65.1 F
Waurika
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Advertisement

Waurika Senior Night

Waurika honored their seniors at the last home game of the season this past Friday evening. 

Here are their profiles.

 Gatlin Black (Basketball) was escorted by Wilma Rickard. He is the son of Chad and Miranda Black. He has attended Waurika schools his whole life. His school activities included, Football, Basketball, FFA and Student Council.  His fondest memories of his  school days are hanging out with his friends in the parking lot. After he graduated he plans to go to college in Louisiana and get a degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Zachary Brown (Basketball & Powerlifting) is the son of Michele Salazar. He has attended Waurika Schools his whole life. His school activities/awards included, baseball, basketball, football, new comer of the year in football, and all conference outfielder in baseball. His fondest memories of his school days would be football season, and the boys winning the prank war, not the girls. After he graduated he plans to play baseball at Murray State or taking over the Richardson Ranch.

Colton Byant (Basketball & Powerlifting) is the son of Michael and Heather Bryant. He has attended Waurika School his whole life. His school activities included, Football for 4 years, Track for 4 years, XC for 3 years, Basketball for 3 years, and Powerlifting for 2 years. His fondest memories of school days are making it to the State Quarterfinals his last year in football and freezing in Mrs. Allen’s classroom. After he graduates he plans to attend college and major in Education and become a coach. 

Austin Dyer (Basketball & Powerlifting) is the son of Bobby and Lisa Dyer. He has attended Waurika Schools for two years. His school activities included, Baseball, Basketball, Football, FFA, and Yearbook. His fondest memories of his school days were freezing in Mrs. Allen’s class everyday. After he graduates he want to become a game warden, and go play baseball somewhere. 

Oliva Ralls (Powerlifting) is the daughter of Danny and Jacinda Ralls. She has attended Waurika Schools for two years. Her school activities included, Track, FCCLA, Powerlifting, Cheer, and Softball. Her fondest memories from her school days were moving here and making memories and friends that could last a lifetime. After she graduates she is going to college at Cameron University to get a degree in Nursing. 

Aaron Nitka ( Basketball) is the son of Daniel and Sloan Roberson, and Michael Nitka. He has attended Waurika schools for eleven years. His school activities/awards included, Baseball, Football, Basketball, Beta, NHS, FFA, All-State eight man Football, Oilfield All Conference Baseball, ad All- District Football. His fondest memories from his school days were stealing the Smart Board Remote from Mr. Brown. After he graduates he plans to be a Physical Assistant. 

Madison Roberson (Basketball) is the daughter of Kasey Elliot, Daniel and Sloan Roberson. She has attended Waurika Schools for four years. Her school activities/Awards included, Southern 8 Conference MVP, Daily Oklahoman honorable mention Allstate, Valedictorian of Class 2019, Scored 1,000 career points as a junior, cross country, student council, NHS, OHS, and gifted and talented. Her fondest memories from her school days included, spending the summer going to camps with the basketball girls, and making Lexie do hilarious things to strangers. After she graduates she plans to become a Radiology Technologist. 

Katelyn Washburn (Basketball) is the daughter of Becky and James Washburn. She has attended Waurika Schools for two years. Her school activities/awards included, basketball, FCCLA, yearbook, and All-American Cheer. Her fondest memories from her school days were when some of us students were having a war on sarin wrapping, and putting stuff on our vehicles, Boys vs. Girls. (Girls won). After she graduates she plans on going to NOC to cheer and get her degree in English. 

Madison Christian (Manager & Powerlifting) is the daughter of James and Amy King. She has attended Waurika Schools for five years. Her school activities/awards included Powerlifting, softball, cheer, track, and All-American Cheer. Her fondest memories from school days were having Melissa come to school here and having all the friends that I have. After she Graduates she plans on going to the National Guard.

Cowgirl Fast-Pitch Squad Hopes To Rebound From Winless 2019 Season

0

It was a tough season last year for the Ryan High School fast-pitch softball squad.

The 2019 team was 0-19 for the fall season and is looking to improve that mark as the 2020 season kicks off Tuesday at Waurika.

The Cowgirls will stage the home opener one week from today (Thursday) when they will play host to Big Pasture on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

Youth will be counted on by third-year coach Stan Mueggenborg as last year’s team featured four seniors. This year’s roster has only three seniors.

But, while the Cowgirls may be short on experience, they will have more talent on the field.

Mueggenborg is looking to start as many as three freshmen, including the likely starting pitcher, Jasmine Villerreal.

“She (Villerreal) has good speed and has a good fast ball and has been working on some off-speed pitches,” Mueggenborg said.

With Villerreal in the circle for the Cowgirls, that leaves a hole at shortstop where Villerreal was slated to play when pre-season practices started a few weeks ago.

Three returning starters – Kodi Duke, Diamond Chazaretta and Linsdsey Reake will be counted on to provide the offensive punch for the Cowgirls.

“Diamond has been hitting the ball well and a lot better than last year,” Mueggenborg said of the Cowgirl senior.

