Here are some takeaways from the first signing day of the 2023-24 school year, which included athletes in sports other than football.

Bethany star Zya Vann signs with OU women's basketball

Zya Vann had been looking forward to this moment since the start of her senior year.

The Bethany women's basketball guard officially signed her letter of intent with OU on Friday after previously committing to play for the Sooners in May. Before her commitment, Vann fielded nearly a dozen offers from the likes of West Virginia, North Texas, Wichita State and Kansas State.

Vann is currently ranked No. 46 nationally in ESPN's high school recruiting rankings and joins her 2025 Bronchos teammate Keziah Lofton in Norman — who committed to OU in September 2022.

She is the daughter of former OU basketball player Bryatt Vann, who played for two seasons for the Sooners from 1991-93. Her older sister, Skylar Vann, is currently a senior forward on the Sooners and heavily influenced Zya throughout her journey to OU.

"OU has definitely been one of my dream schools ever since I was a child," Vann said.

More: Where are Oklahoma high school athletes going to college? Here's the 2024 signing list

"I grew up going to a ton of games then and recently which made me want to go even more. Today makes me so happy because there were a lot of are days where I really struggled and my dad pushed me a lot to become the best I could be. So being able to get this whole process over with, see the progress I've made as a player and make it official to sign to go to OU today has made this whole journey worth it."

The Sooners have now added even further talent to an already stacked women's basketball program. OU is fresh off another successful year under third-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk. In 2023, OU finished with a conference-best 26-7 record and secured a first-round win over Portland in the NCAA Tournament.

As for Bethany, head coach Eric Sailer's Bronchos look to defend their first-ever Class 4A state championship, which they attained in the spring. Vann played an immense role in Bethany's title run, averaging 18.9 points, 5.3 assists, and an unprecedented 5.3 steals per game as a junior.

"I'm just motivated to work hard and become an even better player for the team," Vann said. "We're expected to win all of our games, and that's what we expect for ourselves too. We're all motivated to win another state title — that's what has been pushing us heading into the season. One of the main things I want to focus on this year is making memories and having a lot of fun."

Bethany will tip off its quest for a second state title on the road against Class 4 foe Kingfisher on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

—Jordan Davis, Staff writer

More: Breaking down the 2023 Class 2A Oklahoma high school football playoff bracket

Dale’s Dayton Forsythe, Karsen Griggs sign with Division-I programs

Dayton Forsythe and Karsen Griggs stood at midcourt inside Dale’s gymnasium, and essentially every level of the school’s students were in attendance.

On one side were grade-school kids, while the other included students closer to the two star athletes’ ages.

And after getting introduced and giving short speeches, the duo completed a rare thing when it comes to Dale athletics, signing with Division-I programs.

Forsythe signed with the OU basketball program Wednesday, and Griggs signed with Kansas softball.

“We’ve grown up together, going to school together,” Forsythe said, “and it was a really cool day to see the community come together like this and support us. And that’s exactly what I knew they were going to do. That’s what they’re going to keep doing whenever we go to college. I’m excited to make it official.”

Forsythe — a 6-foot-2 guard — has led the Pirates to two straight Class 2A state basketball titles, while Griggs — a standout infielder — just helped Dale win the fastpitch softball championship this fall.

Forsythe averaged 17.1 points and six assists per game last season while leading Dale to an undefeated season and held offers from several Division-I programs, such as OU, Oklahoma State and Villanova.

He grew as an OU fan and received an offer from the Sooner in December but didn’t announce his commitment until July.

“I did keep my options open,” Forsythe said. “I thought about it for a long time. But none of them just felt the same as it did whenever I went to OU. It just felt like where I needed to be.”

Griggs has also had an illustrious career at Dale, holding a batting average above .500 each season.

“There’s no better high school I could have ever wanted to be a part of than Dale High School," Griggs said.

—Nick Sardis, Staff writer

More: Breaking down the 2023 Class 3A Oklahoma high school football playoff bracket

Twenty-two Edmond North athletes sign with colleges

Edmond North athletic director Baron Potter had a good problem.

The Huskies’ early signing ceremony featured too many athletes to line up at tables across the auditorium stage, so they needed a different arrangement. This time, Potter opted for the signees to walk to the stage for individual recognition while inking their national letters of intent one by one.

Twenty-two Edmond North students signed with college programs Wednesday afternoon. Potter said it’s one of the school’s largest signing groups, and this speaks to the recent success across the Huskies’ athletic programs.

“We’ve won 10 state championships in my two-and-a-half years (as athletic director), so it’s in a really good place,” Potter said.

From Caleigh Stoddard with Idaho women’s swimming to Parker Sands with Florida men’s golf, the Huskies are planning to span the country for college. Edmond North’s baseball team alone had six signees, including Pryce Bender with Nebraska and Owen Hall with Vanderbilt.

Two Huskies chose a Division I program only a few miles from home. Hunter Hollingsworth and Jude Randall signed with OU wrestling, and the longtime teammates plan to be roommates.

“Jude’s been one of my best friends since we were little kids,” Hollingsworth said. “We’ve wrestled together most of our whole lives. So when I heard Jude was coming, it was pretty cool to just have a best friend there and be able to room with someone that I’ve known my whole life and just create good memories with a good buddy.”

Although Hollingsworth made his decision early, Randall needed more time. Ultimately, he committed to the Sooners in October, following in the footsteps of his father, former OU wrestler Zachory Randall.

Hollingsworth and Jude Randall said they like new head coach Roger Kish’s vision for OU’s program.

“The class of 2024 is amazing,” Hollingsworth said. “... I think we’re gonna do some big things here in the upcoming years.”

—Hallie Hart, Staff writer

More: Breaking down the 2023 Class 5A Oklahoma high school football playoff bracket

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National Signing Day: OU basketball lands Zya Vann, Dayton Forsythe