Sports

El Reno High School's football team joined squads from Luther, Perkins-Tryon, Harrah and Putnam City West in a team camp last week in Harrah to wrap up its 10 days of spring drills.

Iliana Ashford always believed deep inside she had the desire and skills to play softball past high school.

Yet in the fast-paced, high-budget world of college athletics, there are no guarantees.

Ashford had a scholarship to Oklahoma City University and a promise to compete for playing time.

“It was a big gamble. On one hand, I had the chance to speed up my playing career and my future profession. On the other hand, I risked being behind softball-wise,” said Ashford.

Calumet High School’s baseball program held a signing day recently for three seniors players, from left, Hunter Arnold, Dalton Belcher and Hunter Navanick.

Arnold and Belcher signed to play for Redlands Community College, while Navanick inked his letter of intent to play for Missouri-based Westminster College.

Both Calumet and El Reno High School sent players to the 2024 Western Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association’s All-Star Games that made impacts on the final scores.

In the Large School Game, which the North won 15-6 over the South, El Reno had seniors Grady Lesperance and Austin Castanon on the North roster.

Lesperance played first base and went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk.

The Redlands Community College signee scored a run and logged one run batted in.

Redlands Community College has two golfers in the thick of the individual medalist and All-American chase after 36 holes at the 2024 NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Golf Championships.

Playing the Gold Course at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Fla., sophomore Clara Peake and freshman Daniella Espinoza are sitting in the top 30 after two rounds.

“There are some good scores. The course is in good shape and the wind has not been too bad so there is some very low scoring right now,” said Redlands coach Taylor Sliauter.

CENTRAL

Arcadia: May 19.
Elevation is 0.5 ft. above normal and stable, water temperature 69°F and stained.
Channel and flathead catfish fair on cut bait, dough bait and punch bait around channels, coves and points. Crappie good on hair jigs, minnows and tube jigs around brush structure, coves and docks. Largemouth bass fair on flukes, lipless baits and spinnerbaits around coves, points and shorelines.

El Reno High School graduates Ximena Salazar and Bri Vickers have been named to the West squad for the 2024 Class 5A Oklahoma Soccer Coaches Association’s Girls All-State Soccer Game.

The game will be played at June 7 in Fort Gibson, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. The Class 5A boys game will follow at 8 p.m.

The pair are among six El Reno High players to earn postseason awards for the girls team, which qualified for the playoffs before exiting in the first round with a loss to Choctaw.

It’s often said the best way forward, in an effort to create lasting change, is to take a step back.

That's just the path the El Reno School Board took last week, reaching into the past for its next high school varsity softball coach.

On the recommendation of Athletic Director Rodney Haydon, the board voted to hire Brianna Michalicka to replace Jason Little, who resigned earlier this spring.

Michalicka, whose maiden name is Dow, was impressive in her interview, said Haydon.

She was one of five interviewed for the position among the 19 coaches who applied.

Football is back, even for a limited time, and Russell Cook could not be happier.

“We are excited to get things going,” said Cook, who begins his third season at the helm of the Indians program.

El Reno High School kicked off its window for spring practices last week with a series of two-hour drills. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association allows schools 21 calendar days after the conclusion of all spring sports to hold football drills.

Four more El Reno High School athletes have signed national letters of intent to play at the college level next season.