TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: AUSTIN BECK (NOWATA)

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By Mike Tupa

Jan. 12, 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

AUSTIN BECK (Nowata)

Football (Class of 2011)

Beck made a powerful impact at Nowata in a literal as well as an emotional sense.

Measuring out at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds (in college he would be listed at 325 pounds), Beck combined force with athleticism to help Nowata record 23 wins and make the playoffs three times during his four years in the program.

Beck would go on to play at the University of Arkansas. As a junior (2014), he participated in more than 30 snaps and never allowed a sack of quarterback Brandon Allen. He also blocked for two 1,000-yard rushers that season.

Although — for whatever reason, perhaps just bad timing — he didn’t get the opportunity to achieve greatness on the college level, Beck’s performance on the prep gridiron remains the stuff of legends.

Among the schools that expressed serious interest in him were Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Illinois and several others.

As an Ironmen senior he displayed menacing mobility — in the face of countless double and triple-team schemes meant to neutralize him — on his way to 51 tackles (35 solo). Rating outlets listed him from anywhere from the 37th to the 71st best offensive tackle in the nation and the overall best 10th-best prospect in Oklahoma in his recruiting class.

After Nowata — coached by Eric Walkingstick — stumbled to 3-7 in 2009, Beck helped lead the team to 7-5 in 2010 — including a shocking playoff win at Tahlequah-Sequoyah.

Beck was a man-mountain lion. On the day of his college signing, he drove a tractor to the ceremony, defying massive drifts of snow and ice and bitter cold.

Beck remains an Ironmen icon and one of the luminaries in the bright constellation of the best prep athletes. 

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Austin Beck

Austin Beck (74) and fellow Nowata Ironman seniors.

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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

-Devin Randall, Bartlesville