COLLEGE UPDATE: LOCAL ATHLETES EXCEL AT HIGHER LEVEL
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Sydney Collins continues to garner awards during her college career.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Oct. 16, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following is a look at how some former area prep stars have fared in recent college action.
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SYDNEY COLLINS (Bartlesville)
Oklahoma Wesleyan (women’s volleyball)
Everyone has observed that Collins is one of a kind.
This year she’s proving it on the court with astronomical production that might never be equaled.
Through 16 matches, the senior setter has delivered an incredible 652 assists — an average of 13.4 per set, which leads the nation.
She’s also served 10 aces and amassed 159 digs — 9.9 per match.
The NAIA has named Collins the National Setter of the Week three times.
She’s one of the primary reasons the Lady Eagles (15-1) were ranked No. 5 in the nation in the most recent NAIA Coaches Poll last week.
Collins started all four seasons for Bartlesville High and is a fourth-year starter for OKWU.
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CALEB PERRY (Bartlesville)
Clarke University (football)
Several years after questions he might not ever play high-level football again, Perry is back in a big way.
The junior running back is leading Clarke in rushing (88-401), including a 65-yard touchdown burst and three touchdowns, with no lost fumbles.
Perry (listed at 6-foot-0, 210 pounds) also has hauled in 12 catches for 60 yards, with a long reception of 27 yards.
In a 37-30 win against Graceland Perry ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He turned in a triple-digit rushing game (11-102, 1 TD) in a loss to MidAmerica Nazarene.
Perry suffered an injury early in the first half of his first game as a Bartlesville High senior (2020-21) and he missed the rest of the season.
It appeared his grid career might be done; he assisted with the Bartlesville High program.
But two years ago, Perry decided to try to play in college. So far this season he is enjoying the fruits of that decision.
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Bartlesville High School’s Braeden Winters is playing for Southeastern Oklahoma State.
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BRAEDEN WINTERS (Bartlesville)
Southeastern Oklahoma State (football)
Senior linebacker Winters has racked up 20 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss for the SOSU Savage Storm (2-3).
He’s also made one quarterback hurry.
Against Arkansas Tech, Winters produced a season-high six tackles.
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BAYLOR NASH (Oklahoma Union)
Southwestern Oklahoma (football)
Nash has hauled in eight passes for a team-high 140 yards (17.5 ypc) and one touchdown. He also owns the longest receiving play this season (54 yards).
Through five games for the Dawgs (2-3), Nash turned in best showing against Southeastern Oklahoma (four catches, 108 yards, one TD).
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Bartlesville High School’s Brandon O’Rourke is playing for Rogers State University.
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BRANDON O’ROURKE (Bartlesville)
Rogers State (men’s soccer)
O’Rourke is putting together a solid season with the Hillcats.
He has made nine starts, has compiled a team-high three goals, has scored a team-best seven points, has taken four shots on goal and booted one game-winning goal.
O’Rourke is listed as a 5-foot-9 senior forward.
He started his college pursuits at Oral Roberts before transferring to Rogers State.
Last season he started 21 games, scored seven goals and handed out five assists. He launched 19 shots on goal. Among his honors were D2CCA Second Team All-Region and USC First Team All-Region.
During his Bartlesville Bruin career he set a team record with 20 career goals and helped lead the team to the state tournament.
Rogers State is 7-1-2 through 10 matches.
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MACKENZIE HENDRIX (Wesleyan Christian)
Little Rock (women’s cross country)
Hendrix is listed on the Little Rock Trojans website as out for the season due to health issues. As a junior in 2024 she finished 10th at the Steve Guymon Invitational.
Her career bests are 18:37.9 (5K), 18:10.7 (3-mile) and 23:10.4 (6K).
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KYLEE GREENE (Bartlesville Gymnastics Club)
Air Force Academy (women’s gymnastics)
Even though the season is still a bit away, Greene has compiled plenty of highlights in her first three seasons for Air Force.
Last season (2025) she earned USAG First-Team All-American recognition for her work on the balance beam
She competed on both the vault and beam in all 11 meets in 2025, topping out at 9.875 on the beam. She also scored 9.8-or-higher twice during floor exercise competition, including 9.825 at home in a tri-meet that included Boise State.
While competing for the Bartlesville Gymnastics Club she qualified three different years for the nationals. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average from Bartlesville High. In 2021 she earned the appellation “Coastal Queen,” for her performance at a meet in South Carolina.
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Bartlesville High School’s Ian Belong is playing for Houston Christian University.
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IAN BELONG (Bartlesville)
Houston Christian (men’s soccer)
Belong scored 47 goals and registered 17 assists during his four years playing for Bartlesville High.
He spent his freshman college season at the University of Tulsa, appearing in six matches and dealing out two key assists.
A 6-foot-2 forward, Belong is uniform this season for Houston Christian University, which has carved out a 6-3-1 record.
Belong has played in eight matches and contributed one goal and two shots on goal.
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ZOE MCCABE (Bartlesville)
Oral Roberts women’s soccer
McCabe has started four matches and made 13 appearances. She has produced two goals and three assists, including a game-winning goal.
She’s launched 11 shots on goal.
ORU is putting together a big season (9-3-1).
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JALEN BELONG (Bartlesville/FC Dallas Academy)
University of Massachusetts (men’s soccer)
Belong, a 6-foot-2 forward, is playing for his third program after stops at Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton.
During his two seasons at Fullerton he appeared in 33 of 40 matches, with six starts, and registered two goals and an assist.
This season, Belong has made six starts and 12 appearances with an average of 52-plus minutes per outing. He has launched 11 shots, six of them on goal.
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Kevin “Junior” Earnhart Jr. is playing for Avila University.
Photo courtesy of Cody Meade
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KEVIN “JUNIOR” EARNHART JR. (Bartlesville)
Avila (football)
Although he’s just a freshman, Earnhart — a lineman — already has made his first game appearance, during last weekend’s battle against Southwestern (Kan.) College.
He helped Bartlesville qualify for the playoffs for three straight seasons (2022-24), a team record.