EDMOND — Edmond athletes racked up almost 50 team and individual titles this year. Below are the year’s top sports stories.

1

Oklahoma Christian wins football championship

Oklahoma Christian School brought home the Saints’ first football title, and only the second football championship in Edmond history, when they won the Class 2A title with a 44-41 win over Davis in December at Oklahoma State University’s Boone Pickens Field in Stillwater with coach Derek Turner at the helm.

OCS quarterback Austin Brooks tossed five touchdown passes and hit on 19-of-34 for 387 yards behind an outstanding offensive line. Connor Sikes caught six passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and Blake Barnes brought in six catches for 125 yards, two TDs and had a game-sealing interception on Davis’ final drive.



2

Edmond North wins baseball title

The Edmond North Huskies made an improbable run in May to take the Class 6A state baseball title over Broken Arrow, led by coach Karl King. It is the first baseball championship for an Edmond team since Edmond Memorial won back-to-back titles in 1992-93; the crown had belonged to east-side powers like Owasso, Union, Jenks and Broken Arrow since 1995.

North senior pitcher Tyler Welch threw a complete-game shutout, getting the 3-0 win. Right fielder Chase Gibson scored two runs and had several dazzling plays to rob BA batters; Cole Wasemiller and A.J. Leingang had RBIs.



3

Edmond North wins softball title

A few months after their springtime counterparts won the baseball title, coach Rick Nordyke’s Edmond North Huskies won the Class 6A softball championship. These Huskies dominated, reeling off 32 straight wins after a pair of early losses and defeating Moore 11-2 in the title game.

In the championship game, Jordan Dixon led the Huskies from the circle as the senior struck out nine, walked seven and allowed three hits and two earned runs in seven innings. Dixon, Abby Taliaferro and Bridget White each had a pair of RBIs; Mattie Nordyke scored four runs, Taliaferro crossed the plate three times and Sheridan Bond scored a pair of runs.



4

Edmond vs. Edmond in state girls basketball finals

The Edmond Santa Fe Lady Wolves behind star guard Courtney Walker and the Edmond Memorial Lady Bulldogs behind star forward Alie Decker met in the finals of the Class 6A state basketball tournament in March, and the matchup of city stars delivered as billed.

Decker had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and extended her career scoring record for Memorial; Walker had 22 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots — the biggest being her block of Decker’s shot in the final seconds that would have given Memorial the lead. Instead, Walker grabbed the loose ball, was fouled and hit both free throws to give SF the 44-41 win and preserve an unbeaten season for the Lady Wolves.

“... What a privilege for me to coach her,” Santa Fe head coach Paul Bass said of Walker. “That block will last through history for Santa Fe fans.”



5

Central Oklahoma makes NCAA Division II College World Series final

The Bronchos set a number of school records en route to making their second appearance in the World Series, but fell short of the national championship game with a 2-0 loss to defending champion UC-San Diego in the semifinals in May.

“We had a great run and just came up short,” UCO head coach Genny Stidham said.  “I couldn't be more proud of a team than I am this one.  They came together and had a great year and it hurts that we didn't accomplish what we came here to do.

It was just the second shutout loss of the season for UCO, which finished a best-ever 46-9.



6

Deer Creek’s Boyd 3-peats

Deer Creek senior Nolan Boyd cemented his place in Antler wrestling lore in February when he became the school’s first-ever three-time state champion.

The 182-pounder eclipsed the milestone and a perfect season with ease at the Class 5A state wrestling tournament. The senior took control with an early takedown in the finals and never let up as he won gold with a 9-0 major decision at State Fair Arena.

“We’ve had two two-time state champions so that just made winning tonight all the better and I couldn’t wait for it,” Boyd said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it would come down to this one match, so I just worked hard all year so nothing would go wrong.”



