THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bixby High School Athletics

Every year, high school athletes give their all to become better players, make their team better and reach the pinnacle of high school sports. This year, two Tulsa-area athletes dominated in their respective sports, standing above the rest of the crowd on their way to elite-athlete status. On Saturday night, Bishop Kelley’s Ryan Gendron and Bixby’s Brandee Presley took home the Athlete of the Year Awards at the second annual 2018 All-World Awards. “I just want to congratulate all of the other athletes here tonight because this is a big honor,” Gendron said. “I worked really hard for this, so it’s just cool to see all of the hard work be recognized and pay off.” The awards ceremony, presented at Marriott Southern Hills, hosted 73 Tulsa athletes who achieved excellence during the 2017-18 high school season. Chris Harris Jr., who played football, basketball and ran track at Bixby High School and now plays for the Denver Broncos, talked to the athletes as the keynote speaker. Believe it or not, neither Gendron nor Presley thought there was any chance they would win the athlete of the year award. At the first All-World Awards in 2017, Cheyenne Walden of Sand Springs won The Sand Springs Leader Girls Athlete of the Year and Wagoner’s Malcolm Rodriguez won The Key Personnel Boys Athlete of the Year. “I absolutely did not think this,” Presley said. “When they said my name, I was completely caught off guard. I didn’t even know what to do, so this is just an honor and I am really grateful.” Like Presley, whose victory was announced first, Gendron shared the sentiment and said he couldn’t believe it when he heard his name called. “I actually turned to my mom and dad because I was like, ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t expect that,’” Gendron said. “I was caught off guard, but it’s cool to be recognized for it and I’m very grateful for it.” Before receiving the athlete of the year, Gendron took home the baseball player of the year, too. Gendron starred on the baseball and basketball teams at Bishop Kelley over the past four years, batting .459 on the diamond and averaging 21.1 points on the hardwood as a senior. The District 5A-4 first-team shortstop led the Comets to a 5A state title in baseball and signed to play baseball at Oklahoma State University. During his keynote speech, Harris talked about the importance of kids staying active and playing more than one sport during high school. “I always try to preach to the kids to play multiple sports and to play as much as you can,” said Harris, who won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos. “Every sport helps you in every sport, so those are things that kids can do and that I always preach.” Before leading Bishop Kelley to the state title in baseball, Gendron helped the Comets win their first Class 5A regional since 2014 on the basketball court. For him, playing two sports was a way of honoring his father, and he said he’s just thankful he had the opportunity. “My dad played baseball and basketball, so it’s cool to be able to live up to his legacy,” Gendron said. “There’s a bunch of great athletes out there, but I am just lucky and fortunate to be recognized tonight.” Presley, on the other hand, stays on the track — as she puts it — always. “This means everything to me; every day I work hard,” Presley said. “I am the first one on the track, the last one off the track every day. I never take anything for granted. You never know what’s going to happen the next day, so I am just going to go all out every day.” The Spartan repeated as the All-World girls track athlete of the year after winning the award in 2017. Presley, a University of Mississippi signee, defended her title as the 6A state champion in the 100- and 200-meter sprints in 2018, setting a state record of 11.44 seconds in the 100. “Never take anything for granted because nothing is ever handed to you,” Presley said. “Always put your mind, body and soul into it all.” After four years of high school excellence, Presley and Gendron are excited and eager to return to the bottom of the totem pole as freshmen at top universities in the country. “You have to climb your way back up because you are back at the bottom again,” Presley said. “There are a lot more people that are better than you, but you have to have the mindset to go and take it. It’s your time to shine and you have the opportunity, so you have to take it.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bixby High School Athletics

RYAN GENDRON, BRANDEE PRESLEY NAMED ALL-WORLD AWARDS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

ALEC MCCHESNEY

Tulsa World | 6/23/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Gilbert