Past Hall of Fame Inductees

Michael Basil ’09 – Baseball

Michael Basil was a three year starter for the St. Xavier Baseball team and is the only player in school history to appear twice in the top 10 batting averages.  He also has the highest career Batting Average of any player playing 2 or more years of Varsity Baseball. His Sophomore year he was named 2^nd team GCL and honorable mention All-City. His Junior year he was 1^st team GCL and All-City as well as 2^nd team All-State while his Senior year he was named 1^st Team GCL, All-City, and All-State as well as GCL Player of the Year and Team MVP. Mike received a scholarship to play baseball at Indiana University where he helped lead the Hoosiers to the College World Series. 

Fred Craig ’08 – Football & Lacrosse

Fred was a three-year starter varsity player as a safety on the football team and as a midfielder for the lacrosse team. In football, Fred was named 2^nd team GCL as a sophomore on the 15-0 State Champion team that was recognized as the #2 team in the nation by Max Preps. As a junior, he was named 1^st Team GCL and GCL Defensive Back of the Year, 1^st Team All-City, 1^st Team All-District, and 2^nd team All-State. As a senior, he was voted captain for the 15-0 State Championship team that was recognized by Max Preps as the #1 team in the nation. In his senior season, he was named 1^st Team GCL and GCL Defensive Back and Player of the Year, 1^st team All-City, 1^st Team All-District, 1^st Team All-State, and Division 1 Defensive Player of the Year in the state of Ohio. He was also selected to represent Ohio in the Big 33 Game, the SWOFCA East / West All-Star game, and was the recipient for the 2007 Southwest Ohio “That’s My Boy Award.” During his tenure, he amassed 236 tackles, 4 interceptions, and numerous tackles for loss, forced fumbles and blocked punts. In lacrosse, Fred was a 3-year starter and was among the team’s leaders in goals and assists in his three varsity seasons before foregoing his senior season to prepare for his collegiate football career.  He was selected to the Southern Ohio Undergraduate All Star Team and awarded the St. X team honor in 2006 of Offensive Player of the Year. Fred went on to play football for Stanford University and then for the University of Pennsylvania, where he was part of two Ivy League Championship teams.

Matt Dektas ’94 – Tennis

Matt is one of the all-time wins leaders at St. X. He was GCL and Cincinnati Player of the Year in 1994 and qualified for the State Championships 3 of his 4 years, including a 3rd place finish in doubles and team state championships his senior year, where he was the number one player. Matt received a full scholarship from Jacksonville University, and was ranked in the Top 50 Division 1 NCAA Doubles rankings. He played on the ATP Futures Tour and recorded wins over top 1000 ATP Players. As a coach, Matt founded the E.X. Academy, which has produced 67 State Champions. He has personally coached many of the top Bombers since 2000, including almost all of the players from the 4-time state champion 2005-2009 Dynasty.

Christopher French ’05 – Swimming

Dr. Christopher (Kit) French was one of the most accomplished backstrokers in the history of St. Xavier High School. As a sophomore he captured the state title. As a junior he finished third in the event and then returned his senior year and not only reclaimed the individual state title in backstroke but also won the 100 freestyle. Kit was also a member of three state championship relay teams during his career at St. X. He and his teammates won the 200 medley relay in 2003 and 2004 and the 400 freestyle relay in 2003. Kit's performances as a 13 time All-American and team captain led the Bombers to four state championships. In addition to dominating at the state level, both the 2002 and 2003 swimming and diving teams won the NISCA national championship and were named the national runner-up by Swimming World Magazine. Kit continued his success on scholarship at the University of Georgia, where he scored at the SEC Championships five times and was named the team captain his senior year. In 2008 Kit competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

John Tuke ’74 – Football & Tennis

John Tuke had an outstanding career on the football field and was a 3 year varsity tennis player while at St. X. He was one of the few underclassmen to ever be called up to Varsity under Coach Ballaban as he was a leader on and off the field. John started as defensive back for 2 years and was named 1^st team All-GCL, All-State, and All-City in the 1973 season. He captained the varsity tennis team his senior year and was part of GCL championships in all 3 of his years on the team.  John was the 1974 winner of "That's My Boy" award given to the top scholar-athlete in Southwest Ohio. He is one of 6 St. X graduates to be so honored since the award was created in 1967.  After his time at St. X, John went on to Harvard University where he was a starter on the Freshman football team, and the starting Adjuster (i.e. strong safety) his senior year..

Matt James ’10 – Football and Basketball

Matt played both football and basketball all four years at St. Xavier. In football, Matt was twice 1^st Team GCL, was named lineman of the year in 2009, and 1^st Team All-State in 2009. In addition, he was also a USA Today 1st team All-American and participated in the U.S. Army All-American game in 2010. Matt served as a football captain of the football team and accepted a football scholarship to play at the University of Notre Dame.  Matt receives this recognition posthumously.

Robert Janning ’39 – Baseball, Basketball and Football

Robert Janning was a true stand-out in the class of 1939 as he led the football and basketball teams to some amazing wins and added Baseball to his repertoire his Senior year. As a Senior Robert served as co-captain of the 1938 football team known as the Conquerors before the school changed the name to the Bombers several decades later. In football Robert played running back, quarter back, and was the team punter. He led the Conquerors to a number of large victories and was the top athlete in the class.  Robert receives this recognition posthumously.

Luke Massa ’10 – Football and Basketball

Luke was one of St. Xavier’s outstanding multi-sport athletes. In football Luke was unanimously voted captain for two years as he was a leader on and off the field. He was part of the 2007 state championship team and was named 1^st team All-GCL and All-City his Senior year. In basketball Luke was Captain for two years as well and was named 1^st team All-GCL his Junior and Senior year and All-City his Senior year. He helped lead the Bombers to the 2010 District Championship and led the team that year in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. He still holds multiple records in both football and basketball at St. X. Luke went on to play football at Notre Dame where he lettered for four years and is a member of the Monogram Club.

Jim Muething ’81 – Golf

Jim was a 4-year member of the St. Xavier golf team and was the MVP on the 1980 St. Xavier golf team that won every dual match (14-0) and captured first place in the GCL and placed third in the State Tournament.  He was chosen as the GCL Player of the Year, First Team GCL and was Co-Medalist at the District Tournament. The following summer, Jim won the first of his four Greater Cincinnati Golf Association Titles, the 1981 Junior Met.  Jim also won the Men’s Met in 1983 and 1984 and the Senior Met in 2016.  Jim is the only person in Cincinnati golf history to have won the Junior Met, the Men’s Met and the Senior Met.  Along the way, he also won the 1982 Ohio Junior Amateur Tournament and the 1984 Ohio Men’s Amateur Tournament. Jim also qualified and played in the U.S. Amateur tournament in Oklahoma. Jim went on to play golf at Miami University where he earned three varsity letters and was the Individual MAC Champion in 1984 and was First Team All-MAC in 1984 and 1985.  In 1985, Jim became Miami’s first NCAA Academic All-American and earned Miami’s Scholar Athlete of the Year award.  After college, Jim played the mini tours for several years and qualified and played in two PGA tour events. Eventually he would serve as continued his golf career as a Golf Professional around the country.

Kyle Ransom ’03 – Swimming

During his career at St. Xavier, Ransom won seven Ohio state titles - six of them as part of a relay team as the team won four straight state championships, three NISCA National Championships (2001, 2002, 2003) and the 2001 Swimming World Title. Named a high school All-American 13 times during his career, Kyle finished his senior season with a state championship in the 200-yard individual medley and anchored both the state championship 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay teams. In addition, he held three St. Xavier team records and was named Swimmer of the Year in 2003 by the Cincinnati Enquirer. He still remains in St. X's top 50 all-time performances in 9 of 11 events. Kyle continued his career at Stanford, where he was a three-time collegiate All-American. His team won the Pac-10 conference four times and he was a 2-time Pac-10 conference champion in the 200-yard free relay (2006 and 2007). Kyle won a bronze medal for Team USA as a member of the 400-yard free relay team at the World University Games (2005). Kyle was an Olympic Trials Qualifier in 2004, 2008, and 2012, most recently competing in both the 50 and 100 freestyle.

Ray Watkins ’68 – Football and Track

Ray has the esteemed designation as the first African American athlete at St. Xavier to earn All-City honors which he earned his Senior year in both football and track. In addition, he was named All-GCL in both sports and won the 100 and 220 yard dash both his Junior and Senior years. In football Ray was the MVP his Senior year, co-captain of the All-GCL team, All-Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association and was the leading rusher, receiver and scorer his Senior year. Ray received a scholarship play football at Dayton where lettered two years to go with his 2 varsity letters for football at St. X and 4 varsity letters in track.   

Watch the 2021 Ceremony

Jim Brower - Swim Coach

As head of St. Xavier's storied swimming and diving program for 23 years, Brower earned 21 team state titles and is the all-time leader in boys' state championships in Ohio sports history.  Brower's impressive state championship winning streaks include clenching nine straight titles from 1999 to 2007 and then seven in a row from 2009-2015. Brower has been named National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year (2004), Ohio Coach of the Year (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2005, 2001,1990), as well as GCL, Southwest District and Cincinnati Coach of the Year multiple times. Brower also was at the helm in 1992 and 2001 when St. X earned National Championship titles, and was also the head coach during the height of two National High School Swimmers of the Year's careers – Joe Hudepohl and Jayme Cramer.  Hudepohl would go on to become the youngest member of the 1992 United States swimming team at the 1992 Olympic Games, earning a gold medal as a member of the 4 x 100m freestyle relay and then also gold in 1996 as part of the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. Brower continues to teach at St. X and serves as an assistant coach for the AquaBombers.

Peter Carothers '04 - Swimming

Pete graduated from St. X as a four-year varsity letter winner and nine-time state champion who personally scored 112 points and contributed to another 228 points on relays during his career at the OHSAA Championships. He was a four-time Cincinnati Enquirer All-Star and an eighteen-time all-American. He also represented the United States as a member of the Junior National team in Australia his senior year. After 17 years he remains on the top 25 all-time swims in seven events for the Long Blue Lane. Pete was recruited to swim at Stanford University where he was both a NCAA finalist and an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 200 butterfly. 

Luke Kuechly '09 - Football

Luke is regarded as one of the best football players at any level of the game and a true model of what it means to be a Man for Others. As a junior in 2007 he had 147 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions to help the Bombers finish 15-0 winning the Division I Ohio state Title.  As a senior he had 130 tackles in 10 games and was 2x 1^st Team All-GCL.  At Boston College he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, Bronko Nagurski, Butkus, and Lombardi Award winner in 2011.  He was 2x Consensus All-American and 3x 1^st team All- ACC.  As a professional football player for the Carolina Panthers, was a 6x Pro Bowl pick and was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Tim Mahoney '76 - Basketball

Mahoney was one of the top basketball players for Coach Dick Berning in the 70's and still holds two school records in basketball: Free throw percentage for the season (90.7%) and most consecutive free throws made (49). Mahoney was named GCL Player of the Year and All-City and Honorable Mention All-State his senior season as well as being invited to the Midwest All American Classic. Tim was the all-time leading scorer in St. Xavier history before the three-point line was established in 1991. Tim then went on to Rollins College where he is still in the top ten in two statistical categories with 367 assists (7^th) and a free throw percentage of 85.4% (2^nd). He still holds the Rollins College single game free throw performance making 15 out of 15 attempts against Western Kentucky in 1979. Tim's performance for Rollins made him a two-time 2^nd Team All-Sunshine State Conference Player.