Reake, who returns a first base for the Cowgirls, should provide some power as she will probably hit in the four spot.

“Lindsey has a great attitude and works harder than just about anyone,” Mueggenborg noted.

Emily Harris, a sophomore, will see some playing time in the circle for the Cowgirls and will hopefully provide some offensive punch.

Harris and Reake were cited by Mueggenborg as two of the hardest working girls on the team.

“We are a little more talented and faster than a year ago,” Mueggenborg said. “We have the opportunity to do some things on the base paths that we have not been able to do previously.”

That speed will not only be an asset to the Cowgirls on the base paths, but also in the field.

The Cowgirls will have a bit of depth as Mueggenborg has 13 players currently preparing for the upcoming season.

Kyla Este’Phillips is one senior that will hopefully provide some depth in the outfield when needed.

Carter Combs looks to be the starter behind the plate, while sophomore Libby Carter will probably be holding down the second base position.

“Libby loves playing softball,” Mueggenborg said. “She is here every day and works at it and has gotten better every year.”

Kaitlyn Dabbs, another speedster for the Cowgirls, will be joining Duke and Chazaretta in the outfield.

Alexis Shockley is the other infielder for the Cowgirls and will see action at both shortstop and third base.

Overall the Cowgirls may be better, but with the schedule loaded with teams that return most or all of their players from a year ago, the Cowgirls may find a difficult time finding the win column.

But, as the younger players progress through the early part of the season, Mueggenborg is hopeful the wins will eventually come.“We are going to hustle every chance we get,” said Mueggenborg.

Look for the Cowgirls to be a bit more competitive on the diamond, but without the experience in the circle and teams such as Geronimo, Grandfield and Waurika returning key players from a year ago, it will be tough for the Cowgirls especially early in the season.

Cowgirl Fast-Pitch Softball Schedule

August

11: at Waurika; 13: Big Pasture; 17: at Wilson; 20, 22: Southern Eight Conference Tournament; 24: at Geronimo; 25: Grandfield.

September

1: Waurika; 3: Temple; 8: Wilson; 10, 12: Temple Tournament; 14: at Grandfield; 15: Frederick; 17: at Big Pasture; 21: Empire; 24: District Tournament.

Cowgirls Set to Enter District Tourney After Fletcher Tournament

0

The Ryan Cowgirl slow-pitch softball squad will take a 4-6 mark into today’s Class 2A District Tournament at Central High.

 The Cowgirls will compete in the district tourney with the host school, Snyder and Geronimo. Central High is the top seed in the tournament, but the Lady Bronchos have lost three of six games in the past few days.

 The Lady Bronchos still have a 23-4 record – including games played through Monday – heading into the district tournament. That is 17 more games than Ryan has played.

 Geronimo and Snyder sport similar records to the Cowgirls, but have also played nearly double the number of contests as Ryan.

 Action was to have gotten underway today at 11 a.m. with the Cowgirls taking on Central High followed by the Geronimo-Snyder contest.

 The tournament is double-elimination, but is slated to be completed today. The winner of the tournament will advance to the regional tourney.

 The regular season was difficult for the Cowgirls in more than just wins and losses.

 Three of the scheduled games with opponents were cancelled because they could not field a team.

 Two other scheduled games were postponed because of weather issues.

 Last week the Cowgirls competed with 13 other teams in the Fletcher Invitational Tournament and played nearly as many games as they had in the entire regular season.

 In the tournament’s opening contest with Verden, the Cowgirls fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and could never get the big hit needed to spark a rally. The Cowgirls left 11 runners stranded.

 Justyce Keith scored the only Cowgirl run in the bottom of the fourth inning in the 3-1 loss.

 In the next round, the Cowgirl bats came alive early against Lawton Christian School. The Cowgirls scored three in the bottom of the first inning after LCS had put two runs on the board in the top of the inning.

 The Cowgirls got on top in the second inning with a four-run uprising to hold a 7-2 lead.

 The Lady Crusaders tried to rally in the fourth and fifth innings by scoring one run in each inning, but were retired in order in the top of the sixth to give the Cowgirls a 7-4 victory.

 The win set up another match with Verden.

 Verden took the lead in the top of the second with a run, but the Cowgirls answered in the bottom of the inning with runs by Abbie Bolin and Brooke Charmasson.

 The Cowgirls gave up two runs in the top of the fourth to the Lady Tigers giving Verden a 3-2 advantage.

 Ryan mounted a rally in the bottom of the fourth scoring four runs and leaving two Cowgirls stranded on the bases to secure a 6-3 lead.

 Verden added a run in the top of the fifth after two were out, but the Cowgirls retired the final batter before the rally could continue and picked up a 6-4 victory.

 The Cowgirls were eliminated by Chickasha last Friday, 9-3, as the Lady Chicks picked up their first victory of the season.

 Chickasha scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning with four tallies. The Cowgirls escaped further damage by getting the third out with the bases loaded.

