Sandite Cross Country boys and girls both take first place at Kiefer

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in Charles Page High School history, both the boys and girls Cross Country teams came in first place at the same event. The Sandites traveled to Kiefer for their season-opener and both teams came home with the gold.

The Lady Sandites took first place for the first time since 2014, and the boys claimed first place for the first time in over a decade. The last time the two teams came close to sweeping an event was 2001 at Tulsa Memorial when they both claimed second. 

The girls ran a mile Saturday and three-time State Champion Cheyenne Walden led the pack with a career-best 5:23, beating her previous best by eight seconds . This is Walden's fourth-consecutive win. The senior only came in second one time last season, at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Coming in second place with a time of 6:14 was a junior transfer from Jenks, Tiqvah Soap. Soap finished in the top ten at two meets with the Trojans last year and adds to what is already one of the best girls' Cross Country teams in recent memory. 

Alexis Davis completed the trinity with a 6:24 finish for third place, beating her personal-record by fifteen seconds. 

Kalea Fleming, an eighth grade student at Clyde Boyd Middle School, placed first in the junior high division with a time of 6:11, which would have landed her silver in varsity. She will likely be a bright spot in the next four years of Sandite XC.

• 9th Elizabeth Watts 6:54 (PR-0:06)
• 12th Julia Lewis 7:05 
• 13th Sara Abbet 7:07
• 14th Stephanie Genn 7:12
• 16th Kaitlyn Walden 7:17
• 17th Kaylee Blansett 7:31
• 19th Madison Englestead 7:38
• 22nd Chezney Kelley 7:49
• 23rd Kaileeann Worthington 7:55
• 26th Madelynn Adams 7:56
• 33rd Lily Reed 8:41
• 39th Lauren Barkdull 10:17
• 40th Ayden Meade 10:18
• 42nd Hope Pollard 11:01

The boys ran two miles and landed six runners in the top ten. Sophomore Aden Baughman, who was the lone Sandite boy to qualify for State last year, placed second in 10:46, beating his PR by 1:28. Glenpool's Ben Cain took first place with a twenty-two second lead on Baughman.

Ian Baustert, Kaegan Murray, and Jaden Weiser were neck-and-neck, each finishing within a hair of each other. Each had a time of 11:21, and placed fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. Two seconds behind them was Nelson Yazzie for eighth place, and Pierson Balsters trailed him in ninth place with an 11:26 finish. 

Baustert's time was a 1:22 PR. Murray improved on his best by twenty-eight seconds. 

• 12th Jaedyn Jackson 12:07
• 14th Phillip Elleman 12:28 (PR-4:14)
• 15th Danny Murray 12:35 (PR-2:20)
• 16th Jacob Smith 12:41 (PR-2:39)
  • 17th Cooper Lynch 12:43 (PR-2:30)
  • 18th Austin McCaskey 12:47 (PR-0:22)
  • 20th Charlie Everett 13:31
  • 21st Alex Newport 14:43
  • 22nd Russell McCaskey 15:00
  • 23rd Cody Putscher 15:52

Elementary Results

• 8th Kade Holland
• 15th Kodah Gregory
• 16th Braden Gregory
• 27th Gavin Corbin
• 29th Josie Myers
• 36th Cooper McDonald
• 44th Carter McDonald

The Sandites will return to action Saturday, September 3rd, at Kelly Lane Park in Sapulpa. Kelly Lane is located at 1151 South Park Street.

• 8:45 a.m. Elementary (K-6) one-mile race 
• 9:00 a.m. Varsity Girls one-mile race
• 9:25 a.m. Varsity Boys two-mile race
• 9:50 a.m. JV Girls one-mile race
• 10:15 a.m. JV Boys two-mile race
• 10:40 a.m. Junior High Girls one-mile race
• 11:00 a.m. Junior High Boys one-mile race

Cheyenne Walden wins sixth State Championship

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.

CPHS junior Cheyenne Walden wins fifth State Championship by wide margin

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Cheyenne Walden picked up her fifth State Championship medal Friday afternoon at Moore High School, and she's not done yet. The State Championship Track Meet will continue Saturday morning where the Sandite of the Week will compete in the 800 meter and 1600 meter races. 

Walden won her first state championship in cross country as a freshman, then came in third in the 3200 meter run at the State Track Meet in Yukon after being edged out by less than three seconds. Last year she defended her cross country state title and picked up her first gold medal in track after beating the runner-up by a full 18 seconds in the 3200. 

Now a junior, Walden has set her sites on even bigger fish. She won yet another cross country championship this past fall with a remarkable 52.3 second lead over her closest competitor. Friday the 13th in Moore, she won her 13th competition of the season--and it was the most important one of all. 

Beating her closest competitor by an incredible 37.34 seconds, Walden defended her 3200 title for her fourth state championship with a time of 10:55.99. 

Earlier in the day Walden competed in the 4x800 relay with Nia Byrd, Alexis Davis, and Elizabeth Watts. The four were the first team ever from Sand Springs to qualify in the 3200 relay and placed 13th with a time of 10:28.63. 

The incredible athlete will get the chance to win two more medals Saturday when she competes in the 800 meter run at 12:20 and the 1600 meter run at 2:35. Last year she came in runner-up in the 1600 behind fellow Lady Sandite Morgan Long, who is now a freshman at the University of Oklahoma.

