Cruz Norris and Gunnar Casey win Grand Lake fishing tournament

Courtesy of OBN.

A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

Sand Springs is continuing to prove itself as one of the top high school fishing programs in the state, as yet another Sandite duo has taken top honors at an Oklahoma Bass Nation trail event. Cruz Norris and Gunnar Casey brought home the fourth trail win in program history Sunday, March 28th on Grand Lake.

Bass Nation was supposed to host two trail events, Saturday and Sunday at Fort Gibson, but high water levels resulted in the relocation to Grand Lake, and it was limited to a one-day event. 

Norris and Casey came up one fish short of the limit, but still had a healthy margin of victory. Their 4.04-pound big bass was the third-largest in the tournament, and it propelled them to a 12.87-pound total. Despite only catching four bass, they had nearly a pound on the runners-up, who caught five.

Only three teams of Sandites have won trail events, led by Seth Kearns and Cole Scott with two wins. The program was founded in 2015 and the school won the State Championship in 2017.

Mack Taylor and Reese David caught four fish totaling 9.1 pounds for 13th place out of 56 boats. They previously placed second at the season opener on Lake Eufala in October and rank fourth in the team standings so far. 

Norris and Casey are already up to 26th in the team standings after missing the season-opener. Kyle and Kale Hilligoss also missed the first event, and they are 42nd in the team race after catching two fish at Grand. They weighed in at 6.9 pounds for 25th place. Final team standings will use each team’s top-four performances this season, so missing one event won’t penalize the anglers much in the long run.

Sandite Fishing won’t have to travel far for their next event, as OBN will be coming to Lake Keystone for two trail events Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11. 

The program will also be hosting a fundraiser tournament, open to the public, April 17th on Keystone. The tournament will launch out of Prairie View Ramp at 7:00 a.m. with a 2:30 p.m. weigh-in. Entry is $60 with a 70% payout. There will be a five fish limit, with a 14 inch minimum. 

For more information on the fundraiser tournament, or about the CPHS fishing program overall, contact CPHSfishingteam@gmail.com or call/text 918-625-6853.

Sandite Athletics Weekly Roundup

A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

Boys Soccer

The Sand Springs boys’ soccer team (4-4) fell 2-1 in non-district play at Enid, Tuesday, March 23rd, with Brian Boyles scoring the lone goal. They placed fourth at the Holland Hall tournament last week, beating Oklahoma Christian School 6-0 on Thursday before falling 2-1 to Holland Hall Friday and 7-3 to Owasso on Saturday. 

Fernando Saldana scored a hat trick against OCS and Jack Bratcher had a brace. Cameron Summerton added the sixth goal, his first of the season. Saldana scored one goal against Holland Hall and another against Owasso. Bratcher and Mason Ritter also had goals against Owasso. 

The boys were short handed in their placement match, playing without NSU-bound David Fancher and goalkeeper Xander Quiroga, among others. Junior backup Shawn Hayes made ten saves in the loss.

Baseball

Sandite Baseball went 3-2 last week and is 8-8 overall. Jabe Schlehuber got the win and Eli Buxton recorded a save in a 4-2 district game at Bartlesville, Tuesday, March 23rd. Bartlesville won the rematch 6-4 on Wednesday.

The Sandites returned to Bartlesville on Thursday and Friday for a festival. Gage Elliott went the distance in a 10-2 win over Ponca City Thursday, only giving up three hits, then Kayden Campbell recorded a 7-4 rivalry win against Sapulpa with another save from Buxton. Schlehuber and Ty Pennington both hit triples in the win. Bishop Kelley scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh for an 8-7 walk-off on Friday.

Rhen Rutledge paced the offense, going 7-of-15 at the plate last week with seven runs, two RBI, a double, and a triple. Cason Savage also hit a triple in the Wednesday loss to Bartlesville.

Sand Springs will travel to Jenks Friday for a non-district game, and will host Midwest City Saturday at noon.

Slow Pitch Softball

Sandite Slow Pitch started the season with a pair of wins Tuesday, March 23rd at Union High School. They beat Berryhill 13-1 in a three-inning run rule and survived a 12-11 shootout with the host team. 

Lauren Hammock got the win against Berryhill, only giving up one hit. Jaden Jordan hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give her team the lead, and Kelsi Hilton and Kaden Barnes both hit RBI triples. Hilton added a grand slam in the second inning, then Hammock threw a bases-loaded strikeout for the win. 

Barnes got the win against Union and Hammock recorded a save. Jordan went a perfect three-for-three at the plate with two home runs and six RBI. 

Sand Springs Softball will compete at the Haskell Tournament on Thursday, where they are the defending tournament champions.

Track and Field

The Sand Springs boys placed sixth and the girls took fifth Friday at the Muskogee Track Classic. Two Lady Sandites brought home three gold medals from the event. 