 In the bottom of the second, the Lady Chicks added to the lead with four more runs to give the Cowgirls an 8-0 deficit.

 The Cowgirls struck for two runs in the top of the third inning with Kenzie Lewis and Samantha Good getting base hits and eventually scoring to cut the margin to 8-2.

 Chickasha added another run in the bottom of the fourth and the Cowgirls tried to rally in the top of the fifth, but could come up with only a single run.

Cowgirls’ Carter Claims Gold Medal at Elgin Invitational

0

Despite having only five competitors the Ryan Cowgirls finished in fifth place in the tough Elgin Invitational Track Meet last Thursday.

 The Cowgirls amassed 68 points in the small school division which consisted of schools from Class 3A to Class A. Hollis, a Class 2A school, won the meet with 135 points.

 And, this small contingent of Cowgirl thinclads had a memorable day in the meet that replaced the canceled Stratford meet that was originally on the Cowgirl track schedule.

 Holland Carter led the Cowgirls with a gold medal in the 800 meters. Her time of 3:01.3 was impressive considering the windy conditions.

 Lilybet Harmon earned a bronze medal in the 800 meters with a time of 3:15.27.

 The other highlight of the day came in the 1,600 meter relay. While the Cowgirls managed only a fourth place finish in the event, the squad set a school record with a time of 5:12.17, besting the previous school record mark of 5:15.0 set in the 1990 Southern Eight Conference meet.

 The 1,600 meter relay team consists of Carter, Harmon, Lily York and Juliet Spangler.

 The same group of girls earned a silver medal in the 3,200 meter relay with a time of 12:22.37 – which was well short of the school mark this relay team set earlier this season at Cache.

 The distance races are definitely the strength of the Cowgirls this season as Spangler and York added to the point total with high finishes in the 3,200 meters and the 1,600 meters.

 Spangler earned a silver medal in both events. Her time of 6:28.25 is behind her own school record time of 6:16.82 and is the fifth best in school history.

York was right behind her teammate and earned a bronze medal with a time of 6:31.45, which put her at sixth on the school record chart in the 1,600 meters.

 Spangler and York also finished second and third, respectively, in the 3,200 meters. Spangler turned in a time of 14:15.37, while York finished the race with a time of 14:57.55. Both were well back of the winning time of 13:12.65.

 This meet had a unique format in that participants from schools in all classes ran together in each event. The 3,200 meter relay team actually ran a better time than the Lawton MacArthur and Lawton High squads.

 The 68 points scored by the team in the meet was the second highest point total by a Cowgirl track team in school history.

 The Cowgirls will try to improve on their early season performances tomorrow (Friday) at the Waurika Eight-Man Invitational Meet. Field events begin at 9:30 a.m., while the running events will get under way at 10 a.m.

Cowboys Travel to Grandfield For District Tournament

0

 It has been a tough season for the Ryan Cowboy baseball squad with the team fashioning a 4-11 record heading into today’s Class B District Tournament at Grandfield.

However, in high school baseball, every team enters the post season and the Cowboys hope to advance to regional play if they can some how catch fire and win the district title.

 The Cowboys will take on the loser of the tourney’s first game – either Grandfield or top-seed Olustee/Eldorado. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m.

 The Cowboys will play again at 5 p.m. and will take on the winner of the Grandfield-Olustee contest.

 The Cowboys finished the regular season on Monday with a pair of losses to Geronimo and Waurika at Geronimo’s diamond.

 Ryan struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first against Geronimo as Joseph Martin and Grayson Tomberlin both scored runs.

 But, Geronimo pounded the Cowboys in the bottom of the inning by sending 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs to hold a 9-2 lead.

 The Cowboys mounted a rally in the third inning as G. Tomberlin singled, advanced on two passed balls and scored on a wild pitch.

 Andrew Villerreal walked and scored on passed ball. The Cowboys also left the bases loaded, but cut the lead to 9-4.

 Geronimo extended the lead to 11-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and it could have been worse as the Bluejays left the bases loaded.

 The Cowboys got things going in the top of the fourth inning as Dawson Tomberlin singled and G. Tomberlin doubled.

 A. Villerreal then blasted a two-run double to right field and after Cameron Villerreal was hit by a pitch Walter Snider had a two-run single to score both runners.

 The Cowboys left two runners stranded but narrowed the lead to 11-8.

 In the top of the fifth, the Cowboys managed one more run after D. Tomberlin walked and G. Tomberlin got an RBI-double down the left field line.

 But the Cowboys could do no more damage and fell, 11-9.

 G. Tomberlin was 2-for-3 to pace the Cowboys at the plate.

 In the second game of the night, the Cowboys suffered from fielding miscues and the inability to rattle the Waurika pitching staff.

 Trailing 5-0 after three and a half innings, the Cowboys entered the bottom of the inning with consecutive walks to D. Tomberlin and G. Tomberlin. An RBI-bunt single by A. Villerreal scored D. Tomberlin.

