BARTLESVILLE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM BEGINS TRAINING
By Mike Tupa
July 25, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
If competition is the fuel for success then the Bartlesville High School cross country team could be set to blast off to a season of promise this fall.
Veteran head coach David Ayres returns only a handful of varsity-savvy pacers but will preside over some spirited battles among a large group vying for first-string status.
Workouts began last week and the team is slated to participate on August 2 in the Riverside 5K. The first official school meet is slated for the Saturday prior to Labor Day.
In addition, Bartlesville will hold a regular season home meet for the first time in several years. It is set for September 13.
Following is a closer look at each of Ayres’ teams.
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BRUINS
Bartlesville’s boys team welcomes back one state meet qualifier from last season — Preston Shoesmith.
Jackson Boudreaux is another dusty path warrior with plenty of miles on his odometer.
Senior-to-be Pierson Proctor placed in the top 10 in four junior varsity races last season. Senior-to-be Nathan Beckloff also gained a lot of seasoning last season in junior varsity competition.
A pair of upcoming freshmen that will get a close look early are Calen Bolitho and Preston Winward, Ayres said.
Boltiho bolted to the championship in the Ponca City junior high meet and finished second at Holland Hall.
Winward finished second at Ponca City and third in the Sapulpa junior high race.
Caleb Taylor is another incoming freshman with solid credentials, finishing fourth in two junior high runs.
Some non-seniors singled out by Ayres as contenders for varsity spots are Grayson Ellis, Jim Dudley and Michael Taylor.
The varsity lineup consists of seven runners. A team score at a meet is determined by adding up the finishing spots for the top team’s top five finishers. In other words, if a runner comes in first he’s worth one point, if he comes in fourth he’s worth four points, if he comes in eighth, he’s worth eight points.
Like golf, the low score wins.
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LADY BRUINS
A handful of proven veterans will provide leadership and proven ability to the mix. This list includes Kate Manley and Evelynn Pratt.
Manley turned in her best showing last season at the Holland Hall meet, finishing seventh. She also came in 23rd in the Frontier Valley Conference championship and qualified for state.
Pratt finished 38th at the conference meet and 23rd in the Sapulpa meet. Pratt also qualified in the 200m dash at last spring’s state track meet.
Ayres also should return several other runners with solid varsity experience last season.
Just as the Bruins, Ayres will be counting on several freshmen to vie for a spot on the varsity.
Some of them include Emma Kuntz, Madilyn Malcom, Isabella Prentice and Karli Serratos.
Kuntz dashed to 10th place in the Ponca city meet and 21st in the conference junior high meet.
Malcom burst to sixth place in Ponca City and eighth in the conference junior high meet.
Prentice claimed fifth place in Ponca City and 10th in the conference junior high meet.
And Serratos came in fourth in Ponca City and seventh in the conference junior high meet.
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TRADITION
Since 2014, all during Ayres’ tenure, Bartlesville has won five state cross country championships, three by the girls (2014, 2015, 2016) and two by the boys (2016, 2017).
In addition, the Lady Bruins finished as state runner-up in 2017, 7th place in 2022, and 8th place in 2023.
The Bruins hustled to state runner-up honors in 2015, and 4th place in 2014 and in 2018.
That adds up to eight top-eight team state finishes the past 11 seasons by the Bartlesville girls and five by the boys.
By comparison in the 32 seasons prior to 2014, Bartlesville had won just two state cross country championships, both by the girls (1991,1993).
Whether or not the 2025 squads are set to embark on a championship destiny can only be foretold by tea leaves, crystal balls or wishing on a star.
But based on tradition, experience and bolstered by the infusion of a strong influx of youthful talent could glory be within Bartlesville’s reach this season?