Jazmin Lopez won the 800-meter run in 2:29.87. Layne Kirkendoll won the high jump with a mark of 5’04.00” and the long jump with a distance of 17’06.00.” Jayda Rowe placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 105’07.00”, ranking her second in Sand Springs history in the event. 

Alejandro Lopez placed second in the 800-meter run in 2:04.95, less than half a second behind the winner. Joseph Mattison placed third in the 100-meter dash in 11.27, third in the 200 in 23.15, and third in the long jump at 19’07.00”.

The girls 4x100 relay team placed third in 52.04 seconds, the 4x400 placed fourth in 4:29.49, and the 4x200 placed fifth in 1:56.22. 

The boys 4x800 relay team placed fourth in 8:48.62, the 4x400 placed fourth in 3:41.33, and the 4x200 placed fifth in 1:38.57. 

Sandite Track will next compete at the Broken Arrow Track Classic Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Lady Sandite Soccer wins Hilldale Tournament

A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

For the first time since 2016, the Charles Page High School girls soccer team (6-1) has won a tournament title. Sand Springs went 3-0 at the Hilldale Tournament last week in Muskogee, including two overtime shootouts. Katie Webb kicked the tournament-winning penalty kick against Fort Gibson Friday night to bring home the trophy.

“It was the classic Sandite game,” said Head Coach Matthew Watkins, whose team has gone to PKs in four of their seven games so far this season. They’re undefeated in overtime. “We come out and fight. It’s a grind.”

To Watkins, the girls’ tournament title is just evidence of what they already knew about themselves. “If we would have got to play last year, we would have seen some of the same results.” Last season was canceled after a 2-1 start due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Coaches Watkins and Cisco Chavez have reiterated time and time again that win or lose, it’s a team effort - and that applies to the coaching staff as well as the players. The two are even sharing the title of Head Coach this season.

“It takes all of us. No matter what we go through for the rest of the season, we have to remember to play every game like we just played,” Chavez told his players after the game. “Be proud of yourselves, this is something that most teams will never accomplish.”

The Sandites kicked off the tournament with a 2-0 win over Will Rogers on Wednesday, then beat host Hilldale 2-1 in a wild 10-9 triple-overtime shootout on Thursday. In Friday’s game, the girls held Fort Gibson scoreless in regulation for the first time this season.

Both teams ended the match at 0-0, setting up a best-of-five PK shootout. Senior goalie Ali Day, who is signed to play at Rogers State next season, made two saves in overtime. Karsen Lynch and Jade Patton made their kicks and the Sandites took a 2-1 lead into the final pairing. Webb put them up 3-1 to secure the win. 

“Hard work beats talent,” says Chavez. “These girls came together as a team. I’m so proud of these girls.” Watkins also praised Carson Sargent and Bella Cheney for their performances. 

Matthew Miller’s 2018 Lady Sandites went undefeated at the festival-style Stilwell tournament, but Collinsville also did and won the tournament title on criteria. The last time Sand Springs brought home a first place trophy was under coach Bobby Behrens at the 2016 Edison Green & White Tournament. 

The Sandites’ 6-1 start is their best since 2016, and they will look to continue that success when they host Edmond Memorial (4-2) Friday at 6:00 p.m. to start district play. Boys will play at 8:00 p.m.

Sandites' Layne Kirkendoll, Joseph Mattison claim gold at Broken Arrow Relays

A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

Track and Field

Layne Kirkendoll and Joseph Mattison were leaps and bounds ahead of their competition Friday at the Broken Arrow Relays, and both took home first place medals in the long jump. 

Kirkendoll has already secured her position as the second-best long jumper in Sand Springs history behind two-time State Champion Shawn Gilton, and she just keeps getting better. Her 17’08.5” leap marked a career-high and her second win of the season. She also won the high jump with a career mark of 5’06.00”.

Mattison earned his first varsity gold with a career distance of 20’02.5” in his first jumping event of the season. 

There were no individual running events in the dual-style meet, which pitted the Sand Springs relay teams against Broken Arrow’s varsity and JV squads. The Sandite runners didn’t win any events, but the girls’ 1600 team lost by less than a second.

Baseball

Sandite Baseball (5-6) went 0-4 at the Edmond Festival, but their Saturday double-header featured a pair of close shootouts. On Thursday they lost 5-1 to Norman North and 7-4 to Mustang.

On Saturday they lost 10-9 to both Edmond North and Edmond Santa Fe. In the first game against Edmond North they were down 4-0 to start the sixth and scored eight runs to take the lead, including a 2RBI triple from Rhen Rutledge and a 3RBI double from Jacob Shields. 