 G. Tomberlin was able to score on a errant pickoff attempt by the Waurika catcher and the Cowboys trailed only 5-2 after four innings.

 However, in the top of the fifth, Waurika exploded for five runs and the Cowboys could not mount a threat in the bottom of the fifth and fell, 10-2.

 Martin was the lone bright spot at the plate for the Cowboys with two hits in the lead off position.

 A week ago today the Cowboys picked up their fourth victory of the year with a 9-0 victory at Grandfield.

 Tate Kimbro and Martin led off the game with a pair of singles and scored on G. Tomberlin’s two-run double.

 The Cowboys added to the lead when River Williams got a base hit that scored G. Tomberlin giving the Cowboys a 3-0 lead after one inning.

 Ryan continued its offensive onslaught in the top of the second inning with a six-run outburst fueled by a pair of home runs.

 Trey Bryant led off the inning with a walk that was followed by Kimbro’s single. Martin reached based on an error to load the bases.

 G. Tomberlin then blasted the first pitch over the fence for a grand slam that put the Cowboys in front, 7-0.

 But Ryan was not finished scoring in the inning. Williams singled and stole second and A. Villerreal sent a full-count pitch over the fence giving the Cowboys a 9-0 advantage.

 Kimbro, G. Tomberlin and Williams paced with Cowboys at the plate with two hits apiece.

 Meanwhile, Martin was effective on the mound despite giving up one walk and hitting two Bearcats. However, Grandfield did not pick up a base hit in the three-inning contest and Martin was credited with the win and the no-hitter.

 It was the first no-hitter tossed by a Ryan pitcher since Hunter Wright did it in 2008 against Central High.

 G. Tomberlin also set a school mark by collecting six runs batted in breaking the old mark of five held by a number of players.

 The last time a Cowboy had five runs batted in came in 2011 when Lucas Ninman did it against Temple and Denver Overstreet did it against Empire in the same season.

 The first Cowboy (on record) to have five runs batted in during a game came in 1949 when Jerry Goza did it against Union Valley.

 It was a tough outing for the Cowboys a week ago Tuesday when they traveled to Waurika and dropped a pair of contests.

 Snider was the only Cowboy to get a base hit in a 17-0, three-inning loss to Dickson.

 The 17 runs all came in the second inning and it ties the school record for most runs allowed in an inning done by Big Pasture in 1995 and again in 1997.

 The Cowboys could muster no offense in the second game of the night either and fell to Waurika, 8-0.

 The Eagles jumped out on top of the Cowboys after the first inning with a three-run uprising and the Cowboys were never in the game

 The Cowboys lone hit came in the top of the second as Andrew V. reached base on a single.

Waurika Junior High Thinclads Compete at Wynnewood

0
Libi Simmons Photo by Joe Masoner

 On Tuesday the Waurika seventh grade and junior high track squads traveled to Wynnewood to compete in a track meet.

No team scores were kept in the meet that featured four divisions.

Leading the way for the junior high girls’ team was Libi Simmons who captured gold medals in the 100 meter hurdles and the high jump.

Libi Simmons
Photo by Joe Masoner

Kynlee Waters placed in two events for the Lady Eagles. She was fourth in the 300 meter hurdles and fifth in the 100 meter hurdles. Corley Coffin captured fifth place in the 300 hurdle events.

Aubree Showalter also placed in two individual races. She was fourth in both the 800 meters and the 1,600 meters.

Bailey Romero earned third place in the long jump for the lady Eagles.

In the weight events, Mackinze Taylor was fourth and Alana Lewis was fifth in the discus and Cassidie Berry finished sixth in the shot put.

Three relay squads placed for the Lady Eagles during the meeting.

The 1,600 meter relay team of Waters, Simmons, Trish Julian and Showalter earned fourth place.

In the 400 meter relay the squad of Simmons, Tracy Ballard, Coffin and Romero came in fifth place.

The 800 meter relay team of Coffin, Ballard, Faith Hill and Romero turned in a sixth place finish for the Lady Eagles.

Trent Arellano was the top performer for the junior high boys. He won the gold medal in the long jump.

Matt Arriola placed in two events. He was second in the long jump and fourth in the high jump.

Treyton Torrez also placed in the high jump earning a silver medal.

Treyton Torrez
Photo by Joe Masoner

The Waurika seventh grade teams also competed in the meet and the results are listed below:

7th Grade Girls

1,600 Meter Relay: 6. Waurika (Niecsa Camarillo, Destiny Foster, Reese Reynolds, Sadie Smith)

7th Grade Boys

Long Jump: 3. Carson Williams

High Jump: 3. Carson Williams

100 Meters: 4. Carson Williams

Cassidie Berry
Photo by Joe Masoner
Nic Wilson
Photo by Joe Masoner

Waurika Looks to Take Control of District Race Against Ryan

0

 Not much has to be said or written about the rivalry between Waurika and Ryan.

 With the two communities just 10 miles apart, it is natural for the two schools to be rivals in all sports competition.

