Bomber Bentley aims for pins

From the ladies tee, Midwest City’s ace is senior Maddi Thompson, who has been competing under the guidance of head coach Julian Hibbard since the seventh grade. In her high school career, Thompson has earned a pair of state tournament individual berths.

Last May the entire Lady Bomber squad qualified, winding up finishing 11th at state.

Midwest City seniors include Thompson, Kayli Tiller, Meladee Cheadle and Kaitlyn Bulman. Sophomore Alexis Scott is also on the team along with incoming freshmen.

The Lady Bombers begin competition today in Guthrie.

GREAT EIGHT

Rusty Hall’s boys soccer squad returns eight of 11 starters this spring.

Four-year starter Jose Tovar will anchor the defense, while junior Adrian Ables will fill in at forward and midfielder. Ables is a three-year starter and is already on the college scouts’ radar.

“Junior Anthony Buchanan may be the best player on the team,” Hall said. “Anthony plays midfield and may be the best player I’ve had the past five years. He is already receiving interest from UCLA and Tulsa, along with schools like OCU and SNU. We should definitely challenge to make the playoffs this year with easily one of my best teams I’ve had in five years here.”

Midwest City has not made the postseason since 1996.

“We have a great chance to end that drought this year with all the talent and starters we have returning,” Hall said.

The black-and-gold will be down a starter after junior Daniel Boling dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula at a Feb. 19 preseason festival.

“He is tough to replace, but we do have a little more depth this year to help fill in his position,” said Hall.

Bomber senior Matt King, a key cog in the Midwest City soccer machine, is also back as a four-year starter and will compete at forward-midfield.

The Midwest City soccerballers will play at Del City at 4 and 6 p.m. Friday, ladies first.

For the Lady Bombers, skipper Christa Howie is putting forth a youthful team.

“We are still pretty young with five starting sophomores and a freshman,” she said. “Ronnie Johnson, Sarah Smith and Kelly Haraughty will be some of the kids expected to step up this year.”

BASHING BATS

The Bomber baseballers fell to eventual state runner-up Owasso in the regional finals last May, missing out on a state tournament appearance.

From the left side of the plate, Midwest City returns the big, bashing bat of right fielder Aaron Johnson, who compiled a .540 batting average with eight round-trippers and 57 runs batted in.

Also coming back is No. 1 hurler Jagger Harjo, who will catch when he is off the rubber. Pitchers Greg Bruno (also the first baseman); Matt Reynolds; 6-1, 195-pound Joel Davis; senior Richard Cooper and Zach Brannon (also center fielder) are also listed in the pitching lineup.

Ryan Wright will move over to third base this season.

RUNNING WILD

The Lady Bomber track and field team will have defending state champion Kalesha Williams in the shot put and state silver medalist Iceus Boyce in the 100 meter hurdles along with several members of the state-medal winning 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relay squads. Boyce is already in mid-season form, taking second at the University of Oklahoma Indoor Invitational last month. The speedy senior will also be in the mix for the relays.

Juniors Kanesha Brown, who qualified for the finals in both the 100 and 200 last spring, and Adrianna White return for relay duty and individual sprints, while Jamie Locke, Noelle Jones and Hillarie Johnson were on the 1,600meter relay squad.

Other returning state or regional qualifiers include Kristen Fields and Desiree Glover in the high jump, Cranisha Smith joins Williams in the shot and discus, Markita Ziegler in the shot put, Quimari Boyd in the relays, Lauren Clonts in the pole vault and Carl Albert transfer Jasmine Gaddis, who will be counted on in the sprints and on the relay teams.

The Bombers should be strong in the relay races with Claude Donald, Zeke Lewis, Antonio Marshall and James Flanders, the nucleus of the short relay and Donald, Flanders, Cortrez Colbert and Brian Traylor back in the 1,600-meter relay. Donald in the 60 and 100 and Flanders in the 400 have already picked up medals in the indoor campaign since football ended.