The Huskies tied it 8-8 with an RBI double in the seventh to force an extra inning. Shields reclaimed the lead on a ground out by Rutledge, but Toby Simpson hit a 2RBI single to win the game. 

Santa Fe took a 3-0 lead into the fourth in the next game, but Pennington tied it up with a 2RBI triple and Kaden Young scored in the fifth for the lead. The Wolves used four walks and a hit to make it 6-4, but Sand Springs wouldn’t stay down for long.

Keaton Campbell and Jabe Schlehuber hit a pair of solo home runs, then the Wolves walked four Sandites in a row to tie it in the seventh. Cason Savage and Rutledge tagged up on a pair of pop flies to make it 9-7, but Jase White hit a two-run double to tie it and Caleb Moore was walked on loaded bases for the win. 

Sand Springs Baseball will return to action Thursday and Friday at the Bartlesville Bruin Classic, which will feature a Highway 97 Rivalry game against Sapulpa Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Slow Pitch Softball will host Owasso Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Boys’ Soccer will play in the Holland Hall Invitational Thursday, Track and Field will compete at Muskogee Friday at 4:00 p.m., and the Fishing teams will take to the waters at Ft. Gibson Saturday and Sunday.

Bailey Copeland paves the way for Sand Springs girls’ wrestling

A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

Something special has been happening in the Oklahoma wrestling community. For the first time ever, the OSSAA is offering fully-sanctioned girls’ wrestling, opening the door to a sport that many girls have never even considered. One girl who is excited about the future of female wrestling is Bailey Copeland.

Copeland, a Sand Springs sixth grader, recently became the first-ever Lady Sandite to win a youth State Championship, and she did it twice. First she won the OKUSA title in January, then brought home the OKWA gold in February.

What makes her extra special? She’s only been wrestling for a few months. Initially her dad was skeptical of letting her wrestle, but he finally let her go to a few practices this fall to try it out. 

“She went to practice, then left there and went to play basketball,” said Josh Copeland. “She almost threw up twice, but she loved it. She wanted to wrestle.” Bailey quickly made the decision to drop basketball and pursue wrestling instead. She also plays softball in the spring.

“She’s a natural,” says Josh. “It’s just something you don’t see every day. She gives 100% in the room every night. She picks up things so quickly. I taught her a three-quarter stack at home and she went out and pinned somebody with it.”

Bailey comes from a large wrestling community. Her father, Josh, was a wrestler and MMA fighter. Her brother Kyler wrestled through elementary before focusing on baseball. Sand Springs as a town has seen more success in varsity wrestling than any other sport. 

She has been training with the Keystone Kids, the Sand Springs youth program, part time, but also with the Hurricane Wrestling Academy in Tulsa. At Hurricane she has other girls to train with, but in Sand Springs she’s the only girl in the room.

Charles Page High School has yet to put the wheels in motion on a girls’ varsity team, but discussions are happening. Broken Arrow became the first district in the state to do so, and many other schools have girls training and competing alongside the boys the same way they’ve been allowed to for years. Creating a girls program in Sand Springs would require approval from the Board of Education, and they would need to find space for a separate locker room for the girls. 

Bailey won’t be the first girl on the Sand Springs wrestling team. Just two years ago Hayli Jeffries won the Union preseason tournament as a sophomore. But she could be a member of the first all-girls team in Sand Springs, if other girls step up and continue to take interest in growing the sport.

Growing the sport is especially important to Bailey. “I want to try to get more girls to wrestle. If you think about wrestling, just go ahead and try it and see if you like it.” She looks up to Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis for inspiration, and her favorite part of wrestling is making boys cry.

Although competing at the high school level is already on her mind, for now Bailey has two more seasons of junior high wrestling to focus on. Next up for the young star will be the Reno Nationals April 15-18th at the Tulsa Convention Center.

For more information on Sand Springs youth wrestling, follow “Keystone Kids Wrestling Club” on Facebook or email jarrod.patterson@sandites.org to sign up. Freestyle and Greco-Roman practices will begin Thursday, March 25th at Charles Page High School.

Sandite Basketball ends season in Area playoffs

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Sandite high school basketball ended its season this past weekend in the Area playoffs. The boys fell 61-40 to No. 12 Union Friday night at Owasso, while the girls won their first-round game 50-46 against No. 11 Edmond Memorial before falling 36-33 to No. 7 Midwest City Saturday afternoon in Edmond.

The No. 13 Lady Sandites (12-9) paid back a December loss against Edmond Memorial with an overtime thriller Thursday night. Junior star Journey Armstead scored a game-high 22 points with five steals and six assists against the Bulldogs, but the Bombers held her to only 12 points on Saturday. She finished her season averaging 16.9 points per game and joined the 1,000 point club in January.

Click here to read the full story in the Sand Springs Leader.