Langston University is hosting the 2024 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament First and Second Rounds at the C.F. Gayles Field House March 15-16, 2024. The Lions earned the #1 seed in the Duer Quadrant after winning the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the second straight year. The Lions will take on the #16 seed Bellevue (Neb.) in the first round Friday, March 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. That game will be followed by the #8 seed Southwestern (Kan.) versus the #9 seed Ave Maria (Fla.) at 8:00 p.m. The winners of those two games will play each other in the second round Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.

The weather matched the spirit of the day, as the Guthrie’s varsity baseballers opened their season with a home doubleheader against the Western Heights Jets Monday. Jace Rainwater set the tone as the Guthrie leadoff batter of the season, ripping a standing double into left off a 1-2 fastball from Western Heights starter Jacob Bohnstedt. Rainwater had not even caught his breath at second base before his double turned into the Jays’ first run when the Jets promptly threw the ball into the dugout while getting it back into the infield. This first play turned out to be a metaphor for the entire night.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma’s major grant program, Blue Impact, is now accepting applications through May 1, 2024. The Blue Impact grant program is part of a refreshed community investment strategy focused on the social determinants of health.

Guthrie High’s basketball season came to an abrupt end last week with a double-overtime loss to Midwest City in the Area Round and then another setback to Del City in the Consolation Round. The Midwest City game was played at Edmond North High School in front of a near-capacity crowd representing both schools.

Guthrie High’s Lady Bluejays basketball team will get a shot at redemption Thursday night at 7:30 against the Del City Lady Eagles in the consolation round of the Area Tournament at Edmond North High School.

The Cashion LadyCats and the Crescent Tigers will be in area round action tomorrow afternoon in Enid, after losing regional championship games on Feb. 24 in Fairview.

What a difference a day makes, as the Guthrie Bluejays basketball team routed the Shawnee Wolves 87-38 on Friday in the regional championship, a day after a very sluggish 59-51 win against Guymon in the Guthrie Regional. This Friday at 6 p.m., one of the top games in the state will take place at Edmond North, where the Bluejays will face the Midwest City Bombers in the winner’s bracket of the Area Round featuring both teams with 22-3 records.

Guthrie High’s Kaedin Herendeen is now a twotime Class 5A state wrestling champion! Herendeen (35-4) went 3-0 over the weekend at the Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City to claim the 113-pound title, beating Elgin’s Hunter Jackson for the third time this season in a sudden victory overtime, 3-1. The junior will be back next year vying for a threepeat.