- Order Now!!! VYPE Oklahoma Announces the 2020 Pigskin Preview
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Track Athlete Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, Wicker (Poll Ends 5/11)
- VYPE Magazine Announces the Shelter Insurance Mr. & Miss Basketball Oklahoma Award Winners – Bryce Thompson & Aaliyah Moore
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Slowpitch Softball Player Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, Wicker (Poll Ends 4/24)
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Golfer/Tennis Player Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, & Wicker (Poll Ends 4/20)
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Boys Soccer Player Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, & Wicker (Poll Ends 4/15)
- Morrison’s Trevor Hughes – Athlete Spotlight Presented By Stillwater Medical Center Clinic of Morrison
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Ponca City’s McKenna “Drew” Markle – Character Counts Presented by Equity Bank
- Updated: September 6, 2019
By Rachelle Rogers
Drew Markle of Ponca City marches to her own drum. As a senior drum major, who is also a power-lifter, Drew has learned it’s important to be confident and have integrity when leading her peers.
“The first thing that comes with trust and respect is honesty. In order to have your bands trust and respect you, you have to be honest with each other and that is important to me,” states Drew Markle.
Playing trumpet is where it all started for Drew and she’s recently started playing the french horn and saxophone. She loves the family atmosphere of playing in the band and how they always have each other’s backs no matter what they are going through.
Overcoming injuries in other sports is what propelled Drew towards power-lifting. Her coach, Coach Freeman encouraged her to go to just one meet and check it out and she was quickly hooked.
“It was a completely new experience (competing at nationals), it was very nerve wracking, but eye opening as well,” says Drew. “You see so many other kids your age from all over the country that have worked hard to be there and it becomes surreal.”
Drew is also a member of the Natural Athletes Strength Association (NASA) where in her first season as a power-lifter she finished ranked second in the nation in her weight class. At one point, she was actually ranked as high as first place earlier in the season.
Markle is also in track and throws discus and even qualified for state in shot put. She’s hoping to place at state her senior year. History is her favorite subject in school and she loves to debate her dad about how things may be different if today World War II or the Civil War had ended differently. In her down time, she loves reading, traveling to go see her family, and spending time in the outdoors with her dogs.
After graduation Drew hopes to get a scholarship for college where she’d like to study Pre-Med, go to Medical School, then she has aspirations of joining the U.S. Navy.
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