TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: ERIN HERCHOCK (DEWEY)
By Mike Tupa
Nov. 14, 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.
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Today's Spotlight
ERIN HERCHOCK (Dewey)
Multiple sports (mid-2010s)
Erin Herchock remains one of the most athletic — and determined — athletes in Lady Dogger history.
She hammered out her biggest impact on the track — particularly in the girls hurdles events.
Competing in the hurdles was more than a personal pursuit — it was a family affair.
A compactly-built dynamo, Herchock flowed gracefully over the hurdles like a smooth-flowing river speeding toward the ocean of success at the finish line
She is an important part of Dewey’s golden legacy for the past quarter-century in the hurdles. In 2014 and 2015, Herchock swept the state championship in both the girls' 100m and 300m hurdles races. She popped off a sizzling time of :15.27 in the 2014 100m hurdles state final and won the 2015 300m hurdles at :45.48.
Injury deprived Herchock of a chance to defend her state championships as a senior.
But she had already accomplished what she really wanted most. To follow in her father’s footsteps — literally
Her dad, Eddie, had won the 300m hurdles state gold medal when he was in high school.
During an interview several years ago, Herchock said she wanted to duplicate that feat.
In addition, her grandfather had been a track coach.
Athletic acumen and toughness turned out to be a family trait.
After missing a meet due to a hamstring issue — an especially difficult thing for a hurdler — Erin returned the next meet to win the girls 300m hurdles (with her fastest time of the season), finish second in the girls 100m hurdles and ran the fastest leg (1:06.2) for Dewey’s girls 4x400m relay. Rounding out the relay team were Jaycie Nickerson, Bailey Fesler, and Kiersten Vincent.
Herchock also brought athleticism and skills to the basketball court for Dewey. During a win in late January 2016, Herchock poured in a team-high 19 points.
At the time, she expressed appreciation for playing for coach Ernest Jones, who helped turn the program in a more successful direction.
According to a newspaper report at the time, multiple colleges expressed interest in having Herchock compete for them. Herchock did sign a letter of intent with Harding, but her college career never took off.
However, she has gone into education as her career — inspired by the example of her dad and mom, Amy.
When she was at the top of her form and healthy, Herchock was a shooting star through the local prep sports universe and one of the best hurdlers to ever step on the track.
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Erin Herchock
Left, Eddie, Erin, and Amy Herchock
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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