7

Edmond sports two individual, two team golf championships

The Edmond North boys golf team won their eighth straight golf championship with a final-day effort that pulled them away from rival Edmond Memorial in May. Coach Jeff Doherty’s team was made up of sophomore Nick Heinen, sophomore Hayden Wood, freshman Tyson Reeder, senior Michael Hampton and sophomore Sam Humphreys.

The Oklahoma Christian School boys took the Class 3A title by 12 strokes. Coach Cheryl Hitchcock’s team — senior Rustin Purser, who led the way for the Saints in third place with 218, senior Alexander Hall, teammate Zac Schaefer, Jack Lemon and Preston Schaefer — all finished in the top 15.

It was Edmond Santa Fe who sported an individual boys champion in junior Max McGreevy, who entered the day one shot out of the lead, but carded a 71 on the final day to capture Class 6A medalist honors with 216.

And Edmond North’s Allison Sell shot 147 to win the individual championship and lead the Lady Huskies to a second-place finish. Sell is the first girl from Edmond North to win medalist honors at the state tournament.



8

Colleges make moves

After 47 years, Oklahoma Christian University left the NAIA at the end of June and began the NCAA Division II membership process, likely to last three years.

In its first semester in the D-II Heartland Conference, OC captured numerous weekly player-of-the-week awards and 22 conference honors.

After exiting the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference, the University of Central Oklahoma began its first season of play in the  Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bronchos went 2-8 in MIAA football competition.



9

Deer Creek girls are soccer champs

The Deer Creek Lady Antlers scored the only goal they needed to take a 1-0 win over Carl Albert in the Class 5A state championship game in May.

Madi Smith had the lone goal, and the Antlers’ defense, led by the backfield of Roman Edwards and Holly Blackwell, limited Carl Albert to only nine shots on goal.



10

Sophomore champion leads DC to team cross country title

The Antlers cruised to their second-straight Class 5A state title at Edmond Santa Fe High School in October, while sophomore Bryce Balenseifen became the school’s sixth straight individual champion.

Deer Creek dominated the 5A field. They placed four runners in the top 10, and all seven finished in the top 25. The Antlers claimed the state title with 36 team points, finishing well ahead of runner-up Coweta (115) and third-place Tahlequah (144).

Deer Creek also won back-to-back team state titles in 2006 and 2007, and has claimed the 5A individual championship the past five years.

“It’s just an incredible feeling to just build on what those guys started,” Balenseifen said.



11

Huskies, Lady Huskies win team tennis titles

For the third time in a row, the Edmond North Huskies emerged from the class 6A state tennis tournament as the champions, sweeping all four brackets.

And ... for the third time in four seasons, the Edmond North Lady Huskies did the same thing.

North’s boys singles players Nate Roper and David Hager and the doubles teams of Tanner Chambers-Baylor Spring and Bryan Lilley-Josh Nix all won their brackets.

North’s girls doubles teams of Ann Pepper-Lexus Reed and Kristen Bomhoff-Reagan Reed and No. 2 Singles Jaci Smith took titles, and No. 1 Singles Annie Hays took sixth place.



12

Edmond boasts 3 Gatorade Players of the Year

Gatorade named three athletes from Edmond as state players of the year in their sports, including the New York Yankees’ No. 1 draft pick, a top-flight girls basketball prospect and a sprinter who broke a 22-year record.

Edmond Santa Fe pitcher/corner infielder Ty Hensley received the honor before being drafted to possibly play in pinstripes.

Edmond Santa Fe guard Courtney Walker took the award after leading the Lady Wolves to their second straight state title. She is currently playing for Texas A&M.

Edmond Memorial’s Bryce Robinson won the 100-meter dash, broke a 22-year record in the 200-meter dash and helped the Bulldogs to a team state title.



13

UCO-based Paralympic sitting volleyball team wins silver

The U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team won the silver medal at the Paralympic Games in London in September after being edged by China in four sets in the gold medal match.

The U.S. (3-2) takes home the Paralympic silver medal, its second in consecutive Games. This was China's (5-0) third consecutive gold medal at the Paralympic Games.



