BARTLESVILLE BRUIN CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS START SEASON WITH SUCCESS
The Bartlesville Bruins jayvee team took first place in the Claremore Lake meet.
Stephanie J Lief/BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
The Bartlesville Lady Bruins varsity cross country team readies for a recent meet.
Stephanie J Lief/BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
By Stephanie J. Lief
Sept. 13, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
The feedback on the new Bartlesville cross country season is glowing.
"It was super fun and exciting," said Jayden Brant, a sixth grader and first-time Bruins cross country runner.
"It was one of the funnest days of my life," said Kadie Tank, also a sixth-grade, first-time Bruins cross country runner.
"It was a lot of hard work but very fun and energetic. The bus ride was fun, and the older kids were really helpful," said Autumn Wilson, a sixth grader running for the Bruins for the first time.
"My favorite part of the meet was cheering on my sister who was in her first meet as a middle schooler," said freshman Mannie Jimenez, who competes on the JV team.
"A parent came up to me from a different school and said she liked how the Bartlesville team acted," said Robert Jimenez, a Bruins cross country parent. "She liked how we cheered everyone on, even from different teams. It made me proud to be part of Bartlesville XC!"
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On Aug. 28, both veteran and new cross country runners laced up for the season opener with a taxing meet at Claremore Lake.
"It was a hot day and a challenging course, but everyone did an amazing job representing Bartlesville," head coach David Ayres said. "With 166 runners competing, it was great to see everyone giving their best effort and, most importantly, having fun competing and representing Bartlesville. I couldn’t be prouder of this group."
Both the high school and middle school teams showed up with power and pride to represent the Bruins.
In the 5K races, the Lady Bruins varsity team secured a second-place team finish with an average time of 22 minutes, 31 seconds—just three points behind first-place Yukon. The Lady Bruins JV team took home first place with an average time of 25:56, with all six JV runners finishing in the top 15.
On the Bruins side, the varsity team also secured a second-place finish behind Yukon with a team average time of 18:38 in the 5K race. The JV team dominated the field, taking home a first-place finish and an average team time of 21:02.
"I’m extremely proud of how well both teams competed today," Ayres said. "I was especially impressed with the girls’ pack running. They stayed together, came through the finish fairly close to one another, and really seemed to feed off each other’s energy. That kind of teamwork will continue to make them stronger and help bring their average 5K time down as the season progresses."
In the 2-mile runs, the junior high Lady Bruins took home first place with an overwhelming lead and a team time average of 14:20. The junior high men finished a close third place with a team average of 13:17.
"Overall, the times were very encouraging, especially considering the tough course and the heat," Ayres said. "The results were right around where we expected them to be, and for some of our runners, this was their first competitive race ever. They will only continue to improve as they gain experience throughout the season."
The top 20 high school Bruins and Lady Bruins traveled to Tulsa for the annual RSU Distance After Dark meet. Under the "Thursday night lights," clear skies, lower temperatures, and electric energy helped both teams hold their own and earn several personal bests against some of the top runners in the state.
The Lady Bruins finished 11th as a team with a 5K average team time of 22:05. Crossing the finish line to secure the top five spots for the Bruins were junior Afton Miller (21:48.9), sophomore Isabella Prentice (21:49.8), senior Eliza Miller (21:49.8), sophomore Madilyn Malcom (22:22.9), and sophomore Karli Serratos (22:29.6).
The Bruins 5K team pushed to a 15th-place team finish against a massive field of 366 runners, logging a team average of 18:11. Senior Preston Shoesmith (17:28.7), junior Jim Dudley (17:54.9), sophomore Calen Bolitho (18:11.5), freshman Everett Ellis (18:32.8), and sophomore Wesley Pierce (18:43.7) led the top five Bartlesville finishes.
The Bartlesville Bruins middle school cross country team takes off at Claremore Lake race on Aug. 28.
STEPHAINE J LIEF/ Bartlesville Area Sports Report