 The football version of the rivalry is tomorrow night at Waurika’s Cy Sloan Stadium and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

 In many of the years of this series the two teams have also been competing against each other for district honors and 2018 is no different.

The Waurika Football Team.
Photo by Shelly Mora

 And even though the series in football took a break (except for two seasons) after Ryan moved to eight-man football, the rivalry on the gridiron was resumed in 2012 when Waurika dropped to eight-man football.

The series of eight-man meetings have been split at three wins apiece for the two teams. Ryan won the first two and then Waurika won three straight before last year’s thrilling 44-36, double-overtime victory by the Cowboys in 2017.

It will be Waurika’s homecoming and that will give the Eagles added incentive to be able to revenge last year’s heart-breaking loss.

Waurika has a huge advantage overall in the series that dates back to 1919 – the first year the two schools played football. The Eagles lead the series 40-17-3.

The Eagles built a good part of that advantage with 11 straight wins between 1963 and 1973 before Ryan broke the string in the 1974 season with a 28-0 victory over Waurika on the Eagles’ home field.

The Ryan Football Team.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

The game has been close and it has been lopsided. There have been two one-point games between the Cowboys and Eagles – in 1946 and 1954 – and each team came out on top once.

Waurika’s largest margin of victory came in a 1971 conquest of the Cowboys as the Eagles whitewashed Ryan, 64-0.

In 1937, Ryan earned its largest margin of victory over the Eagles with a 37-0 win.

Ryan has twice scored 44 points against Waurika – the highest number of points scored by the Cowboys in the series and both of those games were eight-man contests.

Waurika’s greatest margin of victory was the 64-point win in 1971.

Two of the three ties in the series were scoreless and they came in back-to-back years in 1942 and 1943.

Waurika has 15 shutouts over the Cowboys through the years, while Ryan has seven of shutouts. Both include the two scoreless games.

Waurika comes into this year’s game with a 5-0 record, while Ryan is 4-2 on the year.

Waurika had its biggest win of the year last week with a 38-6 decision over Wilson.

The Cowboys exploded for an 84-38 victory over Empire last Friday night, but that was helped along by two defensive scores and a kickoff return.

So, both offenses are potent and it could be an old-fashioned eight-man shootout.

Waurika has been a bit more dominating with only last week’s win over Wilson going past halftime.

The Cowboys will have to try to corral the team speed of the Eagles and figure out a way to keep the offensive momentum gained against Empire going against Waurika.

The two schools have three common opponents this season – Temple, Grandfield and Caddo. Both teams had runaway wins over Temple and Grandfield, but Ryan dropped a 57-26 decision to the Bruins, while Waurika rolled to a 48-0 win over Caddo.

Waurika features a potent running attack with Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, Kevin Garcia and Zachary Brown.

The Cowboys will counter on offense with a more wide-open attack behind quarterback Grayson Tomberlin, who has thrown for over 900 yards this season. He has also rushed for 655 yards.

However, the Cowboys are not one-dimensional as Skylar Parkhill has been the favorite target of Tomberlin’s passing attack. The Cowboy senior has rushed for 466 yards and 10 rushing scores.

Both teams will be challenged defensively to stop the offensive attacks.

Look for a contest with plenty of scoring if Ryan can solve the Waurika defense that has only allowed three touchdowns in five games.

Here’s a look at the results of the long-running series:

1919: Ryan 23, Waurika 0

1919: Waurika 29, Ryan 27

1927: Ryan 37, Waurika 0

1928: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1929: Ryan 20, Waurika 0

1930: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1931: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1932: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1933: Waurika 13, Ryan 0

1934: Waurika 18, Ryan 0

1935: Waurika 32, Ryan 20

1936: Waurika 14, Ryan 0

1937: Ryan 6, Waurika 6

1938: Waurika 12, Ryan 6

1939: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1940: Waurika 6, Ryan 0

1941: Ryan 19, Waurika 0

1942: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1943: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1944: Waurika 38, Ryan 7

1945: Ryan 13, Waurika 0

1945: Waurika 19, Ryan 6

1946: Ryan 15, Waurika 14

1947: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1948: Waurika 38, Ryan 13

1949: Waurika 32, Ryan 0

1950: Waurika 60, Ryan 0

1953: Waurika 41, Ryan 14

1954: Waurika 7, Ryan 6

1955: Ryan 19, Waurika 12

1956: Ryan 19, Waurika 6

1957: Ryan 33, Waurika 12

1958: Ryan 18, Waurika 14

1959: Waurika 20, Ryan 0

1960: Waurika 12, Ryan 8

1961: Ryan 8, Waurika 6

1962: Ryan 33, Waurika 18

1963: Waurika 40, Ryan 8

1964: Waurika 58, Ryan 6

1965: Waurika 2, Ryan 0 (forfeit)

