Oklahoma
Governor Stitt joins Bible Reading Marathon at state Capitol
Organizers of a Bible Reading Marathon at the Capitol wanted elected leaders to take a turn reading the holy book, and their hopes were realized on Wednesday.
Gov. Kevin Stitt joined the marathon before it reached its conclusion, reading several chapters of Ecclesiastes while a crowd of about 40 people gathered on the Capitol’s south plaza.
The event began on March 9 as part of the Capitol Bible Reading Marathon ministry, an initiative of Seedline International, a Brazil, Indiana-based organization. The group has held the faith-themed effort in several states and Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, Coalgate preachers David and Carol Unsell, the marathon’s Oklahoma hosts and organizers, said they viewed the inaugural event as a success. They said the readers did not encounter any problems as they read the Bible, with no commentary added.
“People were coming through word-of-mouth — they just kept coming by ― from times like midnight to 2 in the morning, and everybody was so pleasant,” David Unsell said.
He said the goal of the event was to simply read the Bible at the Capitol, “let it go out and let him bless this place, this state, and everybody seemed to be really touched by it.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has participated in several Christian-themed events as governor
That Stitt decided to participate is not a departure from the norm. The governor has made public avowals of his Christian faith since he began his first term as governor. He has participated in the Christian-themed National Day of Prayer service at the state Capitol at least once. In the last year or so, however, Stitt has come under fire for his statements of faith, most notably in 2022 when he was captured on video claiming “every square inch” of Oklahoma for Jesus.
Wednesday, the governor took to the podium set up on the south plaza with little ceremony and began reading. He gave a simple farewell to those gathered before leaving the event.
“Thanks everybody for being out here. God bless y’all,” Stitt told the crowd.
About 150 people signed up to read the Bible in 15-minute segments before the marathon began. The Unsells predicted it would take roughly 360 people to read the sacred text from Genesis to Revelation if it were read in the 15-minute increments.
David Unsell said people read from the Book of Psalms and other parts of the Bible on Wednesday morning because the Bible had been read from cover to cover, night and day, by then. The closing ceremony featured a brief sermon by Joe Bavor, the marathon ministry’s national director, and the crowd was asked to read the last chapter of Revelation — which concludes the Bible ― together.
More: With the words ‘In the beginning …’ a group kicks off Bible Reading Marathon at state Capitol
The Rev Tim Morlan and his wife, Lori, said they heard about the marathon on a radio broadcast and ended up taking several reading stints on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, sometimes very early in the mornings.
“We kind of heard through the grapevine about this because we didn’t know much about it,” Tim Morlan said. “But then we were just intrigued and thought the Scripture tells us that we’re to devote ourselves to the public reading of Holy Scriptures. So, we thought, what a great time to do that in a public setting in front of the Capitol.”
Lori Morlan said she felt that she was “right there in Scripture” as she was reading the text.
“I’m super emotional over it,” she said. “It just was the most exciting, wonderful thing. What a privilege to be able to speak God’s Word in public, and so it was just an expression of my faith.”
Oklahoma
Iowa State wrestling adds Brayden Thompson from transfer portal
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Jahsiear Rogers ‘Knew It Was Time to Showcase’ His Talents In Spring Game
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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Oklahoma
Oklahoma knocks off Missouri in series opener
The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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