Rylee Hannon is one of seven seniors who has helped lead the Mustang Broncos to a 12-5 record so far this season, including a 7-0 run in district play.
Hannon knows a thing or two about being a Bronco. She played one season with her older sister and took home a state title ring. Her dad helped coach multiple sports at MHS, including football, and helped guide the Broncos to the Class 6A state championship game in 2006 as an assistant.
Now, Hannon is focused on bringing home more hardware. She is a big part of Mustang’s team chemistry this season and is considered an amazing teammate by her peers and coaches.
But what is her favorite breakfast cereal you wonder? Who is her biggest inspiration and favorite athlete? Check out the answers to those questions and more below!
Q: What is your favorite hobby outside of softball?
I would have to say working out. My sister and I go to CrossFit and the community there is wonderful. The support they give you and just how much fun I have when working out has become one of my top hobbies.
Q: What is your favorite moment playing softball?
Playing with my older sister. We only played together for one year because she was a senior and I was a freshman, but I loved every minute of it. She was my inspiration for softball and getting to step on the field with her was one of the best feelings ever. We won a state title together in 2021 and it sparked my loved for softball all over again.
Q: What is the best aspect about being a Mustang softball player?
My honest answer would be: everything. The coaches, my teammates, the friendships, and the community support is just so awesome. Being in this program for four years truly was one of the best things that I could’ve done and I definitely would not play for any other team. The love we have for one another, the constant joy that is being brought everyday, and just overall having fun with what we do. I couldn’t thank coach Darity enough for the last four years here.
Q: Who is your favorite athlete or biggest sports hero?
Mookie Betts. He is one of the smallest athletes in the MLB and doesn’t let that affect him. As a smaller athlete, I look towards others who can find the best in themselves. He is an outfielder and just the way he plays the game and how much fun he has with it is something I enjoy watching.
Q: What is your favorite sports team?
I love Oklahoma State, the Boston Red Sox, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
I would have to say my dad. He is the reason I wear number eight and the love I have for him goes a long way. He means the world to me and never fails to do anything for the family. He is at every single one of my games, cheering me on from the stands and giving me advice whenever I need it. He is always a helping hand, will listen to me talk, and is just one phone call away. I do everything I can to make him proud and I want to succeed just for him.
Rylee Hannon (Sr.) gets set in the outfield during a game earlier this season. Hannon is one of seven seniors that have helped lead the Broncos to a 12-5 record overall and 7-0 in district play. She says she will attend Oklahoma State University after high school. (Photo by Ron Lane / Lane Images)
Q: Favorite breakfast cereal?
Captain Crunch with berries.
Q: Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate chip cookie dough.
Q: Favorite movie and TV show?
I am not a big TV fan I mainly just watch sports, but if I had to pick, my favorite movie would either be Coach Carter or Encanto and my favorite TV show would be Selling Sunset.
Q: Favorite music artist?
I am a big country music fan, anything Zach Bryan, Parker McCollum, Tyler Childers or Kane Brown.
Q: What are your plans after high school? College? If so, what are you wanting to study?
I plan to go to Oklahoma State and am undecided on what to major in.
Q: What is a career path you have in mind after high school and sports?
I have a few ideas in mind: sports medicine, becoming a sports information director, or teaching elementary. Ever since I was little I have found a love for sports. My dad coached about every sport when I was growing up and I just loved to watch them for hours on end. On the other side, I am a teacher’s aide for one of the softball coaches at an elementary school and I love those kids so much. The joy kids bring me is so much fun and I could definitely see myself doing that as a career. I am still very much undecided as of right now and probably won’t figure it out until the last minute.
Q: Do you have any siblings? Do they play sports?
I have two older sisters, Halle and Kendall, Halle is 24 and ran cross country in high school, and Kendall is 20 and just finished up her career playing softball at NEO.
Q: What sports did you grow up playing?
Softball, basketball, and gymnastics.
Q: Are you originally from Oklahoma? Have you lived or grown up in Mustang your entire life?
I am originally born in Oklahoma and have lived in Mustang my whole life, I love this place so much and am so glad I get to represent it across my chest.
Q: If you had a vote who would you say is the best girls and boys athletes overall at Mustang?
For girls, I would have to say Kenzie Sessions or Parker Simonsen. Both of their athletic abilities are crazy and they can just about do anything. I don’t know much for boys but I would have to go with L.B. Hayes. His ability to play multiple sports at the high school level and the drive he has for them is wild.
Q: Where is a place you have always wanted to visit?
I feel liked I have visited every place that I have wanted to go so far. My favorite place I have been is Colorado. The atmosphere and the city life is wonderful. My sister and I plan on trying to live there together when we get older.
Q: What are some of the best aspects of playing for coach Lacy Darity and the Mustang coaching staff?
I would have to say the drive she brings to the team. The way she reassures us everyday that we are a good team, the confidence she has in each one of us, the way you can sit down and talk about anything with her, and just how she carries herself. The way the assistant coaches not only care for you as a player but as a person and their overall drive to help you get better. These past four years with her have been the absolute best and I would never trade it for the world.
Q: What are some of the best aspects of playing with this group of seniors? What is your favorite memory playing with them?
Just the way we all love each other. We are all pretty close and talk on a daily basis even outside of softball. We all have the same goal in mind at the end of the day and we are just trying to do our best to lead correctly and help others around us. The best memory is winning slow pitch state last spring. The way we played, our team chemistry, and just how everything clicked, it truly was the best time I have ever had with them.
