Oklahoma
These 10 sites are the strangest landmarks in Oklahoma, WorldAtlas says
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From a large blue whale in a landlocked state to a haunted mansion, Oklahoma is home to several odd landmarks that attract visitors from all over.
WorldAtlas recently named these weird sites the 10 strangest landmarks in Oklahoma.
Blue Whale of Catoosa
Location: 2600 N State Hwy 66, Catoosa
A local celebrity resides along Route 66 year-round in northeast Oklahoma, welcoming visitors into its aquatic belly.
The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built by zoologist Hugh S. David in 1972 so that his grandchildren could play in the nearby pond, according to Travel Oklahoma. David’s friend, Harold Thomas, assisted the zoologist in building the The 20-feet-tall and 80-feet-wide mammal over a span of two years.
While swimming is no longer available, visitors can still picnic and fish with the famous Blue Whale.
World’s largest peanut
Location: 300 W Evergreen St., Durant
A small city in southeast Oklahoma is home to the world’s largest peanut commemorated with a statue outside of Durant City Hall, according to Travel Oklahoma. The statue was dedicated in 1974.
“Dedicated to the Bryan County peanut growers and processors,” inscription reads.
Circus cemetery: Mount Olivet Cemetery
Location: Trice & S 8th St., Hugo
Hugo, another small city in southeast Oklahoma, has a cemetery for rodeo greats Freckles Brown, Lane Frost, Todd Watley and L. Hammock, according to Travel Oklahoma.
Mount Olivet Cemetery is also the final resting place for Ed Ansley, also known as Buster Brown, and William H. Darrough, the founder of Hugo.
Blanchard Cemetery
Location: 2318 North Council Ave., Blanchard
Another known cemetery in Oklahoma is the Blanchard Cemetery where visitors may see a dark figure in a trench coat waving at them, according to WorldAtlas.
If they keep walking, they may spot a little girl flitting between the gravestones, or hear a small child crying or see a blue light hovering over the graves in Section 2, the website says.
Overholser Mansion
Location: 405 NW 15th St, Oklahoma City
The Overholser Mansion, the former abode of Henry and Anna Ione Overholser, is a most famous haunt in Oklahoma City. The ghost-story-filled mansion has been a museum and public venue for decades.
Some claim the ghost of Anna Ione Overholser, once the queen of Oklahoma City society, still haunts the home. She wears a pearl-decked lacy white gown, her dark hair piled gracefully around her face.
Frog Rock
Location: Frog Rd., Terlton
A large amphibian sits in Terlton on Frog Road just outside of Mannford. The six-foot-tall rock formation is painted green and white to look like a frog, according to Travel Oklahoma.
To get to it, trek over a bridge and through backwoods, but don’t worry — it can’t hop away before you reach it.
Cimmy the Dinosaur
Location: 1300 N Cimarron, Boise City
Sitting outside of the Cimarron Heritage Center in Boise City is Cimmy the Dinosaur, a metal Apatosaurus, measuring 65 feet long, 35 feet high and weighs thousands of pounds, according to Travel Oklahoma.
The dinosaur was created as a real life representation of a dinosaur that was extracted from Cimarron County in the 1930s. It’s referred to as a “Cimarronasaurus,” according to the state’s travel website.
Center of the Universe
Location: 20 E Archer St., Tulsa
Located in downtown Tulsa, the Center of the Universe if an 8-feet concrete circle described as an “acoustic anomaly” by Travel Oklahoma.
Noises made inside the brick circle is loudly echoed, but only those inside the circle can hear it. Loud sounds heard inside the circle cannot be heard from outside the perimeter of the brick structure.
Lake Hefner Lighthouse
Location: Lake Hefner Pkwy., Oklahoma City
Lake Hefter Lighthouse, officially the Lighthouse at East Wharf, in Oklahoma City is one of the finest spots in Oklahoma City to watch the setting sun.
The 36-foot lighthouse, beige with burgundy trim and a locked green door, was built in 1999 as part of a development project led by Randy Hogan. The lighthouse is modeled after the Brant Point Light Station on the north side of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.
Gravity Hill
Location: Pioneer (Pitt) Rd., Springer
Gravity Hill, or Magnetic Hill, is another anomaly in Oklahoma near Springer. On the hill, drivers will sense that instead of their car rolling downhill with the motor turned off, it’ll actually roll uphill, according to Travel Oklahoma.
The website instructs visitors to drive to Pioneer Road, stop the car at the bottom of the hill and put it in neutral, then feel a force “pull” you and the car up the hill.
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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