Andrew Wietmarschen '01 - Cross Country

Andrew ranks as one of the best cross country runners in St. Xavier's storied history. As a high school runner, Andy's cross country teams won OHSAA team championships in 1998 and 2000, and they were state runners-up in 1999. Andy was named Co-MVP of the 1998 team and MVP of the 1999 and 2000 teams. Andy was also selected for All GCL, All City honors three of the four years he ran and twice made the All State team.  He graduated as the school record holder in cross country and the 2000M steeplechase and held St. Xavier records as a member of the Distance Medley Relay and 4 x 1600 relay. Andy continued his career at the University of Cincinnati where he earned four varsity letters in track and field and cross country where he was named MVP in 2003. Andy has been the Head Cross Country Coach at St. Xavier since 2014 where he has been named GCL Coach of the Year seven times, City Coach of the Year twice and led the team to top five finishes at the state championship the past five years including the top spot in 2019.

Darius Ashley (’08) | Football

Darius Ashley was two time All-State selection and is in the top three of almost all the rushing and touchdown categories in St. Xavier history. He was a three time 1^st team GCL selection and All-City selection.  Darius had a 41-2 record as a starting running back and was named team captain his senior year. His teams also won the state championships in 2005 and 2007.  He was also the GCL champion in the long jump in 2005 and 2006.  He went on to play football for the Louisville Cardinals.

William Clark (’62) | Football and Basketball

Bill played both ways on football:  a halfback on offense and a linebacker on defense. As a sophomore, he started for the varsity at linebacker and on offense led the team in rushing yards per attempt.  As a sophomore, he was named the team’s most improved player.  As a junior, he was named team’s best underclassman player.  In his senior year, Bill was a co-captain of the football team, led the team in rushing and scoring, and was awarded St. Xavier’s alumni trophy as the team’s most valuable player.  In his senior year, Bill was first team all-GCL, and his St. X’s football career culminated in Bill being named to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s first team all-city team. On more than one occasion at the reunions and other St. X activities that Coach Ballaban attended after he retired, he stated that Bill was the best back he coached while he was St. X’s football coach.  Bill earned six letters at St. X:  four in football and two in basketball.  Bill started on the freshmen basketball team and on the reserve basketball team his sophomore year.  St. X moved from its downtown location to its current North Bend Road campus between the Class of ‘62’s sophomore and junior years.  Transportation problems resulting from the move prevented Bill from continuing his basketball career. Bill’s activities at St. X were not confined to the football field or basketball court.  He was elected secretary of his class in his freshman and sophomore years, president of his class in his junior year, and president of his senior class and president of student council in his senior year. 

Ryan Earhart (’99) | Swimming

Ryan made an immediate impact for the AquaBombers as he swam with the top Varsity group starting his freshman year.  He won his first individual OHSAA Div. I State Title as part of the 200 Medley Relay team that year.  He also placed 2^nd in the 400 Free Relay that year.  By the end of his St. Xavier career, Ryan was a part of the 1997 and 1999 State Championship teams and won a total of 5 Individual State Championships (200 Medley Relay, 100 Backstroke, 400 Free Relay, 100 Backstroke, 200 Medley Relay).  He finished runner-up a total of 6 times at the State Championships over four years.  Over his four-year career, he had 15 All American qualifying swims and is a member of the St. Xavier All Time Top 50 in every event except for two.  He earned Cincinnati Enquirer 1^st Team honors all four years and earned the St. Xavier Most Valuable Swimmer in 1999 after his senior season.  During his time as a club swimmer in high school (outside of the high school seasons) he had 5 swims that ranked in the Top 10 nationally over four years.  Ryan continued his career at the University of Michigan where he was a letterman all four years.  He was a member of two Big Ten Championship Title teams (2000 & 2003) and qualified for the 2001 NCAA Division I Championships in the 200 Backstroke.  He qualified for the 2001 US National Championships as well and placed 11^th in the 200 Backstroke.  Ryan made a run at the Olympics twice as he qualified for the Olympic Trials in the events of 200 Backstroke and 100 Backstroke.  Ryan currently resides in Cincinnati and is a Senior Finance Manager for GE Aviation.

Tom Holubeck (’81) | Soccer

Tom was a 3 year starter on the Varsity soccer team.  During his 3 years on the Varsity soccer team, Tom was a starter and earned 1^st Team All GCL each of his 3 years.  He was named to the All City team his junior and senior years and was named 1^st Team All State his senior year.  He led his teams to 3 consecutive GCL Championships from 1978-1980 (1978 was the school’s 1^st ever GCL Title) and they won the City Championship back-to-back in 1979 and 1980.  During those two years they also advanced to the State Regional Finals, winning the game in 1980 to advance the program to its first ever State Final Four appearance.  Teammate Ralph Kramer (’81) is quoted as saying “Tom’s dedication to the sport and his teammates elevated St. Xavier soccer to new levels of excellence.”  Another teammate Michael Berning (’81) states “Tom Holubeck was the catalyst that got St. Xavier soccer on the statewide stage.”  After high school, Tom attended the University of Notre Dame to play soccer.  After a year and a half on the team, he decided to give it up to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.  Tom is now a pediatrician in Cincinnati with 23 years experience.

Danny Milligan (’08) | Football

Started for three seasons as punt returner, punter, wide receiver, place kicker, and kicked offed for the Bombers.  His 40 career field goals rank him #1 in Ohio history.  He was voted team MVP his senior year. He was co-offensive Ohio player of the year and a finalist for Mr. Football in 2007.  He was named all-city and 1^st team GCL for three consecutive years. Danny had a 41-2 record as a starter and his teams also won the state championships in 2005 and 2007.  He went on to play football for the University of Cincinnati.

Patrick Bandy (’08) | Tennis

Patrick was a four-year member of the Varsity tennis team during his time at St. Xavier HS.  He was a main contributor to the Varsity Tennis team’s three consecutive Team State Championships.  He served as the team captain his senior year.  He qualified for the State Tournament all four years.  His freshman year he finished 4^th in the State Tournament in doubles and then won the State Championship his sophomore year in doubles.  He played singles his junior and senior years at the State Tournament and finished 2^nd his junior year and advanced to the quarterfinals in his final year.  He earned All State 1^st Team Doubles honors in both his freshman and sophomore years.  He earned All State 1^st Team Singles honors his junior year and earned 2^nd Team All State Singles honors his senior year.  He earned 1^st Team All GCL in doubles during his freshman and sophomore years.   He was earned 1^st Team All GCL for singles in both his junior and senior years.   He was named GCL Player of the Year his senior year as well.  After St. Xavier HS, he attended the University of Kentucky and played tennis for the Wildcats.  After one year at UK, he transferred to Xavier University where he was a three-year letterman and two-time captain for the Musketeers.  During his time at Xavier, he had 51 career Singles victories which stands in the Top 20 all time in school history.  He had 62 career Doubles victories which stands in the top 10 all time in school history.  His 113 total career victories also stand in the Top 10 all time in school history.  

Michael Larkin (‘00) | Football and Track

Michael saw varsity football playing time as a freshman.  He was a three-year starter at wide receiver and return specialist for the Bombers.  His career receiving statistics were 59 receptions for 1,102 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was 1^st team GCL as a junior and senior.  The compiled record for the football teams Michael started on were 38-5 with two GCL championships and one state runner-up.  He averaged 18.7 yards a catch over his career.  He still holds single game records for longest kickoff return for a touchdown (99) vs. St. Ignatius 1998 and longest punt return (94) vs. Middletown in 1999.  He also holds the record for most receiving yards in a game with (215) vs. LaSalle in 1998. Michael also participated in track and field for four years where he excelled in sprints and the long jump.  As a junior he won the GCL in the 100 meter dash with a time 0f 11.24.  His senior year he was battling some injuries that limited his accomplishments.  He also participated in many winning and regional qualifying relay teams. Michael went on to play four years of football at Miami University where he had 200 receptions for 2,772 yards in his career.  When he finished with Miami in 2004, he was their All-Time leading receiver in yards (2,772) and career touchdown receptions with (32) and also held the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a reception (42).

David Mosko (‘07) | Swimming

David is one of the most decorated swimmers in OHSAA State History as he claimed eight State Championships (4 individual-4 relay) during his four-year career at St. Xavier High School.  His first title came as a sophomore in the 100 Butterfly and finished his career with four titles his senior year at the OHSAA Div. I State Championship Meet.  He was a 10-year State Record holder in the 500 Freestyle from his swim that season.   The AquaBombers won a State Title each year he was a part of the program and the team won a National Title (NISCA) his senior year.  He was a team captain during that senior year and also returned to help coach with the program during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons which were both State Championship seasons.  During his time as a student athlete at St. Xavier, he recorded 20 swims that qualified him as an All-American and his 200 Free and 500 Free times as a senior were the best in the entire country for the 2006-2007 season.  He also represented the United States as a member of the 2005 US Junior National Team and won a Gold Medal in the 200 Fly and a Bronze Medal as a member of the 800 Free Relay while competing in Melbourne, Australia.  David continued his career at Stanford University where he was a 14 time NCAA Division I All American over his four-year career.  The Cardinal won the PAC 10 Championship all four years during his time and he was a member of the Pac 10 All-Academic Team three years.  He won a PAC 10 Individual Championship and also was on the podium at the NCAA Division I National Championships for his performances in the 200 Fly, 500 Free, 1650 Free and 800 Free Relay.  David represented the United States again in 2011 at the World University games in China and reached the finals in both the 400 Free and 800 Free.  He participated in the Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012.  He showed his range by qualifying in multiple events and competing in the 200 Free, 400 Free, 1500 Free as well as the 200 Fly.  He recently was inducted into the LaRosa’s Hall of Fame as a member of the 2018 class.  

Patrick Ross (‘01) | Football and Track

Patrick is one of the most dominant defensive football players in St. Xavier history.  A three-year starter, Pat was voted as a two-time Lineman of the Year in the GCL.  He was 1^st team GCL his junior and senior year.  His senior year, Pat was voted team captain and MVP, 1^st team All-city, 1^st Team All-State, 1^st Team Tom Lemming’s All- Midwest Team and selected to the Big 33 All Star Game.  During his time at St. Xavier, Pat also threw the shot put and discus for four years and was a member of the National Honor Society. After St. Xavier Pat accepted a full scholarship to Boston College where he started 37 consecutive games between 2003-2005.  He was voted 1^st Team All Big East in 2004 and 1^st Team All-ACC in 2005.  He was also elected as the Boston College Team captain as a senior and won the 2005 Scanlan Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a Boston College football player who excels in the classroom and the community. He was also chosen to play in Hula Bowl following his senior season. He graduated on the Dean’s List in 2005 with an undergraduate degree in Finance and Masters in Administrative Studies. After going undrafted by NFL, he spent three seasons with Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and final season as member of the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals who came up just short against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

Brad Scherer (‘06) | Football, Basketball, Baseball

Brad Scherer was one of a very few athletes in the last 30 years that played football, basketball, and baseball for all four years at St. Xavier.  He was the starting quarterback for the first State Championship football team in 2005.  He was the heart and soul of the team, leading them as a captain. He threw for 1200 yards and ran for 500.  He had 20 total touchdowns to three interceptions.  Brad was first 1^st team GCL in football and was voted the team MVP.  He was a three-year shortstop in baseball hitting .360 as a junior with 19 stolen bases and was honorable mention all-district. His senior baseball season was cut short due to injury.  In basketball, he was the starting point guard on a team that finished 20-5 and district champs. 

