TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: HALEY DOWNEY (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

Oct. 21, 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

HALEY DOWNEY (Bartlesville)

Girls swimming (mid-2010s)

Downey was a force of power when she entered the pool.

She was one of the oldest of the Droege Grandchild Dynasty that has helped elevate the Bartlesville Splash Club to Bartlesville renown.

In 2016, Downey fulfilled the dream that only a minuscule percentage of the millions of serious youth ever experience — competing in the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.

She then turned in four outstanding years of competition for the University of Kansas women’s swimming team.

Downey brought a lot of fire and steel to the Bartlesville High swim program during her four years on the varsity.

As a freshman (2012-13), she helped lead the Lady Bruins 200 freestyle team (along with Grace Fodor, Hannah Steward and Avery Bennett) to the state silver medal.

She brought home state gold as a sophomore (2013-14) as a member of the Bartlesville girls’ 400 freestyle relay team (again with Bennett, Steward and Fodor). That same state meet, Downey also finished as state runner-up in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke and landed a bronze along with the girls 200 medley relay (along with Fodor, Steward and Bennett).

In her junior campaign (2014-15) Downey won two relay gold medals (girls 200 medley, with Delaney Shipman, Kate Steward and Greta Olsen; and the 200 freestyle, with Alison Biddinger, Kate Steward and Emily Giovannetti). Downey also finished with silver medals in the girls’ 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

Downey finished up her prep career by winning state gold in the girls 200 individual medley to cap her senior journey (2015-16). She also harvested gold on two girls relay teams — the 200 medley (along with Shipman, Kate Steward and Olsen) and the 200 freestyle (along with Olsen, June Harris and Giovannetti). Her other piece of state hardware that year was a silver in the girls 100 breaststroke.

To those keeping track, it all adds up to six gold, six silvers and one bronze in four years of state meet competition.

But like an iceberg, Downey’s success in high school competition revealed only the tip of her pool success.

In the summer of 2015, Downey qualified in the women’s 200m breaststroke at the USA Swimming “Futures Championships” meet to compete in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. Downey remains one of a handful, perhaps five-or-less of Splash Club girls since the 1950s to earn a spot in the Olympic trials.

She turned in a solid performance at the trials but not fast enough to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.

Downey also finished second in USA Central Sectionals in the women’s 200 and 400 individual medley races.

From the moment she began representing the University of Kansas women’s swimming team she became a star.

As a senior (2019-20) she blitzed to second place in the 200-yard breaststroke at the Big 12 Conference championship meet. She also finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke and fifth in the 200-yard individual medley in the same championships.

The Big 12 also named Downey as the Women’s Swimming and Diving Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2019-20.

Her sophomore and junior seasons ended with her being named All-Big 12 First Team. 

Downey pulled off a championship trifecta (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard medley relay) in three different meets as a freshman (2016-17).

Downey’s cousin Greta Olsen and sister Erin Downey also swam for the University of Kansas.

From age seven to the Olympic trials to the end of her collegiate career, Downey carved out a swath of amazing achievements, making her one of the best student-athletes ever to appear the past three decades in the Bartlesville area.

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This series has featured the following athletes, 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, Barnsdall

-Tishuana Hunter, Nowata

-Nate Alleman, Bartlesville

-Jessie Burch, Dewey

-Joey McNair, Caney Valley/Bartlesville

-Michael Thompson, Bartlesville

-Kate Steward, Bartlesville

-Jarrett Rouse, Community

-Amanda Warehime, Bartlesville

-Trey Osborne, Dewey

-Heather Lanphear, Barnsdall

-Erin Epperson, Bartlesville

-Levi Wyrick, Caney Valley (Kan.)

-Spencer Magana, Dewey

-Jackie Jo Chaney, Copan

Haley Downey