Walden wins sixth-straight Cross Country meet, Sandites perform well at Holland Hall

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Cross Country teams are continuing to impress, finishing among the top teams at the 31st Annual Holland Hall invitational, which attracted some of the top teams in the State.

Three-time State Champion Cheyenne Walden finished in first place in the first 5K of the year for her sixth-straight win with a time of 18:12.1. She had a 0:39.4 lead on her closest competitor, Shay Stayton of Bartlesville, and a 1:13.2 lead on Elysia Burgos of Deer Creek in third place, both of whom were top-twenty State placers last year.

Senior Alexis Davis placed 14th with a time of 21:44.3 and junior Tiqvah Soap took 20th with a time of 22:09.7. The Varsity Girls finished fourth of twelve teams.

Landin Green led the Varsity Boys with a 18:22.5 time for 30th place, followed closely by Aden Baughman in 34th place with a 18:26.5 time. The team finished eighth of sixteen teams.

JV Girls took fourth of ten teams, led by Chezney Kelley in 22nd place with a time of 26:05.7. JV Boys took fifth of ten teams, led by Jaelyn Jackson in sixteenth place with a time of 19:46.0. 

The Junior High teams ran a short 1600 meter track and Kalea Fleming took second place for the girls with a time of 5:36.9, less than a second behind the first place runner. The girls placed seventh of ten teams. The boys only had two runners and were unable to place. KJ Clark took 77th place in 6:43.1.

The Sandites will return to action next Saturday in Stillwater at the Oklahoma State University Cross Country course. Varsity girls will begin at 10:10 a.m. and boys will run at 10:40 a.m. JV girls will take the field at 11:10 a.m. and the boys will follow at 11:40 a.m. The junior high season will conclude October 11th at the Frontier Valley Conference meet.

Click HERE to see photos from the event.

Photo: Virgil Noah

Varsity Girls 5K

18:12.1 Cheyenne Walden 1st Place
21:44.3 Alexis Davis 14th Place
22:09.7 Tiqvah Soap 20th Place
24:19.4 Elizabeth Watts 39th Place
25:14.1 Stephanie Genn 53rd Place
25:31.1 Nia Byrd 61st Place

Varsity Boys 5K

18:22.5 Landin Green 30th Place
18:26.5 Aden Baughman 34th Place
18:57.8 Jacob Garbey 46th Place
19:09.0 Nelson Yazzie 51st Place
19:13.4 Jaden Weiser 52nd Place
19:24.7 Kaegan Murray 56th Place

JV Girls 5K

26:05.7 Chezney Kelley 22nd Place
27:23.4 Kaitlyn Walden 37th Place
28:04.2 Madelynn Adams 41st Place
28:55.9 Madison Englestead 53rd Place
29:36.5 Lily Reed 58th Place
34:05.3 McKenzie Cypert 106th Place
37:21.6 Hope Pollard 119th Place

JV Boys 5K

19:46.0 Jaelyn Jackson 16th Place
20:35.5 Phillip Elleman 31st Place
20:36.5 Nathan Mcknight 34th Place
20:38.3 Elijah Titone 36th Place
20:38.7 Cooper Lynch 37th Place
21:19.8 Austin McCaskey 47th Place
21:34.6 Danny Murray 55th Place
22:53.8 Charlie Everett 86th Place
24:15.8 Russell McCaskey 113th Place

Junior High Girls 1600

5:36.9 Kalea Fleming 2nd Place
6:48.2 Kaylee Hall 20th Place
7:22.9 Mackenzie Burkes 45th Place
8:13.5 Kaitlynn Converse 73rd Place
8:34.3 Sidney Cross 85th Place
8:47.8 Hailee Scott 89th Place
9:22.9 Emma Hamby 104th Place
9:26.4 Katy Lee 105th Place

Junior High Boys 1600

6:43.1 KJ Clark 77th Place
6:55.8 Caleb James 95th Place
 

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Daton Fix competes at Gran Premio De Espana in Madrid, Spain

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PHOTO: COURTESY\\ Fix takes down Kuatbek at the 2014 Youth Olympics. 