Alex Albright ('06) |Football and Basketball

Alex was a 2 year member of both the Varsity Football team and the Varsity Basketball team during his time as a Bomber. He was a senior captain on the school’s first ever State Championship Football team which finished the season with a perfect record of 15-0.Alex registered 83 tackles and 12 sacks during his senior campaign with 2 sacks coming on back to back plays late in the 4th Quarter of the State Championship Game to seal the victory. During that season, Alex was named 1st team All GCL, 1st Team All City, 1st Team All Southwest District, 1st Team All State and the GCL South Player of the Year.He was also selected as St. Xavier’s Defensive Lineman of the Year by his coaches and teammates.Albright was invited to play in the Ohio North-South All Star game and was selected as Defensive Player of the Game.He was rated the #4 defensive lineman in the State of Ohio by MaxPreps.com. Alex was also a 2 year member of the Varsity Basketball team where he helped the team win the GCL and advance to the State Championship game as a junior.He garnered All City Honorable Mention honors his senior year when he averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds per game. Alex played football collegiately at Boston College and during his 5 year career (red-shirted his Junior year after an injury), he compiled 124 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. He was a captain his Senior Year and was named to the ACC All Academic Teams in 2008 and 2009. He was tied for 4th in Sacks in the ACC and earned ACC Honorable Mention in 2007. He also won the Boston College Leadership Award and the Gridiron Club Award during his time as an Eagle. After college, Alex signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an unrestricted free agent and played in all 16 games with the Cowboys during his first season. He was recognized as Dallas’ “Special Teams Player of the Game” after a game vs. Tampa Bay. During his two seasons in the NFL, Alex played in 30 of the 32 games in which he recorded a total of 42 tackles.

Dan Barrett ('85) | Soccer

The ’83 & ’84 St. Xavier Soccer teams attained numerous great accomplishments with the pinnacle being the school’s first and only State Championship in 1983. Dan Barrett was a pivotal player in both campaigns that saw the program achieve a record of 39-3-3. Dan was the leader of the defense that attained 25 shutouts during those 2 years. In Dan’s senior season, he was voted the Team Captain and MVP. Also in 1984, Dan was selected to the GCL All-League Team, the Cincinnati Enquirer All City Team, State of Ohio All State Team, and the All Midwest First Team. After high school, Dan continued his career at Marquette University, where he was a 3 year letterman. He graduated from Marquette University and is an Associate Regional Vice President for IMG College.

Mike Dehring ('88) | Cross Country, Track, and Coach

During his time as a student athlete, Mike was a 3 year Varsity Cross Country runner and a 3 year Varsity Track and Field runner. In Cross Country, Mike was a 2 year captain and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Runner his junior year. As a senior, Mike led the team to a 7th place finish at the State Meet with his 33rd place finish individually. That season, he finished as the top St. Xavier runner in 6 meets and was named the team’s Most Valuable Runner for a 2nd straight season. In Track and Field, Mike ran several events including the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs and was a member of the 4x800 relay team.He placed 2nd at the GCL Meet in the 3200 meter race both his sophomore and junior years. He finished 1st his senior year as a team captain in the same race at the GCL Meet leading the Bombers to the GCL Championship. He also qualified for the Regional Meet that same season. After the season, he was voted Co-Most Valuable Runner by his coaches and teammates.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in English, Mike returned to St. Xavier HS to teach and coach. He became the Head Coach of the Cross Country team in 2005 and led the team for 10 years. During his tenure the Bombers won the State Championship in 2012 and 2013 and won 5 GCL Championships, 6 District Championships, 5 Regional Championships and qualified for the State Meet nine times. He also guided one team to a State Runner-Up finish. The 2012 team won the State Meet with 71 points and was invited to the Nike National Championship Meet in Portland, OR where they finished in 9th place. The 2013 team won the State Meet with 46 points which is the 2nd lowest point total in State history. They were also invited to the Nike National Championship Meet where they finished in 6th place. Mike also served as the Head Track and Field Coach from 1998 to 2006. During his time as Head Coach, he led the 1998 team to a 5th place finish at the State Championship Meet which is the 2nd highest finish in school history. The team won 2 GCL Championships and 7 District Championships during Mike’s time as Head Coach. The greatest feat during his tenure was when the 4x800 meter relay team in 2000 won the school’s first ever State Track Championship. Mike continues to serve the St. Xavier community as the Assistant Principal for Academics.

Steve Kehoe ('06) | Volleyball

Steven is the first Volleyball player to be nominated to the St. Xavier Hall of Fame. Steven was a three year member of the Varsity Volleyball team while at St. Xavier. During his junior year, he led the team to a State Runner-Up finish and was named 1st team GCL, 1st team South Region and 1st team All-State.Steven led the team to a State Championship during his senior year while being named GCL Player of the Year, South Region Player of the Year, and State of Ohio Player of the Year.Steven played collegiately at Ohio State University on full scholarship for Men’s Volleyball. He was a three year starter for the Buckeyes’ program and helped them win the 2011 NCAA National Championship, the first in the program’s history.Steven was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.He was a 1st Team American Volleyball Coaches Association All American and an all-conference 1st Team selection. The same year he was also named the Player of the Year in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the MIVA Conference Tournament.

In 2010, Steven led the Buckeyes to the Regular Season and Conference Tournament Titles where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the MIVA Conference Tournament. He was also named the MIVA Conference Player of the Year and a 1st Team All-Conference selection. He was also selected as an AVCA 2nd Team All American that season. During his senior year at Ohio State, he was named the Buckeye’s male winner of the Big Ten Medal of Honor which is awarded annually to the male and female athletes in the graduating class of each Big Ten School have attained the greatest proficiency in both academics and athletics. After college, Steven pursued a professional career oversees in Finland. He just recently wrapped up his 5th season as he is playing for the Kokkola Tiikerit in Finland as a team captain.He has helped them win the Finnish Cup and the Silver medal in the Finnish Championships during his time as a member of the team. St. Xavier Head Coach Bill Ferris states “It’s fair to call Steven a volleyball prodigy” and that “Steven is more than deserving to be the first Volleyball player to be inducted into the St. Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame.”

Marty Mooney Sr. ('70) | Football

Marty was a two-year varsity football and basketball player. In football, Marty was the starting quarterback for St. X in both the 1968 and 1969 seasons and played for Coach Tom Ballaban. In the 1968 season, St. Xavier went 9-0-1 (only a tie with Moeller kept St. X from a perfect season). St. Xavier won the GCL Championship, finished 1st in the City, and was named 5th in the State by the AP poll. The yearbook for the 1968-1969 school year stated that it was the finest football team in St. Xavier history and is one of only three undefeated teams in St. Xavier history. The offense scored 257 points in the 10 games.In the 1969 season, St. Xavier went 8-2 (losing only to Elder and Moeller). It scored a then school record 320 points in the season and a then school record 64 points in one game.

Marty set a record for highest completion percentage in this season that lasted until the 2008 season, a string of 38 years. Marty held almost all of St. X's passing records until most of them were broken by Greg Frey in the mid-1980s. Teammate Clint Haselrig (’70), inductee in 1991, stated the following: "Individual statistics do not signify the contributions Marty Mooney Sr. availed to Bomber football. If one was to track the present status of the program it would be obvious where the success began. It was under the leadership of Marty. The reasons that you won't see gaudy numbers is that we were able to outdistance our opponents early and that allowed our backups to gain experience thus they were successful even after Marty graduated.” In varsity basketball, Marty was a top reserve point guard in both the 1968-1969 and 1969-1970 seasons. He played under another legendary St. X coach, Coach Dick Berning. The 1968-1969 team went 15-6, losing in the district final to Roger Bacon. The 1969-1970 team went 12-9, losing again in the district final to Moeller. Marty’s son, Marty Jr., was a 2015 inductee to the St. Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame.

William “Max” Leassner (’01) | Swimming

During Max’s four years at X, the swim team won four GCL, Sectional and District Championships, three State Championships, and one National Title. During his junior season, Max was the National Champion in the 200 Medley Relay (Freestyle Leg) and School, State and National record holder. His senior year, he was National Champion in the 400 free relay (a school record) and State Champion in the 200 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay. In 2001 Max was the Enquirer swimmer of the year and first team all-city. He was a 9-time High School All American and 5-time individual state champion.

Max went on to the University of Arizona where he took 5th in the 400 Free Relay at the NCAA Championships and still holds the University of Arizona school record for the 400 free relay. Max currently lives in Arizona with his wife Kassie and their son Connor.

Ed Rigaud (’85) | Soccer

As a 6’3” forward for the St. Xavier Bombers, Ed played four years on the varsity team and was a Captain for two of those years. In one season, he scored four goals for St. Xavier in victories over Anderson, Roger Bacon and Moeller, helping lift St. Xavier to the city’s no. 1 ranking. In 1983 he helped the Bombers to their historic first State Championship victory. According to St. Xavier’s Coach, Dick Murphy, Ed was a very unselfish player who improved the play of the team. “Because he was so big and had such great speed, teams would most always put two players on him, which would allow other players to be open.” After graduating form St. X, he played soccer at Amherst, where he was a starting player all four years. In one season, he led Amherst to an 11-3-1 record and an NCAA Division III Top 20 ranking. He finished his last season as the no. 2 scorer on his team.

Bill Slinger | Head Coach Baseball

Coach Slinger was head Varsity Baseball coach at St. Xavier from 1979-2013. His teams averaged nearly 18 wins a season over his 34 years at the helm. The 2003 team won the Ohio Division I state championship. This is the only baseball state championship in school history. His teams have won 10 Greater Catholic League titles and eight district championships, the last of which came in 2007. According to the Ohio High School Athletic Association web site, Slinger is just the ninth Ohio coach to record 600 victories. His 600 wins against 346 losses is good for a .634 winning percentage. Bill retired from coaching in 2013.

Matt Williams (’99) | Football and Basketball

During the 1998-1999 school year, Matt accomplished a rare feat of leading both football and basketball to GCL championships his senior year while earning 1st team GCL in both sports. During his sophomore year, he was 2nd team GCL in basketball. As a junior, he was the leading wide receiver on the football team and was 1st team GCL and 2nd team All-City. Matt was 1st team GCL in basketball as well. As a senior, Matt was moved to quarterback and was voted captain of a team that went 13-2, won the GCL and reached the state finals, losing to Canton McKinley. Again he was 1st team GCL and Co-GCL Player of the Year and the team’s MVP. In basketball that season, Matt led the team to a GCL championship and he was voted 1st team GCL.

Matt played basketball at Rollins College where he was voted in 2002-2003 as the Rollins Male Athlete of the Year, Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and 1st team All South Team.

Marty Mooney (’02) | Football and Baseball

Marty Mooney played quarterback in 37 varsity games from 1999-2001, compiling a 31-6 record while starting in 35 of those games. He was a three-time GCL champion, regional champion and state runner-up as a senior. Marty was first team all-GCL and honorable mention all-city and all-district as a junior.

As a senior, he was first team all-city and all-GCL. He was a Finalist for the Dick Butkus Football Network Player of the year and was named Enquirer prep football player of the year. Mooney still leads St. Xavier in career TD passes (71), completions (422), attempts (754), yards gained (6,533) and plays (906). Single-season records include completion percentage (58.8) and touchdown passes (29). He also holds individual game records for touchdowns thrown (5), completion percentage and the longest pass play in school history with a 99-yard throw. In baseball, Marty was first team all-GCL as a designated hitter and a pitcher with a 2.63 ERA and a .338 batting average. Marty attended Yale for one year, but transferred to the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2003. He made the football team as a walk-on and appeared in two games at quarterback in 2005.

Kyle Ralph (’02) | Football and Track

In football Kyle Ralph was a three year varsity starter on the offensive line and was named co-captain his senior year. In that time the St. Xavier Bomber teams went a combined 34-6 with two GCL Championships and a state runner-up finish his senior year. As a junior, Kyle was named 2nd team GCL. His senior year, he was 1st Team GCL, GCL Lineman of the Year, 1st Team All-City, 1st Team All-State and named to the 1st Team All-Midwest by Rivals.com. In track and field, Kyle was a three year varsity letterman. He is currently ranked 6th in school history in the discus and holds the St. Xavier shot put record with a throw of 52 8 1⁄2. He was a two-time GCL and District champion in the shot put. He qualified for the State Meet in the Shot Put senior year, was named team captain and won St. Xavier Most Valuable Field Athlete. He was ranked as one of the Top 25 Offensive Line prospects in the nation (Rivals.com) and ranked as the #1 Offensive Lineman in Ohio. Kyle accepted a football scholarship at the University of North Carolina. Once at North Carolina, he started on the offensive line as a true freshman. He allowed only one sack in his entire career. He played in 40 consecutive games and was named to the 1st Team All ACC Freshman. His junior and senior year he earned 1st team All ACC honors. He was a pre-season 2nd team All-American his senior year and a post season 3rd team All-American honors. He was University of North Carolina MVP his senior year and ACC Lineman of the year. Kyle is a teacher and the Head Football Coach at New Palestine High School in New Palestine, IN.

