COVINGTON – There were so many outstanding performances throughout the past year in Covington as there were so many state qualifiers, two state placers, program records and several team success in several sports.
Here are the highlights for each sport:
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Kent Welborn and Henry Skaggs earned honorable mention in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference). Welborn ran a personal record time of 17.59 and Skaggs also had a personal time of 18:54. The boys finished 17th in the district meet.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Freshman Ali Larson earned First Team All-League with a 4th place finish in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference). She also finished 24th in the district meet that led the Lady Buccs to finishing 12th as a team.
BOYS GOLF
Seniors Jayden Wackler and Brodie Manson earned First Team All-League in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference), while Brairen Denson and Finn Rogers earned Second Team in the league and Caleb Smith earned Honorable Mention. The Buccs finished second as a team in the league and then advanced to District by finishing second in the Sectional tournament. Jayden Wackler is advancing to the collegiate level at Defiance College.
GIRLS GOLF
Belle Batdorf, a junior standout, earned First Team in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference) due to an outstanding season, while Senior Calleigh Edgell and Sophomore Willow Pellman was selected for Honorable Mention. There were only four golfers in the girl’s program, but coach Dave Tobias helped the Lady Buccs progress throughout the season as they finished 6th as a team in the TRC.
FOOTBALL
The Buccaneers only had three seniors in 2025, but put together an improved season with a 5-5 record in the regular season to advance to the state playoffs. Day’Lynn Garrett, a senior, established himself as one of the talented receivers in the history of the program as he set program records with 1887 career receiving yards, 141 career receptions and 11 receptions in one game. Day’Lynn Garrett, Trenton Havenar, Lucas Lester and Filip McMaken earned First Team in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference).
VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Buccs had a successful season in 2025 by finishing second in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference) with a record of 12-2 and finished 18-6 throughout the season. Standout seniors Dakohta Kenworthy and Addison Ventura earned First Team selections in the TRC, while Ramsé Vanderorst was Second Team and Honorable Mention honors were rewarded to senior Hollan Koffer and junior Ava Hartwig. Ramsé Vanderhorst, who still has one more year in her high school career, established the new program’s career record in Digs with 1053.
BOYS BASKETBALL
A very talented sophomore player, Brant Angle, earned First Team in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference) as he led the team with 359 points throughout the season. The Buccs only had three seniors on the team and finished the season with a 3-11 record in the TRC and 3-20 throughout the entire season. Fortunately, so many younger and talented players return in the following season.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Lady Buccs had a rebuilding year in 2025-26, but showcased so much aggressiveness throughout the season with just 13 players on the roster. A very talented senior, Avery Koffer, earned First Team in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference) and another talented senior, Delaney Murphy, earned Second Team. Juniors Emalyn Johnson and Bella Batdorf earned Honorable Mention in the league as the Lady Buccs finished 5-9 in the TRC and 8-15 throughout the season.
BOYS WRESTLING
Caleb Ryman closed out his high school career as a highly ranked wrestler in the history of the program as he earned his fourth straight qualifying at state and second straight state placement. Ryman finished seventh place at state in the 157 pound weight class and set the program record with 55 wins in the season. He also accomplished 191 career wins, which is fourth in the program’s history. After graduating at Covington, Caleb progresses at the collegiate level at Otterbein University. Another wrestler who had a great year was sophomore Brody Taylor as he qualified for state at 106 pounds and put together a 24-9 record throughout the season. As a team, the Buccs finished 2nd in the TRC, 6th in the Sectional and 12th in the District.
GIRLS WRESTLING
Girls wrestling in Covington is fairly new with three wresters working to have an impact in the program – juniors Ava Ostrov and Aleah Russel, along with freshman Chloe Aselage. Ava Ostrov and Chloe Aselage took advantage of every opportunity to compete In available tournaments. The most impressive success of the season is when freshman Chloe Aselage won the Triad Girls Invitational in the 140 pound weight class.
BASEBALL
The Buccaneers were a relatively young team, but had a solid year with a 12-12 overall record and an impressive 8-5 record in the TRC. The lone senior was Caleb Smith, a very talented pitcher who earned First Team All-League in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference). Plus, junior Brairen Denson earned a First Team selection in the league, while junior Caiden Hollingsworth was Second Team and sophomore Christian Skaggs was Honorable Mention.
SOFTBALL
The Lady Buccs finished the season with an impressive 24-7 record and 10-2 in the TRC (Three Rivers Conference). They won the 13th District Championship in the history of the program and broke so many records in the program. Emalyn Johnson, a junior, earned First Team All-Ohio, First Team All-Southwest District and was the Co-Athlete Of The Year in the TRC. She tied the state records with four home runs in a game, two home runs in one inning and joined Karlee Schwartz, Ava Hartwig and Jayda McClure with four consecutive home runs. Emalyn also broke the program’s records with 19 home runs in the season and 34 home runs in a career. Jayda McClure, a standout senior, earned Second Team All-Ohio, First Team All-Southwest District and First Team All-TRC. She tied the state record with two home runs in one inning against Minster, which happened in the second time of her great career. She also had three home runs in the game against Minster that led the team to a program record of seven home runs in a game. Ava Hartwig, a junior, earned honors of Second Team in All-Southwest District and First Team All-TRC, while Whitney Burns (Senior), Taylor Foutz (Senior) and Cassidy Iddings (Junior) were selected Second Team in the league. Emma Ouellette (Senior) and Kylie Palsgrove (Junior) were Honorable Mention in the league as well. Plus, the entire team set the program’s record with 58 home runs in the season.
GIRLS TRACK
The Lady Buccs were a relatively young team in 2026 and the highlight of the season was the accomplishment of freshman Emma Havenar as she finished fourth place in the 300 meter hurdles at the District Tournament to advance into the Regional. Fortunately, so many talented athletes will return next year.
BOYS TRACK
The Buccaneers had a successful season on the Track & Field in 2026. Senior Day’Lynn Garrett qualified for state in the 110 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles, 4×200 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay. He placed 5th at state in the 300 meter hurdles, which was his third career state placement. He also won the TRC Tournament in the 110 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles and the long jump, and graduated with school records in the 110 meter hurdles (14.71), 300 meter hurdles (43.88) and the long jump (21’ 4.5”). Filip McMaken, a junior, qualified for state in the high jump and participated in the 4×200 and 4×400 meter relays with senior Day’Lynn Garrett, sophomore Caylor Easton, and juniors Jordan Miller and Trent Reynolds.
