TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: PAIGE EDEN (CANEY VALLEY)

By Mike Tupa

Jan. 31, 2026

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

PAIGE EDEN (Caney Valley)

Multiple sports (Class of 2011)

“She’s just a warrior.”

That’s how Caney Valley head softball coach Bryan Gardner characterized Eden for a Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise newspaper article in 2009.

He captured her competitive essence perfectly.

Eden infused a “can-do” grittiness into the soul of Lady Trojans athletics, highlighted by a Class 3A state softball championship crown in the autumn of 2009 — the only team title in the history of Caney Valley athletics.

Eden — whose twin sister Shelby added the same kind of fire and determination to competition — pitched all three games at state and allowed just two runs.

Caney Valley opened the 2009 state odyssey by crushing Chandler, 11-0 — fueled by Eden’s two-run homer. Next up, Paige blanked Bethel, 3-0, in the semifinals.

During that game, Eden struck out the side in the third and whiffed a batter in the fourth for the third out and left two runners stranded.

The Lady Trojans dropped Purcell, 4-2, in the final.

Eden thrived on the ragged edge or pressure in the final by giving up nine hits while holding Purcell to just two runs. She also struck out 11 batters and didn’t surrender a walk with fellow junior warrior Jasilyn Gann as her batterymate.

Purcell tip-toed to a 2-0 lead and held it going into the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth, Eden walked and Shelby Eden delivered a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position. Paige scored the run that tied the score, 2-2.

In the seventh inning, Caney Valley scored two more runs on an error to win the game and put the Ramona-Ochelata area on the state championship map.

Looking back to the regular season, Eden recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout games in a shutout of Comanche, 2-0 (one-hitter, 10 K’s) and a 5-2 dusting of Checotah (two-hitter, 11 K’s) in one day.

No one will ever know if the Lady Trojan softball team might have produced a two-peat in 2010 after Paige Eden suffered a season-ending injury.

Her sister Shelby filled in superbly in the pitching circle to soften Paige’s absence.

Even so, moving Shelby from an everyday defensive position and battling without Paige’s bat in the lineup were just a tad too much for the Lady Trojans to overcome in the postseason.

Even so, Caney Valley weaved together a stellar 24-13 record, won a district title and fell just shy of capturing the regional crown and returning to state.

Paige also made an impact on the Lady Trojan basketball team.

In a 52-44 loss in January 2010 to Pawhuska, Eden did her part, scoring 17 points, grabbing nine rebounds, making two steals and blocking a shot.

Pawhuska did most of its damage in the first quarter, motoring to a 19-8 lead. In the second half, the Lady Trojans outscored Pawhuska, 27-20, with Eden providing a burst of energy.

In February 2010, Eden helped Caney Valley knock off Ketchum, 49-46, during coach Deric Longan’s first season as head coach. She scored nine points — including five points during the rambunctious fourth quarter rally.

In addition, both Eden sisters were original members of the elite Oklahoma Booyahs competitive softball team, coached by Corey Shivel.

Eden brought a blue-collar eliteness to Lady Trojan sports and remains one of the area’s best-ever athletes.

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Paige Eden

Paige Eden

Paige Eden

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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, Bartlesville

-Cooper Fogle, Caney Valley

-Amanda Brown, Copan 

-Rachel Smith, Pawhuska

-Casey Cassity, Barnsdall

-Stacy Cornforth, Bartlesville

-Gabby Higbee, Dewey

-Kirby Schoenthaler, Bartlesville

-Tyler Kay, Barnsdall

-Colton Penrod, Bartlesville

-Erin Herchock, Dewey

-Lindsey Collins, Caney Valley

-Nathan Hughes, Bartlesville

-Aaron Hunt, Copan

-Calan Crowder, Bartlesville

-Colby Kohlmeyer, Caney Valley

-Allison Hunt, Copan

-Stephen Garrett, Dewey

-Brett Turowski, Bartlesville

-Hayley Bryan, Copan

-Kaitlyn Ritchie, Bartlesville

-Caroline Courtney, Bartlesville

-Preston Bartley, Copan

-Chris Turner, Bartlesville

-Michael Wolfe, Bartlesville

-Caleb Hawes, Barnsdall

-Austin Beck, Nowata

-Kortney Bridges, Dewey

-Brandi Schueler, Bartlesville

-Nick Phillips, Bartlesville