1966: Waurika 35, Ryan 14

1967: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

1968: Waurika 22, Ryan 6

1969: Waurika 38, Ryan 0

1970: Waurika 34, Ryan 8

1971: Waurika 64, Ryan 0

1972: Waurika 50, Ryan 0

1973: Waurika 28, Ryan 6

1974: Ryan 28, Waurika 0

1975: Waurika 13, Ryan 8

1976: Waurika 21, Ryan 0

1977: Waurika 33, Ryan 0

1990: Ryan 27, Waurika 6

1991: Waurika 27, Ryan 20

2012: Ryan 36, Waurika 16

2013: Ryan 44, Waurika 26

2014: Waurika 29, Ryan 24

2015: Waurika 34, Ryan 22

2016: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

2017: Ryan 44, Waurika 36 (2OT)

Cowgirl Harriers Claim First Regional Team Title In School History

0
Above: (l-r) Whittany Spangler, Grace Stamper, Lily York, Juliet Spangler, Lilybet Harmon, Alicen Williams, and Katelynn Dabbs

It has been a season of many firsts for the Ryan Cowgirl cross country squad.

The Cowgirls added to the list last Saturday by claiming the regional championship in the Class 2A division of the meet held at Waurika.

The Cowgirls will be competing Saturday at the Class 2A State Cross Country meet at Shawnee’s Gordon Cooper Technology Center. The race time is set for 12:30 p.m. for the Class 2A girls.

Ryan topped the crowded field at the Waurika regional with 58 points – the fewest points ever scored in a regional meet by the Cowgirls. Merritt finished second with 71 points, while the host Waurika earned third place with 73 points.

“The victory was the result of months of hard work, dedication and commitment from the girls,” said coach Steve Spangler.

The fourth-ranked Cowgirls did overcome some adversity to take the regional meet. While the squad wore the favorite’s role coming into the regional meet, the Cowgirls had a few nagging injuries and one runner actually suffered an ankle injury about one quarter into the 3,200 meter race.

“We ran well despite some nagging injuries,” noted coach Spangler. “This was a testimony to their mental toughness and their desire to win.”

The Cowgirls had two runners win medals, but were able to lock up the team title because of great depth. Ryan finished with five runners in the top 26 in the field of 110 participants.

Lilybet Harmon led the way for the Cowgirls as she has in all but one meet during the season.

Harmon’s time of 13:14.8  was her second best time of the year and the mark earned her fifth place in the competition. Her time was just one second out of fourth place.

Also winning a medal for the Cowgirls was Juliet Spangler. She posted a season-best time of 13:41.33 to claim the 15th spot in the race.

This will be J. Spangler’s fourth straight trip to the state meet as she qualified as an individual her freshman year and with the team the other three seasons.

The other three runners – Katlyn Dabbs, Lily York and Alicen Williams – were the key to the Cowgirls claiming the team title as they finished between 17th and 26th in the meet.

Each of the three girls posted their best times of the season. Dabbs was 17th with a time of 13:45.27, while York managed to finish 23rd with a time of 14:00.5. Williams came in 26th with a time of 14:11.43.

Also competing for the Cowgirls were Whittany Spangler who was 65th with a time of 15:58.40 and Gracie Stamper who turned in a season-best performance of 16:51.59 to finished 82nd.

W. Spangler’s time was the best among the sixth place finishers on teams competing for the title. That is significant because had there been a tie for the team title, that would have been the tie-breaker.

Mason Adsit was the lone Cowboy to compete in Saturday’s Cross Country Meet.
He finished with his best time of the season.
Photo by Curtis Plant

It was a talented field overall at the Waurika regional.

The individual champion was Kira Berkey of Hydro-Eakly. She covered the 3,200 meters in a time of 12:46.62.

 “Our seniors, Lily York and Juliet Spangler have been tremendous leaders this year,” said coach Spangler. “They have encouraged, led by example and held the team accountable for their actions.”

The Cowgirls will join the other two regional meet champions, Watonga and Hooker, at the state meet on Saturday.

 Boise City and Cherokee will also send strong teams to the state meet and the Cowgirls will have to turn in their absolute best performance of the season if they have any hope of upsetting Watonga, the favorite to take the state title.

Hooker, Boise City and Cherokee will also provide stiff competition for the Cowgirls if they hope to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish at the state meet.

Above: (l-r) Whittany Spangler, Grace Stamper, Lily York, Juliet Spangler, Lilybet Harmon, Alicen Williams, and Katelynn Dabbs
Photo by Curtis Plant

“Watonga and Hooker are great teams that will be difficult to beat,” noted coach Spangler. “If I have learned anything this year, however, it is our girls love a challenge and I think they will rise to the competition.”

“I am proud of these girls – not just because of what they accomplish on the course, but also because of their actions off the course,” added coach Spangler.

The Cowboys had one representative at the regional meet.

Mason Adsit finished 67th in the race, which featured 105 runners. However, his time of 22:59.66 over the five kilometer course was his best time of the season.