Kyle Voska (’94) | Golf

Kyle Voska is remembered as possibly the be the best golfer in St. Xavier history. Voska competed on the 1992 and 1993 varsity squads that earned many accolades: 2 GCL titles, 2 Sectional titles, 2 District titles, a runner-up state finish and a 4th place state finish. In his senior year, Kyle posted the lowest state total in St. Xavier history: 77 + 73 = 150, a record that still stands today. Kyle then accepted a golf scholarship to Miami University where, in 1998, he earned Miami University Athlete of the Year, Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and Sportsman of the Year, was 2nd Team All-American and placed 11th as an individual in the NCAA Championships. Also in 1998, Kyle led the NCAA in lowest scoring average on Par 3s and had the 7th lowest overall scoring average. Kyle was inducted to Miami University’s Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Outside the college ranks Kyle was the 1998 Ohio Amateur Runner-up and won the Cincinnati Metropolitan Championship back to back in 1997 and 1998. Kyle has won 44 professional tournaments. He was the 2009 and 2010 Ohio PGA Section Player of the Year. Kyle competed in the 2000 PGA Tour Buick Open and has had a low competitive round of 62 three times.

Johnny Wolf (’05) | Basketball

Johnny Wolf could be considered the best basketball player to come through St. Xavier in the last 30 years. He was a three-time 1St Team GCL player and named GCL Player of the Year as a senior. He was named as the 2004-05 Associated Press Division I Co-Player of the Year for the State of Ohio and the Cincinnati Enquirer Division I Player of the Year following a tremendous senior season. Johnny averaged 22.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while leading St. X to a 21-6 record and state runner-up finish as a senior. He scored the Bombers’ final 17 points and 17 of the team’s 19-point total for the entire half in the second half of St. X’s 43-41 win over Moeller in the state semifinals.Johnny also led the St. X Bombers to a Co-Championship of the Greater Catholic League South. He left his mark on the St. Xavier High School record book, breaking numerous school records, including the career scoring record (1,452 career points) that had stood for almost 50 years. Johnny then went on to play basketball at Xavier University where he started the last eight games as a freshman, including the NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga averaging 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 29.6 minutes per game as a starter. Johnny transferred after his sophomore year at Xavier to play at UNC-Wilmington.

Mark Gerstner (’89) | Track and Cross Country

Mark Gerstner is one of the outstanding distance runners in St. Xavier history. In an illustrious high school track career, Mark won three GCL titles, three individual district championships, and was the regional 1,600-meter champion in 1989. His regional result catapulted him to a fourth-place finish at the state meet. In cross country, Mark won many honors, including the 1988 district championship, regional runner-up, and fifth place at state. He participated in the prestigious Mid-East Meet of Champions for top seniors from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania, was Cincinnati co-runner of the year, and St. Xavier’s Most Valuable Runner in both track and cross country. Upon his graduation, Mark held school records in the 1,600 relay and the 5,000 meters. Mark continued his success at the University of Cincinnati,where he was awarded a four-year scholarship. He captained both the track and cross country teams his senior year. In cross country, he was the UC Most Valuable Runner three times and an All-Metro Conference pick in 1990. He was Great Midwest Conference runner-up in 1991 and conference champion in 1992. In addition, Mark created a company that does the timing for various road races, cross country and track meets, including the St. Xavier Invitational.

Jim Herman (’96) | Golf

Jim’s accomplishments in the game of golf are impressive. Jim qualified for the USGA Amateur Championship in 1995, was 1st Team all-GCL, 1st Team all-city, 1st Team all-Southwest Ohio and 2nd Team All-State his senior season. Jim was crucial in bringing St. Xavier’s 2nd State Championship home in 1995. Jim’s collegiate and amateur golf career is equally impressive. Jim was a four- year starter for the University of Cincinnati. He won five tournaments while a Bearcat, including the 1999 Xavier Invitational. He was Conference USA All- Conference First Team both his junior and senior seasons and was the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association Metropolitan Amateur Champion in 2000. After 2000, Jim turned professional and won his first event, The Southern Ohio PGA Open. Jim got through to the final stage of qualifying school in 2007 and finished 74th, earning full status on Web.com Tour (formerly Nationwide Tour) for 2008. During Jim’s career on the Web.com tour he played in 81 events, finishing in the top 25 sixteen times and three times in the top 10. In 2010, Jim won the Moonah Classic in Australia which qualified him for 19th on the money list and automatic qualification for PGA Tour status in 2011. Jim has qualified for three US Opens: 2010 Pebble Beach, 2012 Olympic Club and 2013 Merion. Year-to-date, Jim has three top-25 finishes, including two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He finished T10 in the John Deer Classic and T9 in Sanderson Farms Championship in 2013. Though Jim’s career is not over, his achievements in the game far surpass anyone who has ever teed it up for the Bombers.

Russ “Tiger” King (’63) | Coach

Russ “Tiger” King has been the St. Xavier Varsity Tennis coach for more than 25 years. Coach King has worked tirelessly over the years to build an unparalleled tennis program that has been a model for other high school programs across the state of Ohio. Early in his career, he identified the need to create “B” teams at the varsity and junior varsity levels to accommodate and develop the number of student-athletes who annually try out for the St. Xavier tennis team. He coached his first state champion doubles team of Neil Sehgal and Andy Bartish in 2002 and won his second in 2006 with Jonathan Gaffney and Patrick Bandy. Coach King has also led several teams to Columbus for the Ohio state team championship. He earned his first of four straight Ohio state team titles in 2005. During the 2012 season, Coach King won his 700th career dual match with a 5-0 win over Elder. Coach King has served not only as a mentor to numerous student-athletes, but to students in general over the years. “Tiger” is a well-loved father figure to his students who continue to come back to see him years after graduation.

Chris Sexton (’89) | Baseball

As a junior Chris batted .435 and was first team all-city. His senior year hit .450, but he did not receive any accolades. At the time, his batting average was the best in school history. (That record stood until Jason Basil broke it in 1997) Chris received a scholarship to attend Miami University. Chris is one of just two players in Miami baseball history to win MAC player of the year. He was a three-time first-team all-MAC selection. Sexton set four school single-season records, including batting average (.429), doubles (19), triples (6) and walks (39), while lettering four times for the Redhawks. His career marks for batting average (.382) and triples (14) still stand today. In 10 career offensive categories, Sexton still ranks in the top 10 in nine. Besides his work on the field, he also excelled academically, earning Verizon academic all-district honors in 1991 and 1993. While playing for the Reds High A affiliate Billing Mustangs he led them to a Pioneer League Championship and was voted team MVP. Chris was an all-star at every level he played in professional baseball, A, AA and AAA. He made his major league debut May 3, 1999 for the Colorado Rockies and also spent some time with the Reds in 2000. Chris retired from baseball after spring training of 2003.

J.R. Anderson (’90) | Tennis

According to many members of the Cincinnati sports community, St. Xavier’s Tennis team is one of the finest high school teams in the state. While the tennis program goes back to 1927, the last 25 years have proven to be particularly successful for St. Xavier Tennis. While there are numerous deserving tennis players from past years, J.R. Anderson stands out as the most exceptional of this select group. And as the accomplishments listed below will attest, J.R.’s achievements on the court position him as one of the most successful athletes to have ever represented St. Xavier High School. During J.R.’s four years at St. X, he won 139 matches (while only losing 13). He holds the school record for most career wins—a record that many believe will never be broken. J.R. qualified for the Ohio State Tournament three times. This is considered a rare feat to this day. J.R. was named The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, and GCL Player of the Year in 1990. J.R. was All GCL for four years as well as The Cincinnati Enquirer First Team singles and doubles for four years. He was First Team Doubles All State his sophomore and junior seasons and named St. Xavier MVP his senior season. In addition to his extremely impressive tennis career, J.R. demonstrated leadership on and off the court. After graduating from X, J.R. went on to have a highly successful and productive tennis career at the University of Virginia.

Raymond J. Bosse (’73) | Swimming

Ray was an outstanding swimmer at St. X and had a great swimming career and coaching career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Ray was an individual state champion and All-American at St. X. He set sectional and district records and was on the Enquirer and Post all-city swim teams for the 200 IM. He was a member or the 1973 national championship team. His teams at X won every GCL, sectional, district and state championship in which they competed. He was voted most improved swimmer his junior year and was a member of the all-GCL, all-sectional and all-district teams. Ray continued his success at West Point. He was the top three in scoring all four years (Third all time in points upon graduation) and was team captain. Ray was a member of the all-conference team and set four different records in four different events. Ray received the Army Commendation Medal, Overseas Defense Service Medal, Cold War Services Medal and the National Defense Service Medal as a captain in field artillery. Ray coached at West Point for 13 years and currently is a member of faculty at West Point.

Dick Murphy | Wrestling and Soccer Coach

A successful coach strives for success in competition, longevity, and development of student athletes. The development of student athletes should always be at the core and should include achievement in athletics, academics, as well as guiding student athletes to be well rounded men for others. St. Xavier has a long history of coaches that exemplify these characteristics, and Dick Murphy stands out as one shining example of what it means to be a head coach at St. Xavier High School. His longevity is tremendous spending 35 years coaching, teaching, and in administration at St. Xavier. His accomplishments in sports are also very impressive. Dick coached both soccer and wrestling while at St. Xavier. As a soccer coach for seven years he had an overall record of 105-23-14, six GCL championships, two district and regional championships and a state championship. Dick also coached wrestling. He was such a fixture in the St. Xavier community his tenure spanned generations coaching fathers and sons. He has an overall dual meet record of 184-106-8. His teams produced one individual state champion and twelve state runner-ups. His teams celebrated four district, ten sectional and ten GCL championships under his leadership.

Paul Schmerge (’82) | Football and Basketball

Paul was a three year letterman in football and basketball during his athletic career at St. Xavier. He was team captain of both basketball and football his senior season. Paul was on the first St. Xavier football team to make the playoffs in 1981. (This was when only two teams from each region, eight total, made the playoffs. Prior to this, only Moeller & Princeton made playoffs since they started in 1972.) He was First Team GCL and GCL Player of the Year, Second Team Ohio SW District, Honorable Mention All-State, Honorable Mention All-City (only one team) and team MVP. In basketball, Paul had a great career. He was Honorable Mention All-City, First Team GCL and team MVP. Mr. Berning was quoted at the time as not remembering a St. Xavier senior who was MVP for both Football and Basketball in the same year. Paul was the leading scorer on the team with 11.5 points per game and listed among the city leaders in shooting percentage at 51%. He was also the team leader in rebounds. Paul accepted a four-year, full scholarship to The University of Michigan to play tight end for Bo Schembechler. He was a two year letterman who played in three bowl games- Sugar Bowl, Holiday Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. Michigan beat Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl in 1986 to earn the #2 ranking in the AP Poll. He played in three games versus OSU & beat them twice. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree and has been a commercial realtor since 1999. Father Jack (’39) and four brothers (Fred ’72, Mike ’73, Mark ’75, & Bill ’76) graduated from St. Xavier.