It's worth noting that Walden is the first Lady Sandite in school history to qualify for State in four different categories in the same year. The Awards Presentation will be held at 4:00 PM. 

Sandite of the Week: Cheyenne Walden

View fullsize

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

This week Sandite Pride News would like to recognize Charles Page High School junior Cheyenne Walden as Sandite of the Week for her outstanding performance at the Regional Track Meet Saturday at Claremore High School.

Walden is the first Lady Sandite ever to qualify for State in four different categories. She placed first in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:17.06, first in the 3200 with a time of 11:00.78, and third in the 800 with a time of 2:21.30. 

Additionally, Walden carried the baton on the last leg of the two mile relay and helped her teammates become the first squad to ever qualify from Sand Springs in that category. Nia Byrd, Alexis Davis, and Elizabeth Watts will be joining her at the State Championship this weekend at Moore High School. 

Walden is quite possibly the greatest runner in school history and already holds four State Championship medals. She claimed her third-consecutive Cross Country State Championship this fall and she also won the 3600 at last year's State Track Meet.

---

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. Bylaws prevent the giving of the award to anyone for two consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of a three-person staff committee. 

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Four Sandites qualify for State Championship Track Meet

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School girls track team qualified four for the State Tournament at the 6A East Regional Track Meet in Claremore Saturday morning. Alexis Davis, Nia Byrd, Elizabeth Watts, and Cheyenne Walden placed fourth in the 4x800 meter relay with their best performance of the season in 10:18.1. Walden also qualified individually in the 800, 1600, and 3200 races with first place finishes in the later two. 

Walden is undefeated in the 3200, having won seven first place medals this season. She finished the 3200 at Regionals in 11:00.78 and picked up her fourth win of the season in the 1600 with a time of 5:17.06. She also qualified in the 800 with a third place finish in 2:21.30. Last year Walden won a State Championship in the 3200 with a time of 11:08.366, beating the runner-up by an 18-second margin. She also came in runner-up in the 1600 behind teammate Morgan Long. As a freshman she placed third in 3200, and she's a three-time Cross Country State Champion.

Elizabeth Watts placed 8th in High Jump at 4'06.00" and 9th in the 300 hurdles with a time of 56.19. Lauren Barkdull placed 16th in the 1600 with a season-best time of 6:39.91. Sara Abbet placed 17th in the 1600 with a season-best time of 6:44.22.

Overall, the girls placed seventh as a team and the boys came in eighth. Landin Green, Jacob Garby, Ian Baustert, and Aden Baughman ran the 4x800 relay and placed 6th with a season-best 8:42.1.

Freshman Aden Baughman set a personal record with a 6th place finish in the 1600 in 4:45.49. Colton Washington placed 10th in long jump with a distance of 19'09.5". 

Jacob Fortune placed 12th in the 100 in 11.97, 15th in the long jump at 17'04.5", and 16th in the discus throw with a personal best of 98'10". Austin McCaskey came in 12th in the 800 with a season-best 2:12.79.

Jacob Smith placed 16th in the 3200 with a season-best 11:48.26, closely followed by Danny Murray who placed 17th with a season-best 11:50.25. Kobe Chin placed 19th in discus with a distance of 77'05". 

The State Tournament Track Meet will be held at Moore High School on Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th. Events will begin Friday at 10:00 AM. 

The photo gallery from the Regional Track Meet can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/20152016-Track-and-Field/5716-Regional-Track-Meet-at/

Cheyenne Walden remains undefeated at 3200m run; girls place 6th at Conference, boys 10th

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity track team put up some impressive performances at the Frontier Valley Conference Track Meet at Union High School Thursday evening. The girls team placed 6th overall, coming in three points ahead of their Highway 97 rivals from Sapulpa. The boys team placed 10th. Jenks High School won the conference title in both sexes by a wide margin.

The girls placed 4th in the 4x800m relay with a time of 10:30.03. The boys placed 5th in the 4x100 relay in 46.66 and 6th in the 4x800 in 8:45.47.

GIRLS

• Cheyenne Walden picked up her ninth and tenth wins of the season, placing 3rd in the 800m run with a season-best 2:19.27, 1st in the 1600m in 5:10.92, and 1st in the 3200m in 10:51.88.

• Elizabeth Watts placed 7th in the High Jump, tying her career-best at 4'06.00" and placed 15th in the 300m hurdles in 56.89 seconds.

• Stacy Logan placed 12th in the 200m dash with a season-best 28.36 and 13th in the 100m dash in 13.77.

• Majasty Lapsley placed 17th in the 100m dash in 14.25 and 21st in the 200m in 30.64.

• Tiakeya Palmer placed 19th in the 100m dash in 14.31 and 22nd in the 200m in 30.73.

BOYS

• Colton Washington placed 8th in the Long Jump with a season-best 20'07.00".

• Aiden Baughman placed 10th in the 1600m run in 4:51.39.

• Jason Cooper placed 12th in the 110m hurdles in 18.40.

• Payton Scott placed 12th in the 100m dash in 11.89.

• Jacob Fortune placed 18th in the 100m dash in 12.07.

• Dalton Morgan placed 24th in the 200m dash in 25.75.

• Brayden Hardesty placed 25th in the 200m dash in 25.13.

The season will come to an end for many of the Sandites next Saturday at Claremore in the Regional competition which begins at 9:00 AM. The photo gallery from Thursday's event can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/20152016-Track-and-Field/42816-Frontier-Valley/