COWGIRL HARRIER NOTES: The Cowgirls have qualified for the state meet for three straight years….Ryan’s girls won a total of six meets this season, which topped last year’s school record mark of five titles…The fourth-place ranking among Class 2A cross country teams is the highest ranking in the short history of the sport at Ryan….The previous best finish in a regional meet for the Cowgirls was in 2017 when they finished second….In 2018, the Cowgirls were third and in 2016 – the first year for team competition at the regional meet – Ryan finished tied for seventh place….This will be Harmon and York’s third straight appearance in the state meet….Harmon has three of the top four best times in 3,200-meter races in school history and will be seeking to become only the second girl in school history to post a time of under 13 minutes when she competes at the state meet….This was the first time in regional competition the Cowgirls had two runners on the awards stand….It was the first time in school history the Cowgirls had five runners finish in the top 30 in the regional meet….The top four times for the Cowgirls in the regional marks the first time four runners have posted times of 14 minutes or better….Juliet Spangler becomes the first Cowgirl in school history to earn a medal in two regional meets….Over the past three seasons the Cowgirls have won 13 meet titles – one of the top marks in the state.


Top Ten Cowgirl Thinclads Easier to Identify Than Male Counterparts

0

 Girls track at Ryan High School does not have near the history because girls track was much slower to be developed in Oklahoma and at the local level.

The Cowgirls would put together a team and compete in the Red River Rebel Conference track meet in the 1960’s, but there were few, if any, meets to enter in Oklahoma during that time. The 1966 group that competed in the conference meet won the team title.

A regional and state track meet for girls in Oklahoma was not held until 1972 and it was not until 1975 that the Cowgirls competed in a regional meet.

However, through the years the Cowgirls have had some outstanding individuals hit the oval and so the top ten competitors have been selected for the sport. It is much easier pouring through 45 years of results than trying to go through over 100 years of the sport on the boys’ side.

Making it a little easier was the fact the Cowgirls still did not field a team every year. There has been a total of 14 years since 1975 the Cowgirls did not send competitors to the regional meet.

The Cowgirls have not been able to win an individual title in any event at the state meet despite coming close a couple of times through the years. It has become increasingly difficult to be able to place at a state track meet with many more schools competing in girls’ track.

Nearly every small-school meet today has a boys’ and girls’ division. In the early days of the girls track schools attended different meets designated for each of the genders.

To help produce some more conversation, however, the top 10 girls are listed below:

1. Tonya Martin

Martin is the school’s only four-time regional champion in one event. She claimed the regional title in the 400 meters from 1988 to 1991. During that time she also won the regional title in the 800 meters in 1989-1991. She holds the school record in both of those events. In the 1990 state track meet, Martin and another girl ran under the state meet record time for the 800 meters with Martin finishing second. Martin also finished second in the 800 in 1989 and third in 1991. In the 400 meters she placed fourth twice and had a fifth-place finish in 1989 and a sixth-place finish in 1988. She was the conference meet champion in the 400 and 800 meters in 1990 and 1991. Results from the conference meet in 1988 and 1989 are unavailable.

2. Karona Conkling

Conkling was the first regional champion in school history. She claimed the mile run title in the 1982 regional meet. In 1983, Conkling won the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters at the regional competition. Those are the only two years results are available. The regional and state meets are the only results available for those two seasons for Conkling. Like Martin, Conkling could never quite win the gold medal in the state meet. Her best finish was in 1983 when she finished second in the 3,200 meters. Her time of 13:03.19 is the school record in the event. She also holds the school record for the 1,600 meters and in 1983 she earned the bronze medal at the state track meet. She also qualified for state in 1983 in the 800 meters and finished sixth in the event making her the only state placer in three events in school history.

3. Roshanda Lewis

Lewis made her mark in the sprints and helping the 400 meter and 800 meter relay teams for the Cowgirls. In 2012, she earned third place in the state track meet after finishing fourth in the event at regional. She qualified as an additional qualifier and ended up placing in the top three at state. Her best regional finish came in 2014 when she was the runner up in the 100 meters. She also placed in the high jump at regional twice including 2012 when she finished second because of more misses. Lewis helped the 400 meter relay team to a pair of third-place finishes and one fourth-place finish at regional. She also was part of the 800-meter relay team that finished fourth in 2014 and 2012. She holds the school record in the high jump and has three of the top four performances. She also has the five best times in the 100 meters of any Cowgirl competitor.

4. Kara Hawkins

Hawkins placed in the state track meet twice – in 2012 she was sixth in the 100 meters and in 2013 was fifth in the long jump. She was a regional champion in 2011 in the long jump. Hawkins placed in the long jump all four years of high school. She also ran on the 400 meter relay and the 800 meter relay for the Cowgirls. In the 400 relay, the team placed in the regional in each of Hawkins’ four seasons running track for Ryan. Hawkins holds the two best times in school history in the 200 meters, but her best performance in the event at the regional was fourth place her freshman season.

