TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: GABBY HIGBEE (DEWEY)
By Mike Tupa
Nov. 5, 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
GABBY HIGBEE (Dewey)
Multiple sports (late 2010s-early 2020s)
Higbee infused Lady Dogger sports with well-honed skills and a fiery spirit of determination.
She played a vital role in revitalizing Dewey softball back to a state power and also brought an explosive presence to the basketball court.
It was on the diamond where she made the biggest noise, including being named the District 3A-5 Most Valuable Player her senior year.
As a Dewey senior Higbee batted .560 and drove in 29 runs while fashioning a .611 on-base percentage. For her Dewey career she batted .554 as a four-year starter and plated 104 runs.
Directly out of high school Higbee played softball for the University of Tulsa and made five starts as a freshman. She scratched a hit off the University of Central Florida and scored four runs for the season.
She then transferred to Nicholls State prior to the 2023 campaign. During that sophomore season she made 47 starts and belted 29 hits — leading the team in homers (five) and belting six doubles. She also scored 20 runs and drove in 22.
Against Lamar she produced a game-winning two-run double in the 13th inning. She also stole six bases (in nine attempts) and lifted three sacrifice flies.
Unfortunately, due to injury Higbee sat out the 2025 campaign.
In addition to softball, Higbee excelled on a mighty level for the girls’ basketball team and also for the track team.
As far as the latter, Higbee earned some impressive hardware.
During her junior track season (2021) she burst to two medals — fourth place in the girls 100m hurdles and fifth place in the girls 300m hurdles at the Class 3A state meet.
Higbee didn’t have an opportunity her sophomore track season (2020) due to the cancellation of all spring sports because of the state-wide COVID restrictions.
As a freshman (2019), Higbee hustled to fifth place in the state girls 100m hurdles race — the highest finish by a ninth-grader — and fifth in the high jump.
She might have challenged for a gold medal in her senior state track meet (2022) if not for the recovery from injury and concern about keeping her healthy for college softball. However, this fiery warrior still competed in other track events, such as the high jump and 400m dash.
Higbee also delivered with stealthy excellence on the basketball hardwood for Dewey.
In a 40-31 win against Caney Valley (Kan.) her senior season (2021-22), Higbee — who had recently returned from injury — pumped in 17 points. That victory elevated Dewey to double-digit victories for the season.
Gabby Higbee was the ultimate gladiator in girls’ area high school sports — with a prolific motivation to always give her best, which was a considerable contribution.
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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