BARTLESVILLE SPRING SPORTS: TENNIS, GOLF, TRACK
By Mike Tupa
March 10, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
The following is a roundup of local high school spring sports.
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BARTLESVILLE BOYS GOLF
Who was Oklahoma’s top freshman Class 6A boys golfer from 2024?
Jay Wasemiller is one of the reasons Bartlesville High School could challenge for top-tier status in this season’s upcoming links’ wars.
Wasemiller drew a statewide spotlight in the spring of 2024 by finishing ninth in the Class 6A tourney. He was the lone freshman in the Top 12 —while seven of the eight golfers that finished ahead of him were seniors.
Wasemiller and his fellow Bruin linksters swing into action at their season opener in late March.
“He’s upped his game,” veteran Bartlesville High golf coach Carl Holmes said about Wasemiller. “One thing he’s done to overall improve his game is his club head speed and his distance,” Holmes added.
In addition, Wasemiller works on his game year round, the coach said.
Two other returning varsity veterans include the team’s only senior Nash Zervas and junior Lucas Wyatt.
“Nash Zervas is a great teammate,” Holmes said about the gritty athlete who also was the lone senior on this year’s boys basketball team. “He’s awesome on the course and off the course.”
Rounding out the squad are 10 more players, some of them freshmen.
“A couple of our freshmen were contenders in fall golf,” Holmes said. “We’ve got several young stallions in the barn.”
One of Holmes’ most difficult — but satisfying — tasks will be to put together his five-man varsity team for tourney competition.
Wasemiller goes into the season as the frontrunner of the team’s surge into its journey. During last year’s state tournament — hosted by Oaks Country Club in Tulsa — he turned in rounds of 73-73-71 for a 217 total — just two strokes shy of finishing in the top five. As it was, he earned a state medal as one of the Top 10 finishers.
“His improvement on club speed and ball speed has changed his game,” Holmes said, noting Wasemiller is now driving the ball consistently 290-or-more yards off the tee.
In addition, “His leadership is invaluable,” Holmes said. “He’s the consummate teammate. … He’s the workhorse to show others what it takes to get out and work at it year round.”
Due to ongoing course work, Adams Golf Club is unavailable for practice and competition, meaning the Bartlesville High golf program is grateful for the hospitality of Hillcrest Country Club to accommodate workouts. Holmes also expressed gratitude for the school’s indoor golf facility that allows the team to practice in inclement weather.
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BARTLESVILLE GIRLS TENNIS
Perfection is — at best — an elusive butterfly in the fickle volatility of sports competition.
Bartlesville High School girls tennis players turned perfection into stark reality Friday by sweeping first place in all four divisions — and carrying away the team trophy — at their season opening home meet.
Abby Shelley surged to the top spot in No. 1 singles to pace the team’s flawless display.
Joining Shelley as team champions were Ava Kelly (No. 2 singles), Bella Gustafson and Julia McKissick (No. 1 doubles); and Claire Auschwitz and Ava Kate Craig (No. 2 doubles).
Bryan Reese is the Bartlesville head coach.
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BARTLESVILLE BOYS TENNIS
Despite battling without its designated No. 1 singles player Owen May sidelined by injury, the Bruins finished third this past weekend in the Bartlesville tourney.
Johnny Colmenero filled in at No. 1 singles and powered to third place.
At No. 2 singles, Hunter Breslin came up from the junior varsity and finished eighth.
The No. 1 doubles season of Carson Covington and Bash White finished second.
Ashton Lindsay-Brothers and Mark Shaw came in sixth at No. 2 doubles.
Bryan Reese coaches the team.
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BARTLESVILLE TRACK
The Bruins and Lady Bruins cast some big shadows at last weekend’s Owasso meet.
Wes Turner turned a lot of eyes toward the sun as he soared a sky-scraping height of 15-feet-7-inches to win the boys pole vault. He set a career best and beat the runner-up by a margin of 19 inches. Turner also bounded to ninth place in the boys 110m hurdles.
Lady Bruin Kadance Barnett turned in an electrifying effort in girls’ competition. She soared to the championship in the high jump (5-feet-8-inches), burst to second place in the 100m dash (:12.3), and in the long jump (17-feet-1.5-inches), and placed
sixth in the 200m dash (:27.22).
Russell Miller thundered to second place in the boys 1600m run (4:42.86), improving his time from the previous week by almost three seconds.
Other top 10 finishers for the Lady Bruins included Parker Fielder (100m hurdles, 8th place) and Evelyn Pratt (200m dash, 9th place).
A handful of Bruins placed in the top 10 in the boys’ events, led by thrower Cooper Middlebusher, who finished 10th in both the shot put and the discus. Cameron Bishop seized fifth place in the high jump and Michael Taylor sewed up eighth place in the 110m hurdles.
A more detailed report, with full Bartlesville results, is planned during the coming week.