top local sports story countdown: numbers 17-10
Former Bartlesville Bruin Braeden Winters finds success with Southeastern Oklahoma State University football team and is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 17th top story of 2024.
Photo provided by Bartlesville Public Schools
By Mike Tupa
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following is our website countdown for the top 30 local sports stories for 2024.
This articles comprises No. 17-11.
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17: FORMER BRUIN MUSCLES UP
Braeden Winters transformed himself into a wrecking machine for the Southeastern Oklahoma State University football team.
The Bartlesville High School graduate topped the Savage Storm in tackles — even though he missed two games.
Winters racked up 76 tackles (27 solo) — 14 more than his nearest team. He also made 8.5 tackles for loss (2nd most) for 41 yards (most). His three sacks were second most on the team. In addition, he tied for the most quarterback hurries (five) and brokeup one pass.
SOSU finished with a 5-6 record in the Great American Conference.
Through eight games the Savage Storm stood at 5-3 but dropped their final three, two of them by just a touchdown.
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Inductees into the 2024 Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 16th top story of 2024.
Photo provided by Bartlesville Sports Commission
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16: ECLECTIC QUARTET ENTER BAHOF
A former high school and college basketball legend, a pioneer women’s head coach, a community sports mover and shaker and a former local swimming icon all took center stage at the 2024 Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to become formally canonized into Bartlesville’s golden sport tradition.
Joining these four individuals were the members of the Bartlesville High 1982 women’s swim team that captured the state title.
Hundreds of people gathered in late September at the Bartlesville Community Center to welcome in these newest BAHOF inductees.
A large number of family and friends accompanied the honorees to share this singular experience with them.
BASKETBALL TITAN: During the first decade of the 2000s, The 6-foot-3 Cassie Consedine hustled and battled for Bartlesville High School girls’ basketball from 2003-07. She then attended the Naval Academy and made a forceful impact from the start, being named the 2007-08 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. She delivered a break-out performance in the fourth game of her career, netting 19 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking five shots and handing out four assists. Consedine set the school record for career blocks (215) and also recorded 882 rebounds, 165 three-pointers, 26 double-doubles and 1,418 points.
WOMEN’S HEAD COACH: More than 40 years ago a very young coach named Carol Green launched the Bartlesville High girls’ basketball team. A large — and vocal — contingent of her players during the years cheered her induction. Green spent her whole education and career in Bartlesville, starting in 1977. In 1980 she became the Bartlesville Sooner High girls basketball coach — and led the team to state, the first local girls squad to advance that far. Sooner appeared at state in all three seasons of her tenure. When Bartlesville High was created in 1982, Green was tabbed as the first Lady Bruins’ head coach. A few years later she left that position to focus on teaching physical education at Kane Elementary School. Through sports she influenced numberless youth in a positive direction.
COMMUNITY MOVER & SHAKER: No one could accurately quantify or encompass the influence of Bob Pomeroy on area sports. Starting in 2007 he became heavily involved in the Bartlesville Sports Commission, eventually becoming the BSC Board Chairman for more than a decade. During that tenure he solidified the BAHOF process and induction pattern, played the point in attracting the NCAA-II Great American Conference basketball championship tournament to Bartlesville for nine-straight years, made a total commitment to Bartlesville High fall sports and winter sports luncheons for the public, and continued the BSC’s mission to raise money to award grants to area high school and other sports programs. Pomeroy was attended by his sons and other family and friends for the induction.
SWIMMING ICON: Lee Engstrand’s most significant victory in pool might have been nothing to do with racing. When he was a baby in a cloth diaper he fell into water between a boat and a dock and developed a strong fear of the water until he overcame it, his sister Lisa said during a video presentation prior to Engstrand’s induction. After that, the only fear associated with Engstrand in the pool was that felt by his opponents. During his three years at College High he helped the boys team capture three state championships. During his college years at Tennessee he captured multiple titles in both the SEC and NCAA. He also set American records in the 400 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. In 1976 he set the world record in the 200 individual medley. He also finished third in the 400 individual medley at the 1973 World University Games in Moscow, Russia.
GOLDEN TEAM: Even though the College High and Sooner High 1982 merger was still several months away, girls from the swimming teams of both schools joined forces to form a unified Bartlesville prep girls team — and they proceeded to win the state title. Ram Gonzalez coached the team, which was bolstered by a few future post-high school standouts — Karen Dionne (Big 8 champion, Olympic Trials qualifier), Rebecca Perry (Masters All-American) and Chris Hays (Masters All-American). Hays was named Oklahoma Swimmer of the Year for the season after setting the state record in 500 freestyle and helping set a new state standard in the girls 4x100 free relay, along with Dionne, Lana Mosher and Kim Smith. That championship blitz ignited a string of eight-straight state girls swim titles by Bartlesville.
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The Oklahoma Wesleyan University volleyball team goes three rounds into the NAIA national tournament and is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 15th top story of 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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15: OKWU VOLLEYBALL PUTS WHAMMY ON FOES
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s volleyball squad — coached by Tracie Gillette — looked to be almost unbeatable during an amazing 2024 fall campaign — and that was with only one full-time starting senior in the main rotation.
The final result?
A 31-4 record, a double conference championship and three rounds deep in the NAIA national tournament.
