COVINGTON ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME...
The Covington Athletic Hall of Fame was established to recognize those individuals and teams who have had a significant impact on athletics at Covington High School.

2017 INDUCTEE: MEREDITH TOBIAS-KANET

Meredith Tobias-Kanet is a 2007 graduate who earned a combined 12 varsity letters in three sports - volleyball, track and cheerleading.

As a cheerleader, Meredith earned four varsity letters as a football cheerleader and one as a basketball cheerleader. She was coached by Gretchen Schmidt, who is an honorary member of the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame, and was part of three teams who qualified for the state cheerleading competition. In 2004, Meredith and the Lady Bucc Cheerleaders placed at Nationals.

On the volleyball court, Meredith earned three varsity letters as a setter for coach Stephanie Robinson. As a junior in 2005, Meredith set two school records with the most sets attempted in a season with 1,548 and most assists in a year with 530. She broke both records and added two more school records as a senior in 2006 with 2,040 set attempts, 847 assists, 321 serves attempted and 36 saves. Meredith was team Co-MVP, a 1st-Team All-Conference selection and named to the District 9 All-Star team as a senior.

As successful as Meredith was in Cheerleading and Volleyball, it was her talent in Track & Field that stamped her legacy as one of the premier female athletes in school history. She was a four-year letter winner under her coach and father Dave Tobias, who is also a member of the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame. She was the Cross County Conference Champion in the Long Jump in 2005 and 2006; a District Champion in the Long Jump in 2006 and 2007; CCC Runner-Up in the 100 meter hurdles in 2006 and 2007; a four-year regional qualifier in the 4x4 relay, 300 meter hurdles and 100 meter hurdles and a member of the 4x400 relay team who won a league championship in 2006. A team MVP in running events in 2005 and 2006 and field events in 2005, Meredith realized her dream of competing in the state track meet in 2006 in the 100 meter hurdles.

After graduating from Covington High School in 2007, Meredith took her talents to the collegiate level at Mount St. Joseph under coach Jeff Hill. Unfortunately she suffered a leg injury that had affected her throughout the majority of her indoor and outdoor track seasons - an injury which ultimately ended her track career.

Still, Meredith earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 2011 and is currently enrolled at Otterbein University studying to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is also employed at Miami Valley Hospital in the Heart & Vascular Care Unit.

Meredith is married to another 2007 Covington graduate, Tyler Kanet.

2017 INDUCTEE: GENE STUDEBAKER

Gene Studebaker is a 2007 graduate who excelled in baseball, basketball and football - earning a combined 12 varsity letters.

On the baseball field under coach Mitch Hirsch, Gene earned four varsity letters and was named team MVP in 2004, 2005 and 2006; All-Conference in 2004, 2005 and 2006; and All-District in 2007. He was also chosen twice as the Offensive Player of the Year for the Buccs.

On the basketball court playing for Hall-of Fame coach Roger Craft, Gene earned four varsity letters and holds the school record for career assists with 300. A four-year starter, Studebaker accumulated 949 career points, despite a shortened sophomore season due to a thigh injury. He was a three-time 1st-Team All-Conference selection (03-04, 05-06, 06-07), a two-time 1st-Team District 9 selection (05-06, 06-07), a 2nd-Team Southwest District section in 06-07 and a 2nd-Team All-Ohio selection as a senior in 06-07. Studebaker was named Co-Team MVP in 05-06 and Team MVP on 06-07.

Gene's athletic prowess was most impressive on the football field, however, as he was a four-year starter and a four-year letterman on three league championship and three state playoff teams for former Buccaneer coach Kevin Finfrock, who is also in the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame. Studebaker was a three-time 1st-Team All-CCC Selection in (2004, 2005, 2006), two-time CCC Back of the Year (2005, 2006), two time 1st-Team All-Southwest District Selection (2005, 2006), two-time Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006) and a two-time 1st-Team All-Ohio Selection (2005, 2006). At the time of his graduation in 2007, Gene held school records for most career all-purpose yards (7,197), most career rushing yards (4,150), and most rushing yards in a season (1,726). He is just one of six players in the history of Covington football to record over 1,000 rushing yards in two separate seasons (1,726 in 2005 and 1,447 in 2006). He is also the only player in Buccaneer history to rush for over 1,000 yards and pass for over 1,000 yards in the same season, which Gene accomplished with 1,408 passing yards and 1,447 rushing yards as a senior in 2006.

