TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: ADAM HIBDON

By Mike Tupa

Sept. 12, 2025

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

During his nearly 30 years of covering area high school sports for either the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise or the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa has enjoyed the opportunity to observe some incredible athletes.

This is an ongoing series highlighting each few days one of those athletes from the 1996-97 school year through the present. The list is not in chronological order. The athletes are presented in random sequence.

TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT

ADAM HIBDON (Barnsdall)

Football/wrestling/baseball/track

Perhaps few area athletes the past quarter-century could be described as Thorpe-esque.

Hibdon definitely is a candidate for that category.

Like the legendary Native American dynamo Jim Thorpe, Hibdon seemed to be in an Elysium realm all by himself in comparison with most other area sports warriors of his time (early 2000s).

During his final two football seasons he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns — each season! He was a four-year varsity starter.

When it came to winter time, Hibdon terrorized the grappling scene. He won not one but two state wrestling titles! Both at 171 pounds.

For his baseball exploits in the spring of 2005, college scouts and coaches named him to the Triple Crown World Series All-Star Baseball team. In Barnsdall’s conference baseball tournament, Hibdon ripped 13 hits in 17 at-bats (wow!), several of them for extra bases. He also displayed uncanny control on the pitching mound.

That’s not all.

Hibdon took time off from the Barnsdall baseball team to run on the school's boys 4x400m relay team and help it qualify for the state meet.

During his junior football season of 2003, he led the state with 13 interceptions.

Then-Barnsdall coach Larry VanBeber praised Hibdon’s performance in the classroom as well as on the playing field.

In feature in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise in August 2005, Hibdon said he planned to compete in baseball in college, adding when it came to wrestling that he “left my shoes” on the mat after his final state tourney, to end what had been approximately a dozen years of hard work as a matter.

Hibdon’s sports connection to Barnsdall had deep roots.

His mother had played softball and basketball for the school’s legendary coach Joe Gilbert, who coached at Barnsdall from 1954 until his unexpected death in the early 2020s. Hibdon’s sister Aubrey also excelled in Barnsdall sports.

It’s been more than 20 years since Hibdon unleashed his talents and his determination in area sports competition. But his performance and achievements transcend eras in the unwritten volume of athletic successes.

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This series has included the following athletes, who are listed in no particular order.

-Jena’ Williams, Bartlesville

-Eric Rolfs, Bartlesville

-Chris Smith, Caney Valley

-Jill Bryan, Copan

-Barron Tanner Jr, Bartlesville

-Hailey Tucker, Bartlesville

-Jeremy Dunkle, Dewey

-Whitney Metcalf, Bartlesville

-Tim Hamilton, Bartlesville

-Danielle Koster, Bartlesville

-Carson LaRue, Dewey

-John Hamman, Wesleyan Christian

-Jamie Elam, Caney Valley

-Sam Mitchell, Bartlesville

-Karissa Jones, Dewey

-Noah Hartsock, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Paper, Copan

-AJ Parker, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Eden, Caney Valley

-Henry Williams, Bartlesville

-Markell Carter, Bartlesville

-Rebecca Schluter, Wesleyan Christian

Adam Hibdon