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Daton Fix’s 67-straight win streak finally came to an end at 3:00 am Oklahoma time Saturday, June 9th. 

The three-time undefeated State Champion and soon to be senior at CPHS traveled to Madrid, Spain for his first Senior-level event this past weekend and got pitted against a youth Olympic champion in the first round.

Fix is currently ranked number one in the nation in the junior age division (born 1996-1998) but wrestled up to senior level (born 1996 or before) in order to face off against some of the toughest competitors in the world.

Of the ten wrestlers competing at 57 kilograms, two are ranked in the top ten in the world, and all have impressive international resumes.

Fix failed to make repechage, meaning he only wrestled one match. His opponent was Mukhambet Kuatbek, a nineteen-year-old from Kazakhstan who he has met once before.

In 2014 at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, Mukhambet prevailed over Fix in the 54 kg finals for the Gold medal. That time Kuatbek took a 6-1 lead before Fix battled back to within a point for a 7-6 finish.

This time it was far slower and far lower-scoring, but equally close. Neither wrestler scored a takedown or a turn throughout the match, but ultimately Kuatbek once again edged out the US wrestler by a single point for a 2-1 decision.

Kuatbek was in turn defeated by eventual champion Erdenebat Bekhbayar of Mongolia, who is ranked sixth internationally.

Fix and Team USA as a whole both placed eighth in the competition.

Fix departed for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on Sunday.

Jack Karstetter takes Silver Medal at Pan American Championship in Peru

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior Jack Karstetter continues to show the world how deep the talent runs in Sand Springs. The 2016 OSSAA 6A State Runner-Up finished his junior year with a 39-8 record in high school folkstyle wrestling and is preparing for his senior year with some international competition.

In April Karstetter won the USA Oklahoma East Regional Freestyle Championship at Broken Arrow and advanced to the Junior Freestyle State Tournament in Cushing in May. After going 2-2 at Freestyle State he headed to Akron, Ohio for the United World of Wrestling National Championships where he won Silver in Greco-Roman. 

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Medaling at Akron qualified Karstetter for the Pan-American Championships this past weekend in Lima Peru.

In Greco-Roman he defeated Argentina's Lautaro Pereyra with an 8-0 tech fall, then scored a 3-0 decision over Jose Davila Cabello of Peru before falling to Gerardo Oliva Montes 10-0 in the finals. Claiming a Silver Medal, Karstetter helped his team to a first place finish over Peru for the Pan American Team Championship.

Team USA also claimed the first place trophy in Freestyle where Karstetter took ninth place after a close 11-8 decision to Oscar Calvopina of Ecuador.

Next up for Karstetter is the USA Wrestling Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota from July 16th through the 23rd.

Oklahoma dominates Georgia 68-2 in Dual Nationals round one

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Team Oklahoma got off to a fast start against Team Georgia Blue in the first round of the Junior Greco-Roman Dual Nationals Wednesday morning, building up a massive lead before the wrestling even started.

Jet Taylor, Jacob Butler, and Jaxen Gilmore received forfeits for 126 to 138. Tuttle's Brik Filippo wasted no time in putting points on the board with a 10-0 tech fall over Khyree Alexander, then Sand Springs's Payton Scott took down Dustin Berry 10-0 in thirty seconds flat. Ezequiel Rubio pinned Cole White in a quick twenty then Nick Mahan teched Chandler Miele 13-2.

Bear Hughes continued the winning streak with an 11-0 tech over Devyn Villafane. Zach Marcheselli received a forfeit, Tanner Hawkins picked up a 16-6 tech fall over Richard Walker, then Trenton Lieutance, Alex Fields, and Wyatt Adams all received forfeits.  Alec McDoulett teched Brandon Foster 11-0 and Westmoore's Dalton Duffield wrapped things up with a 12-0 tech of Alex Cain for a final score of 68-2 with no matches lost.