Jason Basil (’97) | Baseball

Jason was a four-year varsity baseball player. He was the first freshman ever to start for the varsity team. Jason went on to receive a number of awards during his St. Xavier baseball career. He was first team all-GCL his freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. (First freshman to earn all-GCL honors.) He was the GCL player of the year his sophomore and junior seasons. (First sophomore to win the award and first to receive it twice in a career.) Basil’s accolades also include all-city honors as well as being named Ohio’s best player by Baseball America. He was team MVP in 1995, 1996 (sophomore and junior year) and won All-America awards from Baseball America, High School Baseball USA, Mizuno and Collegiate Baseball American. He set the St. Xavier record for highest batting average at .507.  Jason continued his baseball career with a scholarship to Georgia Tech, where he was first team all-ACC and ACC tournament MVP in 2000. Jason ranks first in Georgia Tech history in sacrifice flies, third in RBI’s and doubles and fourth in hits. He was drafted by the
Oakland A’s in 2001. Jason currently coaches baseball at St. Xavier.

Jayme Cramer (’01) | Swimming

During Jayme’s four years at St. Xavier, the swim team won every GCL, sectional, district and state championship. Jayme was national high school swimmer of the year as a senior, as well as Ohio high school swimmer of the year both as a junior and senior. Some of Jayme’s swimming accomplishments in high school include (freshman year) Enquirer first team all-city, All-America 100 fly, 100 back, 200 medley relay (MR) and state runner-up in the 200 MR. As a sophomore Jayme won state in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 MR and set a team record in the back and medley relay. He added to 400 free relay to his All-America list and became an academic All-American. As a junior Cramer was Ohio swimmer of the year and outstanding swimmer at the state meet. He set state records while winning the 100 fly, 100 back, 200 MR and also swam on the state champion 400 free relay, earning team MVP status and remaining an academic All-America. As a senior, Swimming World named Cramer national high school swimmer of the year after winning national titles in the 100
fly, 100 back, 200 MR and 400 free relay, all which also were state championship events. Jayme went to Stanford University, swimming four years there and becoming a two-time NCAA champion and 20-time All-American.  He won the Block “S” Outstanding Male Junior Athlete and followed with the Jake Gimble Award for Athletic Endurance as a senior. Jayme was a member of the USA Swimming National Team from 2000 to 2008 winning two
gold, one silver and two bronze medals in world championships. Jayme now is married with two children.

Robert S. Heidt. M.D. (’69) | Team Physician

Rob began serving as the St. Xavier team physician in 1983. Over the course of nearly 30 years on the sidelines, Heidt treated hundreds of injured student athletes and guided them safely back to the field. Moreover, he became instrumental in creating and implementing a state-of-the-art sports medicine program to assist not only rehabilitation of injuries, but also develop the idea of wellness and preventive medicine to strengthen student athletes and help them avoid injury. In addition to his work with St. Xavier, Rob shared his expertise while serving with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who named him Ohio team physician of the year. Beyond the prep sidelines, Heidt was the long-time team physician for the Cincinnati Bengals and is the former president of the NFL Physicians Society. Rob is a partner at Wellington Orthopedics and a former St. Xavier board member and
board chairman. He and his wife Julie are parents of three St. Xavier graduates.

Shawn Rockey ('94) | Wrestling and Soccer 

Shawn was a multisport athlete who competed at very high levels in both wrestling and soccer. In wrestling Shawn was a two-time St. Xavier Invitational winner, three time placer and tournament MVP in 1992. He was a three-time Ohio all-Catholic runner up. He was a three-time sectional champ and was district champ in 1992. Shawn placed second in the state tournament in 1994 and fourth in 1993. He was GCL wrestler of the year, St. Xavier team MVP and St. Xavier team captain in 1994. His career record was 81-23-1. For how accomplished he was as a wrestler, Shawn was even better on the soccer field. He was two-time first team all-GCL, St. Xavier team captain for the 1993 undefeated regular season, St. Xavier team MVP, GCL Player of the Year, first team all-city and second team all-state.  Shawn continued his soccer career at the University of Dayton, where he was Atlantic-10 Tournament MVP and University of Dayton Team MVP. After college Shawn played professional soccer for the Cincinnati Riverhawks, (four-time player of the week) Cincinnati Excite
Professional Indoor Soccer (team captain) and was a member of the U.S. National Arena Soccer Team in 2008.

Jeff Ankenbauer ('83) | Golf, Basketball, and Baseball

Jeff Ankenbauer was a three sport athlete in golf, basketball and baseball, an ambitious feat practically unheard of in high school sports today. Jeff managed to excel in all three. In golf, he was St. Xavier team MVP, first team all-GCL and first team all-Southwest Ohio. In basketball, he was one of two senior captains and averaged 10 points per game as a point guard. In baseball he was moved to the varsity team as a sophomore, was one of two senior captains and named St. Xavier team MVP his senior year. In summary, Jeff excelled as a captain in three sports his senior year and was awarded an Evans Scholarship after high school.

Dana Bible ('72) | Football

Dana was the leading scorer in the GCL in 1972. He was team captain on an 8-2 team that beat (at the time) city power Purcell. Bible is a 1976 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where he lettered and started three years as a cornerback. Bible showed his talents as a football coach after his playing days were over. He started his career as an assistant coach at The University of Cincinnati from 1976-1980. His coaching career has spanned over 30 years coaching offense between the NFL and college. He was the quarterback coach for the Bengals from 1990-1992 and Offensive Coordinator for Eagles in 1998. He is currently the Offensive Coordinator at North Carolina State under Coach Tom O'Brien ('66). In 2000, Bible was nominated for the Frank Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country.

Denis Lunne ('70) | Cross County and Track

Quite simply, Dennis Lunne is the most accomplished distance runner in St. Xavier history and perhaps the best runner ever to wear a Bomber uniform. In cross country Dennis finished fifth at State his sophomore year, eleventh his junior year, and was runner-up at the 1969 State Championship. During his senior cross country campaign he amazingly set the course record for every meet he ran except for the state meet. In track and field he was almost as equally as accomplished. As a junior he set a school record of 4:16.2 in the mile at the regional meet and went on to finish third at state. In his senior season he broke his own mile school record by .2 seconds at the regional meet and also set the school two mile record by running a blistering 9:15.1 at the Miami University Relays. That season Dennis went on to finish fifth at the state meet in the mile. Both his mile and two-mile still stand as St. Xavier school records. In college Dennis ran for the University of Pennsylvania from 1970-1974 and was all-Ivy League his sophomore year in the 880 and two mile relay. After college he continued running professionally for the Philadelphia Pioneers, the Florida Track Club, and Racing South until 1982. During that time he completed his medical degree and is now a physician in northeast Ohio.

Mike Marshall ('96) | Football and Basketball

Mike started at inside linebacker his sophomore year on the 1993 football team. The "Great Wall" defense was considered at the time to be the best defense St. Xavier had produced. Mike was honorable mention GCL and honorable mention All-City as a sophomore. He was first team all-GCL, first team all-region and honorable mention all-state as a junior. For how accomplished Mike was as a football player, basketball was his true love. Mike was a three year starter for the Bombers. He was first team all-GCL as a junior and senior. He was team MVP of the 1996 GCL co-championship team. He was first team all-city, honorable mention all-region and a McDonald's all-American nominee. Mike continued his athletic career with a basketball scholarship to Butler University. At Butler Mike was two time all–MCC player, MCC Tournament MVP, two time team MVP and Butler University's Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the year in 2000. Mike led the Bulldogs to four post season appearances. (3 NCAA, 1 NIT) He is the fifth all time rebounder in Butler basketball history and is a member of the all-sesquicentennial team (Top 15 players of all time).

Steve Sollmann ('00) | Football, Basketball, and Baseball

Steve was a three star athlete that played three varsity sports beginning his freshman year. In football Steve was first team GCL and honorable mention all-city as a sophomore. As a junior, Steve rushed for 316 yards on 32 carries to beat Colerain (#1 in city) and helped team advance on their road to the state finals. He won first team GCL, first team all-city and was honorable mention southwest Ohio. As a senior Steve scored 6 TD's against Cleveland St. Ignatius, winning player of the week honors from the Enquirer and Larosa's. That year Steve won CGL Player of the Year, Player of the Year all-city and player of the year southwest Ohio. His career records are: 3947 career yards rushing, 5860 all purpose yards and 51 touchdowns. All of these are St. Xavier records. Steve was the recipient of the 2000 "That's My Boy" award. In basketball, Steve won second team all-GCL as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, Steve helped guide St. Xavier to its only state basketball title. He won first team GCL, was honorable mention all-city and honorable mention southwest Ohio. In baseball, Steve was second team GCL as a sophomore. His junior season he was first team GCL and first team all-city. He was a pre-season all-American his senior year, first team GCL, team MVP and scholar athlete of the year. Steve was the recipient of the Larosa's athlete of the year award his senior year. Steve continued his career with a baseball scholarship at the University of Notre Dame where he was a four-year letter winner. During his career at ND, Steve was second team all-American, first team academic all-American, first team all-Midwest region, first team all-Big East, Big East rookie of the year, team captain and team MVP in 2003. He is the recipient of the Notre Dame Athletics Francis Patrick O'Connor Award recognizing team spirit, inspiration, and courage. Steve was a10-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2004. Steve made it to Triple A before he decided to retire to raise his family in a more stable environment.

Larry Merkel | Cross Country Coach

Larry Merkel was the varsity head coach of the St. Xavier cross country team for 27 years. He helped transformed St. Xavier from a struggling non-competitive squad to a fixture in the top 10 city rankings, and eventually into a perennial state powerhouse. As head coach, Larry guided the team to nine GCL championships, 14 district championships, two regional championships, a state runner up finish and three state championships (1998, 2000 and 2003). The cross country team qualified for 18 straight state championship meets under his guidance, the second-longest streak in Ohio history. Merkel’s 2000 state championship team is arguably the best cross country team in Ohio history and earned a national ranking of 13, the highest national ranking ever received by a St. Xavier cross country team. Larry has been a teacher in the St. X English department since 1977.

Tom Niehaus (’55) | Football

Tom was a three-year starter for the Bombers, beginning at nose guard as a sophomore and moving to defensive end his last two years. Tom became Coach Tom Ballaban’s first all-city player while also earning second-team all-state and honorable mention All-America honors (the first in school history) as captain of the team. He was sixth man on the basketball team as a junior and was co-captain his senior year. Tom carried an A-minus average, was a member of the Jesuit National Honor Society, Senior Class President and Student Council President. He went on to play football at Detroit University, where he was freshman team captain and earned all-Missouri Valley Conference honors at guard his sophomore year. He transferred to XU, where he played two more years of football. Tom spent 26 years as a seventh- and eighth-grade football coach in three cities. He and his wife Marilyn have six children and 27 grandchildren and now live in Jackson, Michigan.

Howard Tolbert | Football, Basketball, and Golf Coach

Howard Tolbert taught history and physical education at St. Xavier. Howard - or “H,” as he was known – served as the assistant varsity football coach under St. X Hall of Famer Tom Ballaban, filling both offensive and defensive coordinator roles. He also spent time as head coach for the varsity basketball, varsity golf and reserve football teams in his Bomber tenure. Howard worked at Purcell High School from 1958 to 1962 as an assistant varsity football coach, and head coach for both reserve football and basketball. Howard played three seasons of varsity football for Xavier University from 1946 to 1948. His legendary toughness surely was born of his Army training during World War II, where he served from 1942 to 1945. Howard is a combat veteran and received the Purple Heart, The Combat Infantry Badge with Oak Leaf Cluster and four major battle campaign ribbons.

Bill Behrens (’56) | Swim Coach

Won five GCL and district championships. Best finish in the state championship was eighth place. Bill most recently was an assistant coach for the University of Arizona 2008 men’s and women’s NCAA championship teams. Bill has personally coached 12 Olympians, including seven swimming for the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing summer games. Bill has received several nominations speaking to how he personally affected his swimmers’ lives and giving him credit for laying the foundation to the St. X swimming dynasty.