5. Whitney Roark

Roark was a hurdler for the Cowgirls and her best performance came at the 1995 regional meet when she finished third in the 300 meter hurdles. She was also the conference champion in the 100 meter hurdles in the 1996 Southern Eight meet. She holds the school record in both events. Her school record time of 20.41 earned her a third place finish in the 1997 Southern Eight meet. In the 1996 regional, Roark was fourth in the 300 meters with a school record time of 60.98.

6. Kourtni Gore

Gore, along with Lewis, is the last regional champion in an individual event for the Cowgirls. Gore was the regional champion in the discus with a toss of 93-9 in the 2014 event. Gore went on to place fifth in the discus at the state track meet that season with a mark of 107-5, which is the school record for the event. Gore also finished fourth in the shot put in 2015 and was the regional runner up in the discus in 2015.

7. Natalie Grantham

Grantham earns a spot on this list because she was the first three-event qualifier for the state track meet. She was the 1975 regional runner up in the 75-yard dash, the 100-yard dash and the long jump. She was also the conference champion in the 1975 Red River Rebel Conference track meet at Temple. Grantham did not place in the 1975 state track meet.

8. Juliet Spangler

Spangler is one of the final four on this list and she has a chance to move up on the list as she just completed her junior season for the Cowgirls. This past season she was the regional runner up in the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters. She was also the regional runner up in the 2017 regional meet in both events. Spangler helped the 3,200 meter relay team in 2019 to an eighth place finish in the state track meet – the first year that eight places earned team points. It was the first relay team to place in a state meet in school history. Spangler holds the third best time in school history in the 1,600 meters which was recorded at this season’s regional meet. Spangler was part of the 1,600 meter relay team that holds the school record set in the 2019 state meet – even though the team did not place. Spangler is also a standout on the Cowgirl cross country team.

9. Holland Carter

Carter gets the nod for this spot because of her accomplishments not only in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter relays but also because of her individual performances in the 800 meters. She placed second in the 800 meters at the 2019 regional and also had a third place finish in the 2018 regional competition. She medals in most meets during the 2019 season in the 800 meters in additional to her spot on the relay teams that excelled throughout the 2919 season. Carter was also a standout for the cross country squad.

Harmon also has not completed her career at Ryan as she is set to enter her senior year this fall. Harmon is part of the 1,600 and 3,200 meter relay teams for the Cowgirls that have made their mark at meets throughout the south central part of the state – including the 3,200 meter team that placed at the 2019 state meet. Harmon runs the first leg of the two relay races and has helped set the momentum for these two relay teams to finish with a medal in most of the meets they competed in during the 2019 campaign.

10. (tie) Lily York, Lilybet Harmon

You could make an argument that Spangler, Harmon, York and Carter should all get an equal spot on this list. York and Harmon will return to the Cowgirl track squad in 2020 and will look to assist the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter relay teams of which they have been a part of  the past three seasons. Harmon has also competed in the 800 meters and will be trying to qualify for state in her final year for the Cowgirls.

Honorable Mention: Kristi Kilpatrick (third in the 1990 regional in the 1,600 meters); Charlotte Denning (1966 Red River Rebel Conference champion I the high jump with the third best mark in school history); Gail Shoffner (the first state qualifier for the Cowgirls in a field event with her 1975 performance in the high jump); Tobi Gunter (owns two of the four top marks in the discus and was fifth in the state track meet in 1990).


Cowgirls Drop Contest with Lady Bearcats At Home

0

 The Ryan Cowgirl softball squad is making progress, but the wins continue to elude the squad after a 9-1 defeat at the hands of Grandfield Tuesday night at Larry Ninman Field.

Last Thursday’s game with Bray-Doyle was rained out.

The Cowgirls are back in action today at the Temple Invitational Tournament.

In the first round of the 14-team tourney, Ryan will face Grandfield again today at 3 p.m.

A win would mean a 5:30 p.m. bout today with the winner of Walters and Empire, while a loss means a 4:15 p.m. meeting today with the loser of Walters and Empire.

The tourney, which features four ranked teams from Classes A & B, will conclude on Saturday.

Ryan will host Waurika on Monday and will entertain Geronimo on Tuesday on Larry Ninman Field.

In Tuesday’s game with Grandfield, the 14th-ranked Lady Bearcats sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the third inning and scored four times to take a 4-0 lead over the Cowgirls. Three doubles and three singles led to the four scores.

In the top of the fourth, Grandfield added another run to up the margin to 5-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cowgirls got on the scoreboard with a single run.

A leadoff walk by Jasmine Villerreal got things going for the Cowgirls and that was followed by a single by Emily Harris.

After two were out, Lirin Tucker connected on a single to score Villerreal and the deficit was trimmed to 5-1.

Grandfield answered with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. A home run, two errors, two walks and a single contributed to the big inning for the Lady Bearcats.

Ryan could not score in the bottom of the fifth and the game ended on the run-rule.

Villerreal, Harris and Tucker had the only hits for the Cowgirls, who fell to 2-8 on the year heading into today’s tournament action.

FOLLOW US

2,900FansLike
630FollowersFollow
264FollowersFollow
66SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -

RECENT POSTS