AREA COLLEGE ATHLETES: Winters leads SOSU in tackles; Turner turns in strong cross country showing
By Mike Tupa
Bartlesville Area Report
Following is a roundup of how several former area high school athletes fared in college fall sports.
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BRADEN WINTERS
(Bartlesville)
Southeastern Oklahoma State football
Bartlesville High graduate Braden Winters wrapped up his junior college football season as the leading tackler for Southeastern Oklahoma State University (5-6).
Although he played in only nine of 11 games, Winters racked up 76 tackles — 14 more than anyone else on the team.
Among Winters’ takedowns were 27 solo tackles and 8.5 for loss (minus-41 yards). He also made three sacks (minus-16 yards).
Among his other stats included one pass break-up and five quarterback hurries.
Through the first eight games SOSU owned a 5-3 record, but ended the season on a three-game losing streak.
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GENTRY TURNER
(Bartlesville)
Oklahoma State women’s cross country
In her final test of her rookie season at Oklahoma State, Turner stampeded to seventh place overall in the 2024 Weis-Crockett Invitational in Stillwater.
Turner — a Bartlesville High cross country legend — ran the 2024 season “unattached”, presumably meaning a redshirt freshman year.
At the Weis-Crockett competition in late fall, Turner conquered the 6K (3.6-plus mile) course in 22:24.5, just a minute behind the champion Lauren Ping, an OSU teammate.
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BAYLOR NASH
(Oklahoma Union)
Southwestern Oklahoma State football
Nash played as a sophomore receiver in all 11 games for SWOSU (3-8).
He finished third on the team in receptions (25) and led the team in aerial scores (three). He averaged 11.88 yards per catch, with a season-long reception of 49 yards.
In the season-ending 50-0 win against Northwestern Oklahoma, Nash hauled in three catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
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JADEN BELONG
(Bartlesville)
Cal-State Fullerton men’s soccer
The former Bartlesville High student appeared in 16 of the team’s 20 games and contributed two goals — eighth most on the team.
He took three shots on goal and tallied one game-winning score.
Fullerton finished 7-6-7.
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JAKOB MOUSER
(Dewey)
MidAmerica Nazarene football
The former Dewey High start snared 10 receptions for 96 yards for MNU (9-2).
His longest reception went for 25 yards.
MNU qualified for the NAIA playoffs but fell to Morningside.
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BRANDON O’ROURKE
(Bartlesville)
Rogers State men’s soccer
Rogers State (9-5-7) advanced to the second round of the national tournament before seeing the final curtain pulled down.
O’Rourke ripped seven goals — the second most on the team — and handed out five assists, tied for second-most.
He launched 19 shots on goal and boasted a team-high three game-winning goals.
In the 3-2 overtime win against Southern Nazarene (12-5-4) in the opening national round, O’Rourke put to bed the game’s first goal and with less then one minute left in regulation assisted on the game-tying goal.
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IAN BELONG
(Bartlesville)
University of Tulsa men’s soccer
Belong appeared in about half of the matches for Tulsa (3-9-3) and recorded two assists and three shots.
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JACI DECKER
(Bartlesville)
Central Oklahoma women’s soccer
Decker provided strong defense in her 10 appearances for Central Oklahoma (12-7-4).
She also made five shots, including two on goal.
Central Oklahoma advanced to the NCAA Division II Central Regional playoffs.
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KENZIE HENDRIX
(Wesleyan Christian)
Ark-Little Rock women’s cross country
The former WCS All-State runner hustled to the team’s fifth-fastest finish at a late fall competition hosted by the University of Alabama.
Hendrix finished the race in 23:01.1 to come in 145th in the field of 193.
At the Ohio Valley Conference championship meet, Hendrix recorded a time of 24:03.
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BRYCE DRUMMOND
(Pawhuska)
Oklahoma State football
Listed at fullback, the 6-foot-3 Drummond appeared in 10 games for the Cowboys.
He’s appeared in 17 of the team’s last 20 games.
While at Pawhuska he led the Huskies to the state semifinals.
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ELENA FRIES, JILLIAN SKALICKY and MARYANN ALVEY
(Bartlesville)
Rogers State women’s cross country
Jillian Skalicky scooted to fifth place overall in 24:55.38 and fourth place on the team at the John Brown University Golden Eagle Invitational 6K run.
The Lady Hillcats won the team championship.
Fries finished ninth overall (25:41.89) and Alvey came in 23rd (28:13.77).