Joel Cornette (’99) | Basketball

Joel was first team all-city, all-district and honorable mention all-state as a senior, in addition to playing in the Ohio North-South All Star Game and being named GCL player of the year. He was an all-league pick as a junior and senior. He went on to play basketball for Butler University from 1999-2003, where he won the Frank “Pop” Hedden Award as Butler’s top male freshman student-athlete and was Butler’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2003. He is ranked forth all-time at Butler in field goal percentage (54.4%) and ranks seventh in rebounding (712). He was an all-conference selection in 2003 and named to the All-East Region NCAA tournament team. Joel is currently a men’s assistant basketball coach at the University of Iowa.

Pat O’Leary (’58) | Football, Baseball, and Coach

Pat played varsity baseball for three years and played varsity football as a junior and senior. As a senior, team won the GCL title and Pat was an all-GCL pick. He received an athletic scholarship to the University of Dayton and joined the U.S. Navy in 1960. After the Navy, he entered Xavier University and graduated in 1968. Pat came to St. X as the head of physical education in 1970 and served as assistant varsity football coach under Tom Ballaban. Pat left X in 1973 but returned as assistant football coach from 1980-96 under Steve Rasso. Pat was chair of the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association for 10 years and now volunteers at Mary Magdalene House in Over the Rhine.

Rocky Boiman (’98) | Football, Baseball, and Track

Rocky Boiman was track team captain as a senior and two-time all-city pick in baseball playing second base and shortstop, but is most noted for his exploits on the gridiron. He set or tied several school records as a defensive back – including three interceptions in a game - and kick returner. He owns career marks for most kick return attempts (39), yards (1,129) and return average (28.9 yards). His season records include total return yardage (478), average (36.8) and tied for most touchdown returns (two), all set his sophomore year. As a senior Rocky was SW Ohio Player of the Year, first team all-GCL, -city and –Ohio, while leading the Bombers to the playoffs with a 9-3 record. He recorded 164 tackles and six interceptions as free safety and averaged 26.4 yards on 16 kick returns. After St. X, Rocky went on to Notre Dame, where he was a captain his senior year. Rocky was a fourth-round draft choice of the Tennessee Titans. He was AFC Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 28, 2003 after a sack for a safety and 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. Rocky signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 and was a member of their Super Bowl championship team last season.

Lemar Marshall (’95) | Football and Basketball

Lemar was a three-year starter at cornerback for the Bomber football team, including his sophomore year when he played on the state finalist squad. He was first team all-GCL and all-city as a junior and senior and was a first team All-Ohio pick as a senior. Lemar also earned three letters in basketball and was a second team all-GCL pick as a senior. He went on to Michigan State University, where he was a four-year letterman while compiling 261 career tackles, including 101 his senior year. Lemar recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after a six-year NFL career with the Washington Redskins where he recorded 119 tackles in the 2006 season. In addition to his athletic prowess, Lemar and his wife Donecia founded “A Clearer Future Foundation” providing preventative eye care for children.

Tom Olson (’74) | Swimming

A member of the 1973 national championship team, often considered the best in St. X’s storied swimming history, Tom was one of four swimmers on that team ranked in the world’s top 25. He was a four-time state champ, two-time state runner-up, a two-time state record setter and seven-time high school All-American. He was a first-team all-city pick by the Post and Enquirer his freshman, sophomore and junior years and each paper’s swimmer of the year as a senior. He won his first state title as a sophomore, claiming the 200 freestyle and 400 free relay championships. His junior year he set a state record in the 200 free during state meet preliminaries, but teammate Paul Hove broke the record in the finals, leaving Olson as state runner-up. He also finished sixth in the state 100 free as a junior. His senior year, Tom won the 500 free in state-record time and took his second 200 free state title. Tom wnet on to swim at the University of Arizona, where he qualified for the NCAA championship, but his career was cut short by an eye disease that limited his vision.

Jim Ross (’56) | Football, Basketball, and Baseball

A three-year football player for Tom Ballaban, Jim played both offensive and defensive end. He earned second-team all-city honors as a junior and first-team recognition his senior year. He was selected the MVP of the GCL doubleheader at Xavier University his senior year while serving as team co-captain. In basketball, again a three-year man, Jim played two seasons for Ballaban and his senior year under new coach Dick Berning, He was honorable mention all-city as a junior and co-captain as a senior. Jim was the starting catcher for two seasons on the Bomber baseball team. After St. X, Jim went on to play three years of football alongside future St. X coach Steve Rasso at the University of Cincinnati. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Widely viewed as the best athlete in his class, he was also more than an athlete. Jim was class president as a sophomore and senior, and class treasurer as a junior. His senior year he was vice president of student council and was elected prom king.

Brian Fitzgerald (’91) | Football

Brian Fitzgerald was a three-year varsity running back setting numerous school records in his career, including most touchdowns (40), most rushing touchdowns (37), highest average per carry (5.8 yards), most points scored (242), career net yards (3,293) and most points in a single game. He was named team MVP, all-GCL, all-city, Cincinnati Offensive Player of the Year, all-district and second-team all-Ohio as a senior. Fitzgerald was a National Honor Society member who also ran the 100, 200 and 400 relay in track. He went on to win three varsity letters in football at North Carolina State University. Fitzgerald and his wife Marcy currently reside in Liberty Township, Ohio.

Steve Rasso | Head Coach

Steve Rasso spent 26 years as the St. X head football coach, taking over for the legendary Tom Ballaban. The Bombers continued to grow as a perennial city power. He posted a 189-86-2 record at St. X (a .682 winning percentage), and a 249-122-2 mark in his 36-year head coaching career. Among his Bomber highlights are 11 playoff appearances, five regional titles, three state-runner-up finishes, six GCL Coach of the Year awards, the 1992 Ohio Coach of the Year award and the 1992 and 1999 Cincinnati Coach of the Year awards. He was inducted to the Ohio Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Rasso was a three-year varsity football letterman starter at Bishop Duffy High near Niagara, N.Y. and a three-year letterman at the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated in 1960 with a degree in education. He got his masters in education in 1968 from Xavier University. Before coming to St. X he was head football coach at Covington Catholic, LaSalle and Mariemont High Schools. In addition to his work on the field, Rasso spent 28 years as a physical education teacher at St. X. Steve and his wife Sally live on the west side; they have three children and six grandchildren.

Dod Wales (’95) | Swimming

The most decorated swimmer in school history, Wales won 12 event titles in four state meets, had two runner-up finishes and one third-place finish in 16 career state meet swims. His individual titles included three championships each in the in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. He was also part of four title-winning 400 free relays, a 200 free relay champ and a 200 medley relay winner. Wales was a 16-time high school All-American, three-time team MVP and three-time Post and Enquirer swimmer of the year. Wales went on to Stanford University where he won an NCAA title and set an American record in the 100 butterfly while leading his team to four straight Pac-10 championships. As a YMCA swimmer, Wales set a national record in the 100 free on his way to a career record 22 first-place finishes in the YMCA Winter Nationals. He and his wife Talor and daughter now live in Greenwich, Connecticut.

MICHAEL ANDREWS ('92) | Swimming

Micheal Andrews was a member of 3 State Champion Teams, he himself was a 7-time State Champion, and 11-time High School All American who specialized in the backstroke, freestyle and medley events at 50, 100 and 200 meters and was world ranked in 1991 and 92. As a freshman he attained All American status in the 200-medley relay, won a state championship and made All-City. As a sophomore he was All-America in medley relay and backstroke and named to the U.S. National Junior Team. Unfortunately that year he missed the State Meet with mononucleosis. As a junior he won 3 State Championships in which he was designated All-American, set 1 State record, 3 District records, and was First Team All-City. He also won the 200-meter backstroke and finished 2nd in the 100 meter at the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival and was a member of the U.S. National Team at the Canada Cup. As a Senior he was a major contributor to the 1992 Ohio and National High School Championship Team. He was State Champion in 3 events in which State records were set, runner up in a fourth and again achieved All-America in those 3 winning events. Though two-time Olympic Gold Medallist Joe Hudepohl was his teammate he was voted St. Xavier Most Valuable Swimmer and Ohio High School Swimmer of the Year. He was again named to the U.S. National Team where he won 2 events and was runner up in a third at the Canada Cup.

Upon graduating from St. X he received a scholarship to UCLA where he was named outstanding freshman swimmer and MVP his sophomore year after he finished 4th in the NCAA Championships. He also made the U.S. National Team both years and set an under 18 National Record in the 200 meter backstroke. He set two schools records that won’t be broken soon because after sophomore year UCLA Swimming was sacrificed on the Title IX altar and he was forced to transfer to Auburn. At Auburn he won three Southeastern Conference titles, set one SEC record and was a13-time NCAA All American. He competed in 2 individual events at the NCAA Championships both years and finished 3rd 3 times out of 4. His Senior year he set a world record in the backstroke leg of the medley relay and was named Auburn Swimmer of the Year. He continued as a member of the National Team and just missed joining Hudepohl on the 1996 Olympic Team after he finished 4th in the 100 meter backstroke at the Olympic Trials. He was an Academic All-American in 1995 and 96, three-time Auburn Dean’s List member and graduated in 1997. Today he is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Cincinnati.

BILL HOFFER ('47) | Baseball, Basketball

Bill Hoffer was one of many Northern Kentuckians who made their mark on St. X Athletics. Prior to 1979 he was a two-year starter in both sports playing infield on the Baseball Team and forward on the Basketball Team. A fierce competitor who played smart and hard, he was one of Hall of Fame Coach John Dromo’s basketball stalwarts. Along with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Cady, he anchored a 20-5 team that lost in the District Finals. He was fourth in the City in scoring his senior year (Cady was first) and was named All-City. In baseball he was a home run hitter who’s most notable teammate was St. X and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bunning. Upon graduating from St. X he turned down offers from U.C., Miami and UK and enrolled at Xavier University on a basketball scholarship because he wanted to attend a Catholic university. At XU he continued playing both sports. As a leftfielder on the baseball team with fellow Hall of Famers Dick Berning and Bob Conway he was a 3-year starter who, as a senior, was the team’s most productive hitter. As a guard on the Basketball Team for coach Lew Hirt he was a 3-year letterman who led the team in scoring his junior year. He also was known as the “Bearcat Beater” as he averaged around 20 points in basketball against UC and his senior year hit for the cycle against them in baseball.

After graduating in 1951 he played briefly on a team of collegiate All-Americans that toured the Nation playing against the Harlem Globetrotters but then entered the military service with the U.S. Army. He was also drafted by another group -the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA- but in those days Uncle Sam always won that contest. While in the Army he again played both sports hitting 55 home runs and competing against another 2-sport wonder Dick Groat. After discharge from the service he considered playing basketball for Syracuse but instead chose the premier sport of the day, baseball, signing with the Detroit Tigers. He played 3 years in the Tiger’s minor league system before marriage and starting a family persuaded him to seek his life’s work. He worked 37 years for the Mosler Safe Company in sales and marketing. Ever the competitive athlete, he taught himself how to play golf which he still pursues quite well today keeping his handicap close to single digits.

CHARLES KEATING III ('73) | Swimming

Charles Keating III is a member of the class of 1973 and another member of the fabled 1973 National Championship swim team who also pulls his family into a tie with the Wolfs for most Hall of Fame members. Starting at the age of 13 he qualified for the AAU National Championships. At St. X he was a varsity swimmer for four years on a team that won the Ohio State championship all those years as well as the national championship in ‘73. As has been said before, only (5) college teams would have beaten that 1973 St. X team in a dual meet. As a freshman he qualified for the state meet in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breastroke, finished 6th and 4th respectively and achieved All American status. As a sophomore he won his first State Title in the 200 IM and set a state record in the100 Breastroke and again achieved All American status. His junior year was cut short by a shoulder injury that kept him out of the State Meet but prior to that he swam well enough to qualify once more as an All American and finished 6th at the 1972 Olympic Trials. His senior year was a coronation of the previous 3. He was named Co-Captain of the Team. He won the State Championship in the 200 IM and 100 Breastroke and set Ohio records in both events. Not surprisingly he was named All American. In fact he would’ve been named an NCAA All American if he had been in college.

