TOP ATHLETE OF PAST 30 YEARS: HEATHER LANPHEAR (BARNSDALL)
By Mike Tupa
Oct. 8, 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
HEATHER LANPHEAR (Barnsdall)
Softball (late 2000s)
Just call her the Babe Ruth of area high school history.
Think I’m exaggerating?
During her senior slowpitch softball season she swatted 27 homers — and that was before the end of the season!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find her final numbers for that 2011 season — she slammed her 27th homer, with the playoffs yet to arrive.
To put Lanphear’s feat into perspective, Babe Ruth averaged a homer every 2.5 games during his 60-homer pursuit in 154 games in 1927.
Lanphear averaged a homer every game and some small change.
Take this into account as well — during her junior season (2010) Lanphear had blasted 25 homers!
That meant she would finish with 50-plus dingers her junior and senior seasons.
Considering that Lanphear didn’t get her fair share of bats — she received a rash of intentional walks — Lanphear had to make the most when a team had the courage to pitch to her.
During one festival in her senior seasons, opposing teams walked her six times — she had only one official at-bat.
In addition to her strength at the plate, Barnsdall coach Joe Gilbert also promoted her on defense from third base/catcher to shortstop.
Some of Lanphear’s single-game exploits included:
— Ripping a grand slam against Prue.
— Wrecking Bartlesville pitching with four hits and four RBI, although Bartlesville won, 7-6.
— Two hits in a state semifinal win against Healdton.
— Belting a bases-clearing double to put Barnsdall up on Hominy, 5-0. (Hominy rallied to win, 8-7.)
— Delivering a homer and two-run double in a win against Oklahoma Union.
— During a slowpitch win against Morrison, 11-1, Lanphear and Terryn Gillett crushed back-to-back homers, Lanphear’s being a two run shot.
Lanphear honed her talent as a young warrior with the legendary Oklahoma Booyahs competitive team, which developed multiple top area softball players in history under the guidance of coach Corey Shivel.
She would sign a letter of intent to play junior college fastpitch softball at Independence (Kan.) Community College in order to make it easy on family and friends to go and watch her play.
Lanphear continued to pound the ball in 2012 for Independence — .421 batting average, 20 homers and 65 RBI. She also went 9-for-9 in stolen bases and carved out a .465 on-base percentage.
Her sophomore season (2013) she cranked 15 homers, plated 57 runs, ripped 17 doubles, walked 31 times and batted .407.
Lanphear also earned NJCAA All-America First-Team honors at Independence.
Lanphear remains perhaps the most prolific varsity long ball hitter in area history and one of the area's top athletes.
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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