TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: DANNY MANNING (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

April 3, 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

DANNY MANNING (Bartlesville)

Multiple sports (late 19990s-early 2000s)

Whenever Danny Manning suited up, something exciting was likely to happen.

— As a sophomore in 1998 he intercepted 10 passes for the Bruin football team.

— As a baserunner for the Bartlesville High or for the Doenges Ford Indians his blazing speed raised dust on the basepath and distress in the hearts of opponents.

— As a tackler he was a fearless warrior, smaller physically than many others on the field but a huge hitter.

— As a youth he qualified for at least one prestigious national track competition.

School rules at the time prohibited Manning from running track meets while he was a member of the baseball team. Had those rules not existed there’s little doubt he would have been among the fastest ever to run for Bartlesville.

He was the last of the Manning clan — the children of Jim and Marta — to bless the athletic ranks of Bartlesville High.

On the day of Danny’s final baseball game at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium, Marta waited in the parking lot with a camera to take a photo of her youngest child leaving the stadium after his final game.

Family encouragement and support played a major part in the sports’ pursuits of Danny and his siblings.

They were also trained in devotion and fierce commitment to their teams.

That’s why during the 2000 football season, Manning played the final third of the season with a big cast on a broken hand — caused while diving for a loose ball against Muskogee. Despite that fractured frisket, Manning played the rest of the way in that frenetic battle against Muskogee, won by Bartlesville, 18-15.

After missing the next game, Manning came back to help the Bruins beat Tulsa Rogers and Tulsa Memorial. In the final game of the 2000 season, Manning and his teammates almost beat Broken Arrow on its home field.

Bartlesville had led Broken Arrow, 17-2, with less than eight minutes left. The Bruins still led going into the final couple of minutes. They appeared to clinch the win when Broken Arrow threw an incompletion on a fourth-down play. But a Bartlesville penalty on the play kept the Broken Arrow drive alive to score a tying touchdown, send the game to overtime and win it.

Had the Bruins hung on to win, Manning would have been part of the first Bartlesville playoff team in eight years.

As it was Bartlesville finished at 5-5 and Manning and fellow senior Jeremy Waldorf were only the second class to have started for Bartlesville on three-straight nonlosing seasons.

When Manning became a cornerback sophomore starter in 1998 he inherited the position from his older brother Jacky.

Danny Manning helped key the ’98 team to Bartlesville’s first non-losing season since 1992. He made his 10 interceptions against seven different opponents — Independence, Kan., Coffeyville, Kan., Tulsa Rogers, Broken Arrow, Tulsa Memorial (2), Tulsa Hale (2) and Muskogee (2).

As a result of Manning’s interception bonanza as a sophomore, he rarely had a pass thrown in his direction during his junior (1999) and senior (2000) campaigns. He received more respect from opposing offenses than a tornado warning on a stormy night.

But Manning created other ways to make a major impact on defense.

Take the 2000 game against Jenks, for example. A legendary Trojan ballcarrier broke free and appeared to be on his way to a long touchdown run. But Manning seemed to come out of nowhere and made a diving tackle that planted the runner near the sideline. When he jumped up, the runner's head seemed to snap around in search of the number of the truck that just steamrolled him.

That tackle was one of the reasons why Bartlesville was the only team that season to hold Jenks to less than 100 yards rushing.

Manning also made a major impact for the Bruin offense.

In a 42-18 win against Tulsa Rogers, Manning broke off a 34-yard run to set up James Aubrey for a one-yard run for the game’s first touchdown. 

As written earlier, Manning brought similar athleticism and determination to the baseball diamond.

During a 6-2 victory against Tupelo (Miss.) in the 2000 American Legion Mid-South Regional — hosted by Bartlesville — Manning put down a bunt single that triggered the winning rally. Manning would score on Bryan Kayser’s two-run homer.

Manning also helped turn a double play that wrapped up the win.

Other baseball highlights — either for the high school or American Legion — included:

— Perfect at the plate (4-for-4) in an 11-7 win against Tulsa Fleetco. He belted a two-double and stole two bases.

— Scored two runs, delivered a hit and a sacrifice and registered a steal in a 6-4 win against Fleetco

— In 1999, he led off the game with a standup triple to spark a three-run eruption in a 5-1 win against Claremore. Later in the game he singled home Ralph White.

Manning did it all with a natural grace, humility and stoicism that honored his family.

Many more highlights could be included, but the point is made that Manning remains one of the elite homegrown athletes in Bartlesville history.

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Danny Manning, left, with brothers Andy and Jacky.

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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

-Trey Cloud, Wesleyan Christian

-Wyatt Steigerwald, Nowata

-Ben Rovenstine, Bartlesville

-Amber Bonham, Copan