Accepting a scholarship to Indiana University, which was the college swimming power at that time, he was a varsity swimmer all four years. He was a 6-time NCAA All American who won 4 Big Ten Championships in the 200-yard Breastroke and the Medley Relay. He qualified for the NCAA championships each year, finishing as high as 3rd in the 200 Breastroke. His IM Relay Team finished 2nd three times. In 1976 he won the AAU National Championship, finished 3rd in the Olympic Trials and placed 5th in the 200 Meter Breastroke at the Montreal Games. He was eventually inducted into the Indiana Swimming Hall of Fame. Today he lives in the Phoenix area with his children where he works as a real estate developer and homebuilder. During his tenure as a St. X swimmer, he was a one of four young men entering St. Xavier in the fall of 1969 who changed the face of St. X swimming and created the dynasty that still continues today.

CHRIS MACK ('88) | Basketball

Chris Mack is a member of the Class of 1988 and is the first son of a member of the fabled 1965 basketball team to make the Hall of Fame. Like his father Tom he was a basketball player. He was a 3-year member of and 2-year starter on the Basketball team. During his 3-year varsity career his teams made the Regional Semi-Finals, and Sectional Finals twice. A starter at forward his junior year he was All-GCL and All-City. His senior year he led the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals per game. He was the team MVP, the GCL Player of the Year, 1st Team All-City, 1st Team All-Southwest District, Cincinnati Post Player of the Year, All Ohio, and Honorable Mention All-American Jesuit Team. He finished his career with the 2nd highest single season and career scoring records both of which have been recently moved to third place by the exploits of Johnny Wolf.

After graduating from St. X he accepted a basketball scholarship to University of Evansville. As a freshman he averaged 7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. As a sophomore he averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. After his Sophomore year he tired of Coach Crews and transferred to Xavier where he played under Coach Pete Gillen. After sitting out the required year he was elected Tri-Captain for 1991-92 Season but never played a game as he tore his ACL in his left knee 8 seconds into the first exhibition game. After rehabilitating that knee he planned to return for his Senior season but then tore the ACL in his right knee during a summer league game. Despite the two knee injuries he was reelected Tri-Captain and eventually played for the Musketeers.

After graduating from Xavier in 1993 he played with Athletes in Action for a year and one year in the European Pro League. He moved from a playing career to coaching in 1995 beginning at Mount Notre Dame coaching girls. He had very successful 4-year run with the Cougars and was named the 1996 Cincinnati Post Coach of the Year. In 1999 he took a huge leap in the field by becoming Xavier’s Director of Basketball Operations and moved to Wake Forest in 2001 with Head Coach Skip Prosser where he helped recruit people such as Chris Paul. Additionally he helped reintroduce Winston-Salem to tie-died shirts. However, just as at Evansville, the yearning for home was too much and in 2004 he returned to Xavier as First Assistant to new Head Coach Sean Miller where he is today. Among his accomplishments he enticed the man who passed him in the St. X. record books, Johnny Wolf, to come to XU. With his wife Christi and new daughter Lainee, he looks forward to advancing in the coaching field. Introducing one of the five greatest basketball players in St. X history: Chris Mack.

Mike Conaton ('81) | Swimming

Mike Conaton is a member of the class of 1981 who is another in the seemingly unending line of outstanding St. Xavier swimmers.

A member of 4 State Champion Teams, he himself was a 3-time State Champion, 4-time runner-up and 8-time High School All American who specialized in the backstroke and medley events at 100 and 200 meters in which he set numerous school records and was among the top 25 in the world.

Prior to entering St. Xavier he held various state and national age-group records. He attained All American status as freshman in the 100 yd backstroke and made the cover of Swimming World Magazine. As a sophomore he won his first state championship on the medley relay and was an All-American in medley relay and backstroke. As a junior he won 2 State Championships, was runner-up in another, and was designated All-American in 3 events in which he set school records.

As a Senior he was elected team captain and led the team to the 1981 Ohio State Championship where he was runner-up in 3 events. He again achieved All-America in 3 events in which he broke the school records he set the year before. Not surprisingly he was voted Most Valuable Swimmer.

At the same time he also played water polo and starred on the 1980 State Championship team and captained the 1981 State Runner-up. During his summers he finished 6th at the US Nationals as a junior and 5th as a senior in the 200m backstroke, made the 1980 Olympic Consolation Finals and attained an18th place world ranking.

After graduating from St. X he received a scholarship to Stanford University where he continued his success both with his school and nationally. He was a NCAA All American and maintained a world ranking. He competed in 2 individual events at the NCAA Championships in each of his four years and he was a member of two NCAA national championship teams. He was a member of 2 U.S. National Teams and again made the Olympic Consolation Finals in 1984.

Like many of his fellow Hall of Fame swimmers, he continued to compete after graduation. He has also been a model volunteer in many youth athletic programs. Today he is an investor with a private equity fund and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Walter Gruber ('46) | Basketball, Football, Track

Walter Gruber is a member of the class of 1946 who was 3-Sport, 3-Captain Athlete, whose greatest accomplishments were in Track.

In football he was too small to make the freshman team. Cut from the reserve team as a sophomore he was nevertheless allowed to continue to practice with them. After catching the eye of Hall of Fame Coach John Dromo in the intersquad scrimmage, was promoted to varsity where he was awarded 3 letters and a 2-year starter at halfback who co-captained the team as a senior. Unfortunately his senior season was cut short due to a broken bone.

In basketball, playing forward, he was a two-year starter who was co-captain with his twin brother Willy his senior year.

In track he was truly special. A 3-year letterman and, again, Captain as a senior, he competed in the 100, 220, 440 yard dashes and long jump finishing 3rd at the State Championship in the 100 and 220. He held the GCL 200 yard dash record from 1946 until 1970, a truly amazing fact.

Upon graduating from St. X he received a football & track scholarship to the University of Detroit. He lettered four years at halfback, safety, and kick returner, averaged 6.6 yards per carry, and set a school record for the longest run from scrimmage, a record that will never be broken unless Detroit brings back football.

His greatest accomplishments were in track. Also earning 4 letters and setting school records, he competed in the 100, 220, 440, mile relay team and long-jump for Detroit. In 1948 he made the finals in the US Olympic Trials in the 200 meter dash but came up short of the Olympics due to a pulled hamstring prior to the race. He was voted Athlete of the Year at Detroit in both his sophomore and junior years and in 1983 was elected to the University of Detroit Athletic Hall of Fame.

After graduating magna cum laude from Detroit with a degree in mathematics he began a career as an engineer working in the defense, aerospace and automotive sectors, retiring from Bendix in 1982. After this retirement he became a member of the faculty at Mercy College in Detroit teaching mathematics and was a facilitator in the merger of Mercy College with the University of Detroit.

Scott Martin ('87) | Baseball, Basketball, Soccer

Scott Martin is a member of the class of 1987 who was a non-classic 3-Sport Athlete and the current St. X basketball coach.

Although he played basketball and baseball, his fall sport was a different kind of football – soccer. All told he won 7 letters in his three sports. In soccer he was a two-year starter who was All-GCL and All-City his senior year as a midfielder. In baseball he was a two-year letterman at 2nd Base.

His primary sport was basketball. A 3-year starter for Dick Berning, he led the team in assists and free throw percentage all three years. He is still the School single-season and career record holder in assists. During his 3-year varsity career his teams made the Regional Finals, Regional Semi-Finals, and Sectional Finals. After his senior season he attained All-GCL, All-City and won the Joe Quinn Award given to the best GCL Scholar-Athlete.

After graduating from St. X he accepted a basketball scholarship to Rollins College in Florida. While at Rollins playing for former Finneytown star Tom Klusman, he set a number of school records for three-point and free-throw shooting. He also still holds the NCAA Division II single-season and career three-point percentage mark. He was team captain his senior year, made first team All-Conference and was named the 1991 Rollins co-male “Athlete of the Year.” In 2002 he was inducted into the Rollins Athletic Hall of Fame.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Martin entered the coaching business starting at the small college level. At the urging of Dick Berning, he returned to his alma mater where he succeeded his mentor as head basketball coach. Today, he continues in that role that only 3 men have held in the last 50 years. Martin was at the helm when St. Xavier attained its greatest basketball accomplishment – the 2000 State Championship.

Jeff Wolf is a member of the Class of 1984 and becomes the 4th member of his family to be inducted.

Like his brothers he’s known for two sports – basketball and tennis - in which he won 7 letters. He was a 3-year member of the varsity Basketball Team where he was a two-year captain and team MVP his senior year. He was All-GCL and All-City his junior and senior years. As good as he was at basketball he was probably better at tennis. A 4-year member of the varsity, he was 3-times All-GCL and All City, two-year team captain and MVP his senior year.

After graduating from St. X he accepted a basketball scholarship to Rollins College where he played 4 years for Cincinnati native Tom Klusman. He was team Captain, MVP 3 times and finished in the top 5 in Rollins career scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, free throws and three-point goals. In 1988 he was the winner of the Rollins Senior Sports Award and the Central Florida Male Athlete of the Year. In 1995 he was inducted into the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame and in 1998 into the Rollins Hall of Fame.

Returning to this area after graduating he immediately became a power in the amateur tennis scene where he has accumulated more Met Tennis championships than anyone including he brother Marty and, with Charter Hall of Fame Member Charley Wolf, has won the National Tennis Father-Son Championship twice. From 1989-97 he was the #1 ranked player in Greater Cincinnati and was the 1991 GCTA player of the year.

A former tennis instructor at a number of local clubs, he now works in commercial real estate.

Mark Jechura ('84) | Swimming

Mark Jechura is a member of the class of 1984 who is another in the seemingly unending line of outstanding St. Xavier swimmers.

A member of 2 State Champion Teams he was a 4-time State Champion and 9-time High School All American who specialized in the freestyle and butterfly sprinting events –50 and 100 meters.

As a sophomore he finished in the Top 6 in three events, was part of an All-American medley relay team and was First Team All-City. As a Junior he won 2 State Championships, was runner-up in a third race, was designated All-American in 4 events in which he set school records and was the Swimmer of the Year in both the Post and Enquirer.

As a senior he was elected team captain and led the team to the 1984 Ohio State Championship--a team that is generally considered amongst the top 5 in school history. As the team’s best swimmer he again won 2 more State Championships and finished runner-up in a third, was again designated All-American in 4 events in which he broke his school records he set the year before. Not surprisingly he was also again named Swimmer of the Year by the Post and Enquirer.

After graduating from St. X he received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee where he continued his success. He was a 20-time NCAA All American in 6 different events that finished in the Top Eight in 20 of the 22 events he entered at the NCAA National Championships between 1985 and 1988. He was also the individual High Point Scorer for Tennessee at the NCAAs in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Additionally he upheld the academic reputation of St. Xavier. He was a two-time NCAA Academic All-American and was awarded an NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship for academic and athletic excellence. Tennessee named him the Most Outstanding student in the College of Engineering and awarded him the Chancellor’s Citation for Academic Excellence.

Today he lives Cincinnati where he is brand manager for Procter & Gamble and devotes enormous amounts of time to his church and various community groups such as Habitat for Humanity and the Arthritis Foundation.

Paul Monahan ('38) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Paul Monahan is a member of the class of 1938 who was a classic 3-Sport Athlete. Nicknamed “Angel”, he was a 3-year, 3-sport letterman in football, basketball and baseball and was equal in ability in each sport which is to say he excelled at all of them.