Gene has two children, Brooklyn and Greysen, and lives in Piqua, Ohio. He is employed at Hartzell Propeller, Inc. in Piqua.

2017 HONORARY INDUCTEES: JACK SCHWAMBERGER

Jack Schwamberger is a beloved long-time teacher and coach in the Covington Exempted Village School system. Whether it was in the classroom, on the football field, on the track or on the wrestling mat, Mr. Schwamberger created many great memories for the kids he coached and taught for 29 years.

Coach Schwamberger's coaching career was one for the ages - 18 years as the head wrestling coach, 10 years as the head baseball coach, 22 years as junior high football coach, 6 years as junior high track coach and 3 years as an assistant football coach at the high school level. He led the 1978 baseball team to a District Runner-Up finish and coached 10 junior high football teams to undefeated seasons.

The sport of wrestling is where Jack Schwamberger had a drastic impact on Covington Athletics over his 18 years as the head wrestling coach. Coach Schwamberger was on the ground floor of helping start the wrestling program from scratch in the early 1970's. He built the program into one of the most successful programs in the area in a short time, leading several Buccaneer wrestlers to the state wrestling meet in the late 1970's and into the 1980's and 1990's. For his efforts, the Covington wrestling team won five conference championships under Coach Schwamberger and he was named the Coach of the Year five times. He was also named the Coach of the Year by the Dayton Wrestling Association in 1999.

Jack's impact on Covington Schools and the Covington Community goes beyond athletics and the classroom as he was a elected to the Covington Board of Education in 2001 and served through 2004. He was on the Covington Village Council from 1980 to 1984 and was awarded the Govenor's Award of Excellence in Science. He is also a long-time member of the Covington Bucc Boosters.

Jack is married to his wife of 47 years, Rosemary, and they have a son Ty and a daughter Sue Schwamberger-Wilson, who is also a member of the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame. He also has four grandchildren; Laci, Preston, Oliver and Ezra.

1973 Football Team: Steve Burelison, Randy Miller, David Dull, Ron Phillis, Al Grise, Steve Bordelon, Tim Wise, Bill Lyle, Gary Robinson, Rick Hollopeter, Doug Meyer, Steve Pennington, Calvin Yingst, Mike Leonard, Terry Vogler, Tim Shafer, Tim Vogler, Greg Dennings, Whitey Forsythe, Mike Apwisch, John Montgomery, Joe Davis, Dean Fields, Roger Finfrock, Dave Doty, Rod Victor, David Nicodemus, Mike Zimmer, Richard Girouard, Bob Flora, Galen Mullennix, Doug Swartz, Don Anthony, Rusty Kimmel, Randy Besecker, Dave Doseck, Greg Reynolds

1960 Football Team: Dave Beeman, Larry McKenzie, Thomas Fenner, Larry Warner, Michael Hart, Robert Byers, Bob Hartley, Mike Hudson, Doug Murray, James Ruhl, Warren Smith, Larry Wise, Terry Byers, Gordon McMaken, Tim Hudson, John Laughman, Larry Caldwell, Gene Laughman, Steve Wells, Roger Looker, George Yingst, Gary Maier, Sam Bashore, Mike Miller, Jerry Fessler, Donald Weer III, John Holsinger, David Wimmer, Kay Hunt, Arthur Jennings, Thomas Iddings, Mark Smith, Wayne Ingle, Tom Kimmel, Coach Jim Beisner

1995 Volleyball Team: Sitting (L-R) - Angie Millhouse, Tiana Powell, Whitney Bell, and Jessica Bishop. Standing (L-R) - Head Coach Lonnie Cain, Nikki Simon, Stacy Weldy, Becky Sink, Staci Short, Erica Bowman, Richelle Finfrock and Stacey Fields. (Not Pictured: Coach Niki Simon, Coach Maureen Amirault)

1980-81 Boys Basketball Team: CENTER: Coach Bob Huelsman. TEAM (L-R): John Hackett, Ed Barger, Steve Simon, Rick Schmidt, Scott Manson, Jeff Ryan, Jerry Minnich, Dale Barger, Jim Tobias, Don Fosnight, Phil Reck, Kevin Finfrock.