Track Tournament of Champions a good thing...
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I almost couldn’t believe it myself Tuesday night at Moore. But yea, that was the first track meet I’ve ever been to. Gotta say, thought it was pretty cool. Tennis and baseball conflicts keep me from seeing track.
Also gotta say that seeing the Tournament of Champions for your first event is the way to go. Had a lot of fun. It’s a great idea and wish more sports would go forward with it. Hope to be able to catch the golf one here in two weeks.
Obviously, the biggest disappointment was the absence of Southmoore. The SaberCats earned the school’s first state championship Monday night at Tulsa East Central and dem boys were a-hurtin’ Tuesday.
Runners from Del City, Guthrie, Edmond Santa Fe, among others, all expressed the disappointment. You always want to see where you stack up against the best of the best and this event gave most a shot at that.
The event kinda became a 4A-A tournament as those boys and girls were quite rested and ready to go. Impressed with the turnout for the event. Moore is a real nice site for the event and thought the passion and desire was still there though the only thing on the line was bragging rights.
That list is now down to one. Never been to a high school volleyball match yet. Hmm, maybe I’ll get a chance in the fall.
Thoughts and observations
- Most impressed with Beggs freshman Regan Ward. She is phenomenal in the distance races. She does some funky things with her hand motions, but she is clearly in a class of her own when it comes to the 1,600 and 3,200.
- Now I get what the fuss is all about with Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson. In fact, now I understand about the whole Bluejays team. Guthrie was one of the few 5A-6A squads that came out in full force.
- Most fun to talk to was Douglass star Tyler Wisby. Get her in front of a camera, and she was just having fun. It doesn’t hurt when you’re as dominant as her, either. Also, big kudos to the Douglass 1,600 relay team as they were doing cartwheels and chest bumpin’ and jumpin’ up and down on the podium. Good stuff.
- Danielle Nowell of Plainview is a freak of nature. I mean it’s not even close in the pole vault. Very interesting to see what she will do for an encore her senior year.
- The showdown with Del City’s Airick Johnson and Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon was cool in the 110 hurdles. Johnson, just like he did at state, edged the Wolves’ star. Nixon’s anchor leg in the 1,600 relay was one of the best things I’ve seen recently. So smooth, so effortless. Word on the street was he was clocked at a 46.8 split. Sure felt like it from here.