Up next for Oklahoma is Team Pennsylvania who solidly defeated Team Kansas Red 49-12 in round one. 

Four Sandites will represent Oklahoma at Jr Dual Nationals

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Junior Dual Nationals will return to the Cox Business Center in Tulsa on June 22nd. The Tournament will last through the 25th and will feature four Charles Page High School wrestlers.

Last year Team Oklahoma bulldozed their way through both styles, placing fourth in Greco and first in Freestyle. That talented team included three Sandites. Cody Karstetter and Kyler Childers had just graduated that year and are now wrestling the collegiate circuit. Daton Fix is back to help his State defend its title.

Riley Weir just finished his Freshman year with a 21-12 record at the 106 pound class and a State Championship appearance. Weir placed fourth at the Perry Tournament of Champions and ninth at the highly prestigious Kansas City Stampede. He came in third at the Regional Championship to qualify for State, but was eliminated after losing his first two matches. Weir nursed an injured elbow throughout the final weeks of the high school season and wasn’t even close to full strength in the post-season. This event will be a great demonstration of his true potential in the upcoming high school season.

Jack Karstetter finished his Junior year with a 39-8 record and placed second at 132 pounds in the State Championship after giving up a heart-breaker 3-2 decision to Kruz Simons of Edmond North. Throughout the high school season he placed fourth at Perry, ninth at Kansas City, second at the Geary Invitational, first at the Sand Springs Invitational, first at the Jay Hancock Memorial, and secured the Regional Championship.

Since school let out he came in Runner-Up at the UWW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals and secured his spot on Team USA for the Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru this July.

Daton Fix is earning his way into the history books after completing his third straight undefeated high school season. He’s currently sitting at an overall record of 118-0 with three-straight State Championships. He’s only the second Sandite in school history to win three State Championships, the first being David McGuire from 1963-1965. No Sandite has won four.

Since the high school season ended, Fix won the UWW Junior Freestyle National Championship, defeated the Iranian Champion Kheyrollah Gharamani at the Beat The Streets Gala in Times Square, and scored a pair of 10-0 tech falls over National Champion Austin Gomez to earn his way onto the USA World Team.

Fix will compete at the Grand Prix of Spain, a Senior level tournament in Madrid from July 9-10, then will travel to Fargo, North Dakota for the Junior Freestyle Nationals from July 16-23 where he is a defending Champion. From August 30th through September 4th he will compete at the UWW World Championship in Macon, France.

Payton Scott finished his Sophomore year with a 19-6 record at 152 pounds and placed fourth in the State Championship. He missed the first half of the season while getting back in shape after a long and grueling football post-season, but placed fourth at Geary, second at Sand Springs, and first at the Regional Championship.

Scott was also a member of last year’s Cadet National Dual Team that finished seventh in Freestyle and second in Greco. Overall he went 13-3 between the two styles.

Other Team Oklahoma members include:

• Alex Fields of Guthrie, 2016 Southern Plains Regional Champion in both styles.
• Rhett Golowenski of Tuttle, two-time OSSAA 4A State Champion.
• Mason Naifeh of Tulsa Union, two-time OSSAA 6A State Placer.
• Wyatt Adams of Lawton MacArthur, 2015 OSSAA 5A State Champion.
• Dalton Duffield of Westmoore, three-time OSSAA 6A finalist, 2015 Fargo National Champion.
• Jacob Butler of Elgin, 2016 OSSAA 4A State Champion.
• Kaden Gfeller of Heritage Hall, three-time undefeated OSSAA 3A State Champion.
• Brik Filippo of Tuttle, 2016 OSSAA 4A State Champion, two-time finalist.
• Beau Guffey of Tuttle, three-time OSSAA 4A State Champion.
• Jaryn Curry of Choctaw, 2016 OSSAA 6A State Champion, 2015 USAW Cadet National Runner-Up.
• Dayton Garrett of Tuttle, three-time OSSAA 4A State Finalist, 2015 State Champion.
• Wyatt Sheets of Stilwell, four-time OSSAA 4A State Champion, Oklahoma State commit.
• Christian Bahl of Stillwater, 2016 OSSAA 6A State Champion.
• Dan Baker of Sulphur, 2016 OSSAA 3A State Champion.
• Drew Hinkle of Jenks, 2016 OSSAA 6A State Runner-Up.
• Zach Marcheselli of Broken Arrow, 2016 OSSAA 6A State Champion.
• Bear Hughes of Coweta, 2016 OSSAA 5A State Champion.
• Gunner Cash of Tecumseh, two-time OSSAA 4A State Qualifier.
• Gage Johnson of Norman North, 2016 OSSAA 6A State Runner-Up.
• Trenton Lieurance of Broken Arrow, two-time OSSAA 6A State Placer.

Blake Sargent, Team Oklahoma place fifth in Greco Roman Nationals

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School junior Blake Sargent has spent the last two days in York, Pennsylvania wrestling with Team Oklahoma at the Cadet Dual Nationals, and he's ran up quite the record. The Greco-Roman tournament came to an end Thursday, and the Freestyle bracket will begin Friday morning.

Sargent finished his sophomore year with a 39-12 record and placed third in the State Championship. Since then, he's won the Team Big Freestyle Tournament and came in Runner-Up in the OKUSA Freestyle State Tournament in Cushing. 

Oklahoma was pitted against North Carolina in the first round of pool play and devastated their opponents, giving up only one match for a 73-5 victory, the third-largest win of any team in the tournament. Sargent kicked things off with the first match of the dual and pinned his opponent in the first period. North Carolina Greco State Runner-Up Phifer Ozimek went down in 2:11, setting the tone for the rest of the dual. Team Oklahoma won the next thirteen straight matches with nothing but pins and tech falls.

The next dual wasn't quite as big of a blowout as the first, but it was a clear and dominating victory, nonetheless. The Okies won twelve of seventeen matches over Florida for a final score of 55-25. Sargent put the icing on the cake, pinning Florida Greco State Champion Emauni Smithson in 1:27 for the final match of the dual.

Oklahoma finally met its match in the Pool A finals. Minnesota Storm raced off to a quick advantage with four-straight victories before Oklahoma evened it out with four of their own. The back and forth affair continued right down to the end, but Minnesota got the 39-33 edge. Sargent remained undefeated with a close 12-8 decision over Northern Plains Regional Champion Sebas Swiggum. Minnesota Storm would go on to sweep the entire tournament.

Thursday morning the Oklahoma team began battling in the Gold/Silver Pool against far tougher teams than their earlier opponents. Sargent teched his first opponent, Illinois Greco State Champion Jared Head (not to be confused with the Owasso wrestler of the same name) 11-1, but Illinois won the dual 48-27.

The Okies were in for another defeat in round two as Pennsylvania Blue won nine of seventeen matches for a narrow 44-31 victory. Sargent would lose his first match of the tournament in an 11-1 tech fall to 2015 USAW National Champion Beau Bartlett. 

From there Reece Witcraft filled in at the 126 weight for the duration of the tournament. Sargent finished with an overall record of 4-1. Oklahoma rebounded from the pair of tough losses with a 41-35 victory over New Jersey Red and secured the fifth place spot with a 42-33 win over Washington.

The Freestyle Dual Nationals will begin Friday morning against New Jersey Blue. Last week, in the Schoolboy Dual Nationals, Team Oklahoma placed ninth in Greco and improved to seventh in Freestyle. Sand Springs's Carter Young went undefeated in both styles at that tournament and achieved All-American status.