Sports

Three intricate parts of Calumet High School’s run to back-to-back Class B state runner-up titles during the 2023-24 school year will have one more baseball game each before heading to college.

Hunter Arnold and Dalton Belcher, both Redlands Community College signees, will play Sunday in the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association’s All-State Games.

The pair were picked for the West squad in the Small School Game, which will be contested at 6 p.m. inside David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid.

Despite putting together four consistent rounds, Redlands Community College was unable to crack the top ten at the 2024 NJCAA Division 1 Women's National Golf Championships.

Navigating the Gold Course at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Florida, Redlands placed 11th out of 15 teams with a 72-hole total of 1,302 – which was 134 strokes over par for the event.

“As a team our scores were pretty consistent all week. All the girls have been working hard and I’m really proud of all their progress.

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.