TOP AREA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE LAST 30 YEARS: ANDREW RODGERS

By Mike Tupa

Sept. 5, 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

ANDREW RODGERS (Copan)

Multiple sports (early 2010s)

Rodgers rocketed to six state gold medals in four years in distance running events, making him one of the swiftest-ever products to come out of Copan that didn’t run on four legs.

Rodgers outran the wind and nearly every other runner that stepped on the same surface as him.

It started his freshman season (2010) when he stunned the rest of the state by winning the 3200m run. His sophomore year he came in second in the 3200m and fifth in the 800m.

But his junior and senior seasons he was unbeatable at the state meet.

In 2013 he completed a rare trifecta, winning the 800m, 1600m and 3200m runs.

A year earlier he had captured the championship in both the 1600m and 3200m runs.

That means for his career he won the 3200m event three times and placed second once.

Rodgers also bolted to the Class 2A state boys cross country championship in 2012, turning in a blistering time of 16:54. He was the lone runner to break 17 minutes and won by a whopping 12-second margin.

Rodgers also excelled in football for Copan. As a sophomore (2010) he grabbed two touchdown passes and made two interceptions in a showdown against rival South Coffeyville — plus he handled all the kicking duties.

Rodgers went on to excel in college for the Pittsburg (Kan.) State men’s running teams.

In the autumn 2016 MIAA Conference Cross Country championship 8K run, Rodgers turned in Pitt State’s fourth-fastest time (25:57.22) and finished 29th overall.

Rodgers set a sizzling pace during his years at Copan and after while powering into the company of some of the greatest-ever athletes in the Bartlesville area.

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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

-Henry Williams

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BLASTS FROM THE PAST: December 1950

Answers were few for the Copan Hornets during a boys high school basketball showdown against the Dewey Bulldoggers, in the debut at Dewey's new $119,000 gym (which is still in use in 2025).

Jerry Gilliand drained 18 points to energize Dewey -- which was coached by Ed Hill -- to a 43-35 victory. Gilliand buried seven field goals and dropped in four free throws to score nearly half of his team's points.

Herman Mason added nine points to the Dewey cause. Robert Austin heat up the cords with nine points for Copan, followed by Joe Pruitt and Robert Cummings with seven apiece.

Approximately 1,000 fans squeezed together to watch the historic game.

Andrew Rodgers