Unfortunately, the Lady Eagles were bitten by the reverse end of a third time’s a charm jinx which made their stay in the nationals much shorter than it might have been.
They blitzed through the regular season at 27-2, including a 12-1 mark in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
OKWU swept through the KCAC tournament (3-0) to move into the national on a tidal wave of momentum.
Indiana University East fell to OKWU, 3-0, in the opening round.
But then OKWU lost to McPherson (Kan.) in the nationals pool play, 3-2 — a stinging disappointment because OKWU had beaten McPherson twice in the regular season. St. Thomas (Fla.) then eliminated the Eagles, 3-0.
Sophomore Evelyn Rohrberg slammed 519 kills to lead the Eagles’ battalion of ball spikers.
Maia Rubio added 289, Mia Lietzke (Bartlesville High graduate) 211, and Maddy McKinney (Oklahoma Union High graduate) 202.
Bartlesville High graduate Sydney Collins spooned out an amazing 1,241 assists.
Maria Luisa Caycedo led in digs (362).
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Dewey High School softball coach accepts the head coaching position at Crowder (Neosho, Mo.) College and is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 14th top story of 2024.
Photo provided
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14: KECK COLLECTS KUDOS AS SHE MOVES ON
Prior to the 2017 season, the Dewey High School softball program struggled to find the traction it needed to become one of the state’s top teams again.
Then Niki Keck became head coach.
Within just a few years she coached Dewey to three-straight state tournament seasons, highlighted by a 31-3 mark in 2021 and advancement to the Class 3A state semifinals.
Due to a combination of heavy talent loss to graduation and injuries to key contributors, Dewey didn’t make it back to state in the next three seasons (2022-24 — although it registered an impressive 26-10 mark in 2023).
But the Lady Doggers remained competitive and on the cusp of winning more regional titles.
After a successful 2024 campaign — with a roster dominated by non-seniors — Keck appeared to be nesting another powerhouse for 2025.
But some other coach will have to hatch that promise. In the late fall of 2024 Keck announced her resignation from Dewey so that she could become the head softball coach at Crowder (Neosho, Mo.) College.
Keck’s leaving is a little tougher than the average job change. She is a Dewey High graduate and has to leave home again, just as she had after high school.
But Keck was there when Dewey softball needed her in order to revive the program and elevate it back toward elite status.
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Dewey High School freshman Presley Smith goes to the Class 3A girls state meet to earn All-State status. This is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 13th top story of 2024.
Photo provided
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13: NOT JUST ANOTHER FRESHMAN
Little at the beginning of the 2024 high school cross country season suggested Dewey freshman Presley Smith might be an extraordinary runner.
But during the long and winding season she chopped well more than two minutes off her time. By the time the state meet arrived, she had climbed onto the bus of the state’s best.
Smith burst to 12th place (12:47.3) at the Class 3A girls state meet to earn All-State status.
When the high school season arrived in December 2024, Smith earned a starting guard spot and helped the Lady Doggers achieve some early success.
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Bartlesville High School’s volleyball team surges to a 30-9 record and hosts regionals. This is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 12th top story of 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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12: LADY BRUINS SUCCEED IN THE BLAIN GAME
Bartlesville High School girls volleyball success had been on an upward trajectory during the tenure of former head coach Jen Ward.
During the 2024 fall season her replacement Andrew Blain accelerated that ascendency.
The Lady Bruins surged to a 30-9 record — possibly the first time the program had ever won that many games — and the No. 5 state ranking in Class 6A.
But a not-so-funny thing happened on their way to the program’s first state tourney appearance since 2010 — they lost in the regional final.
Despite that disappointing conclusion, the season still had to be considered a biggie.
Accelerating out of the gate with a 6-0 record, Bartlesville never lost back-to-back matches the entire season.
Their win streaks included eight in a row and four in a row.
Looking in hindsight, one of their most high-water outings might have been a fiercely-contested loss to Moore. Moore grinded out the victory, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 29-27 and would go on to play in the state semifinals.
Bartlesville clinched homecourt advantage in the regionals and revved up to win the title and go to state. But No. 12 Westmoore surprised the Lady Bruins, 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 15-7, in the regional final.
Super hitter Emry Brown destroyed several opposing defenses with her explosive kills.
The team featured several other senior stalwarts as well, including setter Hayden Brandon, defensive specialist Mads Hyde, middle hitter Marissa Demuth, hitter Rya Christensen and versatile Camille Elkan.
Blain should have a nucleus of veterans around to build the team’s 2025 destiny with the return of third-year starting setter Emma Parsley, veteran libero Sophie Frye and others.
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Bartlesville High School freshman Jay Wasemiller earns ninth place at the Class 6A state boys golf tournament and is Bartlesville Area Sports’ 11th top story of 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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11: A STROKE IN TIME NETS NINTH PLACE
Bartlesville High School boasts a long history of superb boys’ golfers — and after his freshman season Jay Wasemiller appears to be one his way to making that list.
Unleashing a powerful all-around game, Wasemiller wrested out ninth place at the 2024 Class 6A state boys golf tournament at Oaks Country Club (Tulsa).
Wasemiller carved out rounds of 73-73-71 to finish at 217 — just two strokes away from fifth place.
He was the only freshman to finish in the Top 12, and seven of the eight golfers that finished ahead of him were seniors.
(We’ll have the final top 10 stories of 2024 later this week.)