TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: KORTNEY BRIDGES (DEWEY)

By Mike Tupa

Jan. 14, 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

KORTNEY BRIDGES (Dewey)

Softball (Class of 2011)

“Our motto is Goonies — Never say die.”

— Britney Green

In those seven words, the Dewey High School softball senior encapsulated the character of the 2009 (school year 2009-10) Lady Dogger softball team.

It certainly referred to senior pitcher Kortney Bridges, one of most determined, valiant and talented fastpitch softball hurlers in area prep history.

With Bridges in the circle, Dewey always had a chance to grab a ‘W’.

It’s difficult, however, to write about Bridges without mentioning her three senior teammates — Green, Jessie Burch and Ashleigh Brown.

Guided by talented head coach Tona Wood, this quartet helped change the Dewey program around from mediocre to champions.

And that’s the starting point for this feature.

It was the first day of autumn in 2010 when Dewey took the field to face Catoosa in Class 4A district playoffs.

Dewey — once the elite mid-sized school power in the 1990s in the state — had tumbled into non-contender status, or tougher, throughout a good chunk of the 2000s.

But with the seniors mentioned above providing a boost and Wood pulling the right strings, the program slowly rebounded.

On the September day in 2010, Dewey sought its first district title since 2003.

But as Festus Haggen of "Gunsmoke" might put it, the Lady Doggers done did it.

Led by the gritty pitching of Bridges and a barrage of clutch hits Dewey swept Catoosa, 11-4, and 6-0, under a sun-drenched canopy of stark, blue sky and puffy clouds.

“It’s awesome - what can you say?” said four-year starter Jessie Burch to the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. “We just came together and we finally did it.”

Burch had hit a sizzling double in the first game to break a 4-4 tie and fire up Dewey to the sweep.

Bridges, meanwhile — along with her catcher Connie Gilliland — kept Catoosa in check most of the day.

In game one, Catoosa bounced out to a 3-0 lead. It was a rough start for the right-handed warrior Bridges.

But then she displayed the heart of a champion. After the score had been tied, 4-4, Bridges threw eight-straight shutout innings to clinch the district crown.

The newspaper quoted Bridges after the rugged beginning: “Connie told me she needed me, which basically brung me up. I believed in myself and my team and knew that if they hit everything would be okay.”

When it came to delivering in the clutch for the Dewey Lady Doggers, Bridges proved to be as reliable as the glow on the moon on a clear night.

Armed with a fierce determination and an arsenal of highly-effective pitches, Bridges helped spearhead Dewey’s turnaround back to excellence.

She was a battler to the core.

During a 2009 battle against Davenport, Bridges carried a 0-0 tie into the seventh inning — until a couple of errors cost Dewey the game, 1-0.

But most of the time Bridges emerged victorious.

Also in 2009 she snapped off a no-hitter — with Lacy Whitehead as her catcher — in a 3-0 win at Sperry. Bridges and Whitehead combined for six strikeouts and four walks.

A couple of other classics highlighted her 2009 campaign.

One of them was a 6-0 no-no against Copan. She struck out eight batters.

During a win against Verdigris, Bridges struck out the final batter in four innings and finished with seven K’s. Verdigris’ top four batters recorded a dismal 0-for-9 against her.

Bridges hurled the distance and ripped a double in a 12-2 win in 2010 against Barnsdall. The win improved Dewey’s record to 12-9.

Late in the 2010 regular season, Bridges unleashed a shutout and in the eighth inning doubled home Burch for a 1-0 victory against Hominy. In the bottom of the eighth Bridges struck out the final batter, leaving a runner stranded. Dewey improved to 13-9 — nearly triple its numbers of victories in 2009.

Like Jack of beanstalk fame, Bridges helped plant the seeds of success and cultivate them during an exciting renewal of Lady Dogger swagger.

But that’s what a group adhering to the motto of Goonies is supposed to do.

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Kortney Bridges

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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