2017 graduate Jack Karstetter (4-0 FS, 4-5 GR) took first place in junior freestyle. He pinned Bryson Krohn in 47 seconds, teched Rocky Sisco and Garrett Miller, then won a 13-10 decision over Ponca City’s Dylan Schickram. He also competed in Greco but was eliminated one round short of placement.

Clayton Giddens (21-0 FS) continued his undefeated season with four-straight 10-0 tech falls. He handily took first place in Novice freestyle at 65 pounds without giving up a single point.

Kaden Glass (11-0 FS, 8-1 GR) competed in both styles at 190 pounds and drew only one competitor in Schoolboy. In freestyle he dealt Ethan Kremer a pin and a decision in a best-of-three series for first place. He has yet to lose a freestyle match this season. Kremer won a 10-4 decision in Greco, but Glass won the next two matches for first place.

Nation Johnson (11-9 FS, 11-10 GR) came in Runner-Up in both styles at 80 pounds in Intermediate. In freestyle he teched Ashtyn Meeks 10-0 and won an 18-17 decision over Cooper Reves before falling 11-0 to Joseph Jeter in the finals. In Greco he teched Meeks 12-0 and pinned Brodie Bedford in 1:09 before falling to Jake Miller in the finals.

Abraham Flores (13-7 FS, 14-4 GR) placed second in Novice Greco and fourth in freestyle at 100 pounds. In Greco he won two tech falls and defeated Isaac Barchicha 4-3 before falling to Xerarch Tungjaroenkul in the finals. In freestyle he lost his first match, won two tech falls, and was defeated by Tungjaroenkul in the consolation finals.

Cole Brooks (15-4 FS, 10-5 GR) took fourth in Schoolboy freestyle at 91 pounds. He fell to Carson Laughery in the second round, but picked up three-straight tech falls in the consolation bracket and topped Laughery 14-12 before falling to Brady Hankin in the finals. He also competed in Greco but was eliminated one round short of placement.

Braden Anderson (13-10 FS, 7-10 GR) placed fourth in Schoolboy freestyle at 112 pounds. He lost his opening match, but won three-straight in consolation before falling to Collin Creach in the finals. He also competed in Greco but was defeated one round short of placement. 

Longtime Sandite Coach/Athletic Director Cecil Hankins to be inducted into OBCA Hall of Fame

/

Cecil Hankins, 1953 Sand Springs High School yearbook.

Former Sand Springs Coach and Athletic Director Cecil Hankins will be inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) Hall of Fame Saturday, June 3rd. Hankins was previously inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Oklahoma State University Hall of Honor in 1996.

Hankins coached in Sand Springs for sixteen years, including basketball, football, track and field, baseball, and golf. He retired as Athletic Director in 1988 and passed away in 2002 at the age of 80. 

A Division I collegiate athlete, Hankins played for Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University) in both football and basketball, under Jim Lookabaugh and Henry Iba respectively.

In football he played halfback and defensive back on the undefeated 1945 team that was recently declared the National Champions by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The AFCA has been working to declare national champions for the period between 1922 and 1949 before they began a rankings system.

1945 Oklahoma A&M National Champion team. Hankins can be seen in the second row from the top, four positions to the right of Head Coach Jim Lookabaugh. 

In the 1945 Sugar Bowl, Hankins received the go-ahead touchdown pass from Bob Fennimore and the Aggies went on to prevail 33-13 over St. Mary's. 

Hankins didn't live long enough to see his football team recognized as National Champions, but the 1945 Basketball team also won a National Title and he contributed 13 points per game that season. The 1945 season was the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance and first National Championship as the Aggies defeated New York 49-45 in front of 18,000 fans at Madison Square Garden to finish the season with a 27-4 record. Hankins scored 15 points in the Championship game.

After his collegiate career, Hankins played 25 games with the Boston Celtics and averaged 2.8 points per game for 70 career points. 

At Sand Springs he coached football from 1952-1954 and amassed a 15-10-4 record with a 1952 District Championship and playoff appearance. He coached future three-time MLB World Series Champion Jerry Adair as quarterback, who went on to play basketball at OSU under Iba. He coached basketball from 1948 through 1957. Sandite Pride is missing the 1948-1949 season record, but his final eight years Hankins went 144-59-1 and led his team to four-straight Verdigris Valley Conference Championships.

Hankins will be inducted along with Jack Begley, Ron Murphey, Robert Sprague, and Bailey Van Zant. Begley coached at Texhoma High, Clinton High, and Panhandle State. He won two State Championships at Clinton. Murphey coached at Felt and Texhoma and won one State Championship at Texhoma. Sprague coached at Daniel Webster, Nathan Hale, and Tulsa Memorial. Van Zant coached at Pond Creek and Pryor, started the basketball program at Seminole Junior College, then coached fourteen years in Texas.

