SOFTBALL
Rams keep rolling
Owasso came up a run short of Southmoore in last year’s Class 6A title game.
Now the Rams (17-4) are on a mission, and a pair of freshmen, Jayelle Austin and Preslee Downing, are spearheading Owasso’s offensive and pitching efforts.
“Right now we are playing really well,” Owasso coach Shane Eicher said. “Our pitching staff has done so much more than I ever anticipated this season.”
Downing is leading the pitching staff with a 12-2 record and an ERA under 1. On offense, senior third baseman Madi Drummond is hitting over .350, and sophomore shortstop Brookley Foster is hitting .400.
All of that has added up to a 12-game winning streak after a 6-0 victory Tuesday at Norman North.
People are also reading…
“We have been getting some clutch hits at the right times, and the kids are just playing relaxed and having fun,” Eicher said. “We have such a young team with a few seniors who are really leading this team.”
VOLLEYBALL
Eagles win Hulbert tournament
Claremore Sequoyah was on a roll last week, reeling off six consecutive victories that eventually led to the Hulbert tournament championship.
“Really proud of how the girls played last weekend,” Claremore Sequoyah coach TeAna Tramel said. “We tend to play 4A schools, so to have the opportunity to go compete against other 3A schools is great for learning and evaluation for our program as we head into the final stretch before regionals.”
In Hulbert, the Eagles posted victories over Westville, Hulbert, Chouteau and Salina. And Tramel mentioned several girls who paved the way.
“Player-wise, Ady Johnson had a great weekend, hitting over .350, plus numerous aces,” Tramel said. “Lena Warmbourg led us in set assists on the weekend, and Shelby Hurt stepped up big for us on the right side during the championship match.”
Tramel said the tournament title was a huge boost for such a young team, too.
“We are very young, playing three to four freshmen at a time,” she said, “and the girls were able to see their hard work pay off and were rewarded with a championship title.”
CROSS COUNTRY
Tremendous Trojans
Winning one cross country meet is always an accomplishment. Winning three in one day is quite the feat.
That’s what the Jenks girls pulled off Friday by winning three different races at the Titan XC Invitational at Carl Albert High School.
Jenks’ varsity teams won both the “elite” race and the “varsity” race, while the junior varsity squad won that division, too.
“Carl Albert was our first 5k this season, and we had never been to that race before so we didn’t know what to expect,” Jenks coach Rachael Graddy said. “We were very proud of the girls in getting the win in all three divisions.”
Avery Mazzei led the Trojans in the elite division, finishing second at 18 minutes, 57 seconds. Deborah Mazzei (19:49), Emily Coffey (20:04) and Ryann Barber (20:09) also finished in the top 11.
In the 5A/6A varsity race, freshman Makenna Smith led Jenks with a second-place finish at 21:15. And senior Anna Bowler was right behind her in third place at 21:21.
After a state championship in 2019 and third-place showing last season, the Trojans are trying to just improve every day.
“Traditionally Jenks has had a very great cross country program and definitely have big shoes to fill,” Graddy said. “Our team this year is led by a phenomenal group of seniors. They motivate each other and have big goals. As a coach, this is one of the most motivated groups I’ve got to work with, and they will definitely be missed next year.”
— Ben Johnson, For the Tulsa World