SHAWNEE – Both of Oklahoma Baptist's track and field and cross country programs had five student-athletes recognized on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team on Wednesday.
On the men's side,
Carson Kardokus,
Josh Kearse,
Caden Martin,
Evan Olson and
Jentezen Smith were recognized. For the women,
Altyn Bartley,
Anisha Henderson,
Kaylen King,
Valerie Olson and
Sophia Strange were honored.
To qualify, a student-athlete must have been of sophomore standing, possess at minimum a 3.50 grade point average, competed in at least half of the team's events and have legitimate playing credentials. The CSC also capped its nomination totals to no more than five student-athletes per squad.
Here's a look at OBU's 10 award-winners:
Bartley,
Accounting: Her first career honor. A thrower, she PR'd and claimed the GAC Outdoor title in the hammer throw (53.63m; 175' 11"). Bartley also took runner-up honors in the shot put (13.87m; 45' 6.25")
Henderson,
Exercise Science: Her first career honor. Earned USTFCCCA Second Team All-American honors in the long jump (5.92m; 19' 5.25") during the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. During the indoor campaign, Henderson snagged First Team All-American accolades in the same event at the NCAA's championship in Indianapolis.
Kardokus,
Exercise Science. His third career honor. He took first place in the GAC Outdoor Championships in the 800m (1:52.91) and 1,500 (3:59.46). Back in the 2024 cross country campaign, Kardokus had a career-best 10K finish at the DII Central Region Championships (31:30.3).
Kearse,
Exercise Science. His first career honor. The distance runner achieved a 1:55.31 mark in the 800-meter run at the GAC Outdoor Championships. During the John McDonnell Invitational on April 25th, he totaled a 4:00.90 finish in the 1500m. Both marks for Kearse earned his best collegiate finishes in those races.
King,
Graphic Design. Her third career honor. King earned All-GAC First Team honors in the 800 after a third-place finish at the GAC Outdoor Championships in May. Plus, she closed the cross country season with a personal-best 6K mark of 22:52.8 at the DII Central Region Championships.
Martin,
Biology. His third career honor. As a decathlon athlete, Martin saw personal-best achievements in multiple areas, including the 100m dash (11.41), 110 hurdles (17.61) and discus throw (37.76m) during the GAC Outdoor Championships. He ended up totaling 5,662 points and earned an All-GAC Second Team honor during the decathlon.
Evan Olson,
Master's of Business Administration. His first career honor
. During the outdoor season, he broke OBU's 44-year-old javelin record when he tossed 66.69m at the OBU Invitational on March 28. He later broke his own record at the GAC Outdoor Championships (66.84). Then at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Col., Olson earned USTFCCCA First Team All-American honors in the javelin (66.68m).
Valerie Olson,
Master's of Business Administration. Her first career honor
. She earned USTFCCA First Team All-American honors at the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon with 5,548 points, an outdoor personal-best which broke her previous OBU record in the event. She was also an indoor First Team All-American with an OBU D2 record 3,917 points in the pentathlon at the NCAA Championships.
Smith,
Journalism. His third career honor. Smith was the GAC champion in the 110 hurdles (14.55) and 400 hurdles (53.11). He also qualified for the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships in Colorado in the 400 hurdles.
Strange,
Nursing. Her third career honor. Another sensational season ended with numerous achievements. She became the first woman in GAC history to win three straight cross country individual titles. Then during the outdoor track season, Strange won the 5,000 (16:50.90) during the GAC Outdoor Championships in championship record time. She also qualified for the NCAA DII Outdoor Track Championships in the 10,000 where she earned USTFCCCA Second Team All-American honors.