14

Edmond swimmers win individual, team state titles

The Edmond North Lady Huskies claimed their second straight state swimming championship, scoring well in every event and breaking five school records in February at the Class 6A swimming championships at Oklahoma City Community College.

Ally Robertson won her first state title for the Lady Huskies as the freshman took the 200 Individual Medley.

The team of Robertson, Amanda Greenlee, Jess Graro and Abbie Imes won the 200 Medley Relay, and Robertson, Imes, Megan Snelling and Ann-Marie Stowe won the 200 Free Relay.

Naresh Naik from Memorial was a state champion as he won the 100 Freestyle for the Bulldogs.



15

Edmond teams, athletes win track and field championships

The Santa Fe girls won their first ever Class 6A state track and field title in May.

Santa Fe captured titles in the 1600 relay (3:57.98) with Shannon Ray, Raven McAffee, Ciera Johnson and Tyler Wisby, the 3200 relay (9:32.15) and the pole vault, with junior Kayley Humann clearing 11 feet.

The Memorial girls were led by Tara Lewis, who picked up an individual gold in the 1600 run.

The North girls came away with one state title as Meredith Farley won the 800 run.

The Edmond Memorial boys won three relays and added five other individual titles as they ran away with the Class 6A state crown.

Bryce Robinson won the 100-meter dash in 10.47, while breaking a 22-year-old state record with a time of 21.02 in the 200. The senior was also on the winning 400 and 800 relays.

Simon Greiner won the 800 (1:52) and the 1600 (4:21), and added another in a relay. Senior Isaiah Duke earned his second straight state title in the 400, finishing in 48.46.

The Deer Creek Antlers won just two events during the Class 5A state track meet, but took home the top prize as they ran away with their first ever state title.

The Antlers’ 3200-meter relay team won gold, while Otugo Ananaba claimed the only individual title, winning the 100 dash in 10.74.



16

OC wins men’s tennis, cross country titles

The Oklahoma Christian University Eagles cross country team made it two national titles in as many years, placing four runners in the top 10 and seven in the top 30. Geoffrey Njonjo led the Eagles with a second-place finish.

Two mammoth comebacks at the NAIA national tournament in Mobile, Ala., in May gave OC its first NAIA tennis title in nine years. Bruno Tiberti was named as the tournament’s outstanding player and Kris Miller was named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s NAIA Coach of the Year for the fifth time.



17

OC’s Kisorio wins 2

Oklahoma Christian’s Silas Kisorio capped his remarkable career with two more event titles and earned Most Outstanding Performer honors at the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Kisorio, a senior from Eldoret, Kenya, set a new NAIA meet record in winning the 1500 meters in 3:41.39. It was his third straight NAIA win in that event. Later, he took the 800-meter title as well for the fourth straight year, finishing in 1:47.98.



18

UCO golfers make runs into NCAA Division II championships

The Central Oklahoma men took a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II golf championship in May.

On the final day, UCO got wins from Josh Creel and Derek Franco, while Baer Aneshansley earned a tie. Andrew Green dropped a one-shot decision and Dillon Rust fell by six strokes.

The UCO women took eighth place in their first-ever national tournament appearance.

Chaney Uhles’ 76 led the way in the final round, while Taylor Neidy shot 78, Lindsey Bensch 81, Tressa Brumley 87 and Mychael McWhorter 88.

19

Sandlot wins state tourney, makes national semis

The Edmond Sandlot won three straight games to claim the championship of the American Legion Majors State Baseball Tournament in August.

The Edmond all-star team advanced to the semifinals of the American Legion Mid-South Regional baseball tournament in New Orleans, but fell to the host team.



20

5 from Edmond on Thunder Girls

Coaches selected the Oklahoma City Thunder dance team in August, and five of the new Thunder Girls have Edmond connections.

Ashley, Hayle, Jada, Jenni and LaTeshia all are from Edmond or Arcadia or attended the University of Central Oklahoma.