Sandite of the Week: Daton Fix competes in Times Square, receives National award

/

Many high school athletes participate in club sports in the summer, but few participate at the level of Sand Springs Class of 2017 graduate Daton Fix. The Oklahoma State University-bound Sandite just wrapped up his high school career as an undefeated four-time State Champion, helping his team to State and Dual State titles, and he hasn’t taken any time off since then.

Earlier this month he won an OKUSA Freestyle State Championship in Cushing, and last week he traveled to Times Square in New York for an exhibition match against USAW Folkstyle National Champion Joey Melendez, who is ranked fourth in the country at 113 pounds. In his second year at the outdoor Beat the Streets benefit he rolled to a decisive 14-1 technical fall against the Illinois star.

This upcoming weekend he will be receiving the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award at the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater. Each year the award is presented to a high school senior from each state for outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement, and citizenship or community service. Not only was he selected as the recipient from Oklahoma, he was also selected as one of five Regional recipients, and the overall National recipient. He is only the second wrestler from Oklahoma to receive the national award since its inception in 1996

Fix was named to the Oklahoma Junior Dual team alongside fellow Sandite Riley Weir and cousin Jack Karstetter, as well as future OSU teammate and fellow four-time undefeated State Champ Kaden Gfeller. Fix's dad, Derek, is an assistant coach on the junior team. Junior Dual Nationals will be held June 20th through 24th at the Tulsa Convention Center for the third-straight year. 

Click here to view former Sandites of the Week.

To nominate a Sandite of the Week, please fill out the form on our home page.

Sandites of the Week: Caden Pennington and John Miller qualify for two National Championships

/

Photo courtesy of Tador Miller.

The Sand Springs High School fishing club recently brought home the club trophy from the Oklahoma Bass Nation High School State Championship. Three Sand Springs teams placed in the top fifteen and one duo took second place overall to qualify for the National Championship.

Sand Springs has eleven fishing teams, each consisting of two student anglers and one adult coach/captain. The sport is not officially recognized by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association, nor is it funded by Sand Springs Public Schools, but it has grown tremendously in the past few seasons. 

Noah Daczewitz and Hunter Hilger started the club last year and were soon joined by two other teams before the season concluded. Now, Sand Springs is one of the largest clubs in the state. The sport as a whole has tripled in size from 42 teams last year to more than 150 at present time. There are no divisions based on school or town size.

94 boats launched on Lake Texoma Sunday morning and only 69 even caught a single fish. Fifteen teams caught the five-fish limit and Washington High School's Dale Rigsby and Will Manning came in first place with 15.74 pounds. Sand Springs's Team 2, John Miller and Caden Pennington, were right behind them with five fish totaling 15.46 pounds, the second-largest catch in Sand Springs history and the largest catch for Team 2. 

Daczewitz and Hilger came in twelfth place with five fish totaling 9.67 pounds, Ty Steelman and Braden Millican took fifteenth place with five fish totaling 9.22 pounds, Jerret Haley and Corbin Williams took 39th place with two fish totaling 5.16 pounds, and Seth Kearns and Cole Scott brought in 62nd place with one fish weighing 2.46 pounds. With the top two teams combining for 25.13 pounds, Sand Springs defeated Broken Arrow for the club trophy by 3.86 pounds. 

Miller and Pennington will get to compete at the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship June 19th on Barkley and Kentucky Lakes. They also recently won the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Missouri Open on Stockton Lake to qualify for the FLW Nationals June 27th at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. They caught four bass weighing 9 pounds even, defeating the Runners-Up by one ounce. The Second-Place team caught the five-fish limit.

The rest of the Sandites still have an opportunity to qualify for nationals. Though the State Championship was this weekend, the OBN season doesn't actually come to a close till June 4th. Two more tournaments will be held on Ft. Gibson and Keystone Lakes. Three tournaments have already been held prior to State, and the State catches won't count towards the overall Trail standings.

Daczewitz and Hilger are currently fourth in the standings, followed by Miller and Pennington at eighth, Kyle and Kale Hilligoss in ninth, Kearns and Scott in thirteenth, Haley and Williams in 55th, Millican and Steelman in 68th, and Austin Smith and Joe Nelson in 89th. Four other teams have yet to place in a tournament this season. Jacob Weathers and Bryson Wooten comprise Team 8, Hayden King and Collin Brady are Team 9, Carl McClaflin and Ryan Linquist are Team 10, and Chase Meyers and George Russell are Team 11. 

Before the next OBN events is the Student Angler Federation (SAF) State Championship on May 27th at Lake Eufala.