In football he was a center/middle guard/linebacker who captained the team as a senior and was instrumental in helping the then-named "Conquerors" to the 1937 Co-GCL championship. During that season, he was the only non-back to score a touchdown and recovered a fumble against Purcell at the GCL doubleheader game, a fumble which led to the touchdown that beat the Cavaliers and clinched the co-championship.

In basketball, playing forward, he was the leading scorer his junior and senior years. During his senior year he was the third in the league in scoring and noted by the press as St. Xavier’s “outstanding star”. He led St. X to the Regional where they were beaten by a Tom Blackburn-coached Xenia team.

In baseball he was both the best hitter and best pitcher, leading the team in home runs, runs batted in, average and strikeouts. Not surprisingly, he was also president of the X-Club, the St. Xavier letterman’s organization.

Upon graduating from St. Xavier he entered Xavier University. Prior to graduation in 1942 he entered the Navy where he was first used as a recruiter and then sent to the Pacific theater. After World War II he married a woman he had met while recruiting. They adopted two children. He became involved with the local Pipe Fitters Union of which he eventually became President. Paul Monahan died in 1977.

Steve Quehl ('71) | Football, Track

Steve Quehl is a member of the class of 1971 who was a non-classic 2-Sport Athlete.

Although he played basketball on the freshman and reserve teams and wrestled as a junior, it was for football and track that he is best remembered. As a tight end on the football team he was injured his junior year and the only highlight was when Coach Ballaban, always looking to get the maximum effort out of his personnel, one day ordered him to paint the goal posts during practice. Quehl fell off the ladder and dumped the bucket of silver paint over himself.

His senior year was marked by somewhat more significant events. As a member of a strong offensive line, he was a key ingredient on this GCL championship team that was the first St. Xavier football squad to beat a Gerry Faust-coached Moeller Varsity. As a result of his excellent season, he was named All-GCL, All-City and all Southwest Ohio.

He is also one of the greatest track stars in St. Xavier history. Quehl was a master of the shot put and the discus. In the shot put he had the longest throw in the Cincinnati Area his senior year. With the discus he was the State runner-up his junior year and in his senior year he so dominated the discuss event at the Ohio State Championship Meet that he had the third best high school throw in the United States, garnering him an invitation to a National High School Track Meet.

After graduating from St. X he accepted football scholarship to Notre Dame where he played for Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine. During his 5 years at Notre Dame he played every position on the offensive line except tight end, earning letters in 1972, 73 and 75. He was a member of the 1973 National Championship Team that beat Alabama in the last Sugar Bowl played in Tulane Stadium. After winning the starting center position for the 1974 season he suffered a horrible injury during his summer job that nearly cost him his leg. Despite a medical opinion that his football days were over, he battled back with determination and hard work to return to the Irish for the 1975 season where he again lettered. In what later became a cinematic moment, he was awarded the game ball against Georgia Tech which was the same game featured in the movie Rudy in which Rudy was carried off the field. He also won the team's scholar athlete award.

Quehl graduated from Notre Dame in 1976 with a BA with honors. A father of two daughters, today he lives in Atlanta, where he is president of a computer software company.

Scott Sollmann ('93) | Baseball, Football

Scott Sollmann is a member of the Class of 1993. While he also played some basketball, he’s primarily known for two sports – baseball and football. Sollmann was not just a 2-sport athlete; he was a 2-star athlete.

He was a 3-year member of the varsity baseball team where he played centerfield. He was one of the team’s leading hitters batting over .380 each year. He also led the team in stolen bases and still holds the single-season school record for stolen bases. He was a 3-time All-GCL, 2-time honorable mention All-City and only sickness prevented him from further honors his senior year.

As good as he was at baseball he was better at football. A 3-year member of the varsity by his senior year he was the premier high school running back in the Cincinnati Area if not the State of Ohio. He did everything, running the ball, catching passes and running back kicks. So dominant was his senior year that he set single-season records that have not yet been broken including points scored, touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, and 8.2 yards per carry – almost a first down every time he took a handoff. He also performed the most electrifying play in St. X history - a game-clinching touchdown punt return against Piqua in the State Semifinals that seemed to cover 150 yards and confronted every member of the Piqua punting team. He almost topped that the following week at the State Championship when he single-handedly kept an injury-riddled and less talented Bomber team in the game until the 4th Quarter. The postseason honors were overwhelming. GCL Player of the Year, Cincinnati Player of the Year, Ohio Division I Back of the Year, USA Today honorable mention All-America and recipient of the That’s My Boy award from the National Football Foundation.

After graduating from St. Xavier he accepted a baseball scholarship to Notre Dame where he played three years as an outfielder. He was a Freshman All-American, Conference Newcomer of the year and three-time first team all-conference. He is the Notre Dame single-season steal leader and single-season and career record holder for triples. He also walked on to the Lou Holtz’s football team for 2 years where he ran back punts.

He graduated from Notre Dame in 1997 and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He played minor league baseball for 5 years before finally hanging up the spikes. Today he works for the Hamilton County Court System while he attends law school.

Thomas Fogarty ('85) | Baseball, Football

Thomas Fogarty is a member of the class of 1985 who excelled at football and baseball. After being forged in the cauldron of the Guardian Angel sports program, he made the long trip from Mt. Washington to St. Xavier where he was a 3-year starter on both the football and baseball team.

As a second baseman/centerfielder he led the Bombers in hitting in 1985 and was second in the City in runs scored. After his senior year he was named 1st Team All-GCL, 1st Team All-City and a member of the East-West All Star Team. He was also named the team MVP.

By the time he completed his 3-year varsity football career he held the single-season and career records in nearly every non-passing category, including rushing yards, yards-per-carry, touchdowns and points. And for 1 year he even held the career record for pass receptions. He was the team MVP and Best Offensive back his junior and senior years. After his senior year in which he was a Co-captain he was named 1st Team All-GCL and Offensive Back of the Year, 1st Team All-City, 1st Team Southwest Ohio and Special Mention All-Ohio. He also won the Tim Banker Award honoring the football player who best embodies courage and leadership in football, scholarship, school activities and spiritual values. All of his records were soon eclipsed but our inductee was undoubtedly the first in a string of multi-talented running backs that has marked the Steve Rasso era of St. X football.

After graduation from St. X he attended Miami University where he was a 4-year varsity letterman baseball player. During his career at Miami, where he played centerfield, he made All-MAC his junior year, leading the team in stolen bases. Fogarty was named Co-Captain his senior year.

Today he is married with two sons and lives in the St. Louis area where he is the regional sales manager for Green Bay Packaging.

Joseph Hudepohl ('92) | Swimming

Joseph Hudepohl is a member of the class of 1992 and is the premier product of the St. Xavier Swimming Program.

Surprisingly for a St. X swimmer, he did not even swim for the team his freshman year, choosing to swim full-time for the Marlins. By his sophomore year he was ready to join the Aquabombers and once he did so, his impact on the swim program never stopped. During those three years the team won everything, GCL, Sectionals, Districts and State Championships. His senior year the team won the National Championship. As a free-style swimmer in the shorter distances (50, 100, 200 meters), he won 6 state championships, set 5 national high school records, 2 of which still survive today, and was a 3-time All American. He also set 4 national records in his age groups, won 2 national championships and became the youngest man to break 50 seconds in the 100 free and 1:49 in the 200 free. After his senior season he was named the 1992 National High School Swimmer of the Year. But even this impressive resume pales compared to what followed.

Upon graduating from St. X he accepted a swimming scholarship to Stanford. He won another national championship in 1993, was ranked #2 in the world in the 100, became the 6th fastest 100 free-style swimmer in world swimming history and 3rd fastest in the US. He was also a member of two American record relay teams and was part of a world record 4x100 relay team at the 1995 Pan Pacific Championships.

Before starting college he qualified for the US Olympic Swimming team. Despite being the youngest member of the team he went to Barcelona, Spain and returned with two Olympic medals including a gold medal as a part of the 4x100 freestyle relay team. He also finished 6th in the 200 free. Four years later he returned to Atlanta and won another gold medal as a member of the 4x200 free relay team.

After graduation from Stanford he joined Goldman, Sachs. Today he is married, a member of the Growth Equity Team of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and lives in Tampa, Florida.

Joan Whitaker | Coach

Joan Whitaker is only the 5th coach elected to the St. Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame.

A native of Brooklyn, New York and a graduate of Keuka College, she began teaching in 1961. Coming to St Xavier in 1975 to teach math, she eventually became the chair of the department. She would have continued uneventfully doing so until that fateful day in 1980 when St. X needed a golf coach. Although she did play some golf it was her desire to do some service for St. X and the students that she volunteered for the position. Her volunteer work lasted 18 more years.

During those 18 years St. X became one of the premier golf programs in the City and the State. Being the female coach of a boy’s team was certainly unique and so was her coaching style that can best be described as part teacher, part motivator and part mom. Whatever it was, it worked. Her teams had an overall wining percentage of 82%. They won 86% of their dual matches and 90% of GCL matches. They won the GCL 15 times and the GCL Tournament 13 Times. They also won 7 sectional titles and 6 districts. She led them to the State Tournament 11 times and in 1995 St. X won the Ohio State Championship. She also never ceased to amaze her players with her 7-iron driving-range shots.

What finally brought this tenure to an end was retirement. Not her retirement, but her husband’s. Deciding that winters in Hilton Head were better than those in Cincinnati, in 1997 she moved with her husband, Don to South Carolina. Before she left Cincinnati, the Ohio High School Golf Coaches Association honored her by inducting her into its Hall of Fame and the St. Xavier Golf Team named its MVP award after her.

Mike Healey ('88) | Football

Mike Healey is a member of the class of 1988 who was the classic three-sport athlete but ultimately is remembered for his football prowess.

Forsaking Price Hill for the pleasures of Finneytown, he was barely acquainted with anything but varsity sports at St. X - 3 years on the football team, 3 on the basketball team and 3 on the baseball team earning 9 letters. A two-year starter in basketball, he was All-GCL his senior year. In baseball he was a 3-year starter who made All-GCL each year. In football, the fact that he was also a 3-year starter was the least of his accomplishments.

As a sophomore he was fellow Hall-of-Famer Greg Frey’s leading receiver who, until very recently, had the 3rd highest single-season receiving record. Stepping right in at quarterback after Greg’s graduation, he had two stellar seasons and held, again until recently, the 2nd and 3rd highest single-season passing records. As a result he made first–team all GCL as a Junior and Senior. Additionally he garnered a few other awards his Senior year including Team Captain, Team Best Offensive Back, Team Most Valuable Player, GCL Player of the Year, All-City in both papers, Cincinnati Post Player of the Year, Buddy La Rosa Player of the Year, All Southwest Ohio and 2nd Team All Ohio. As a further tribute to the kind of all-around person he is, he also won the “That’s My Boy” award for athletics and academics and was a National Football Foundation Scholar.

After graduation from St. X he accepted a football scholarship to Vanderbilt where he played quarterback. Despite playing for the eternally disadvantaged Commodores in the eternally over advantaged Southeast Conference, he holds a number of school records including lowest touchdown/Interception ratio, fewest lifetime interceptions, and lowest interception percentage.

After graduating from Vanderbilt he married and now has 1 child. Today he lives in South Carolina where he manages a car rental agency.

Bill Keating, Jr. ('72) | Swimming

Bill Keating, Jr. is a member of the class of 1972 and was among the vanguard that established the St. Xavier Swimming Dynasty.

He was a four-year letterman on the Varsity Swim team that included our first 3 State Champions. After getting cut from the freshman basketball team he joined the swim team where he won the GCL championship in the 400 freestyle and was a valuable member of the team that finished 6th at the State Meet. His classmates thought they had a potential state champion who would be the next star St. X swimmer and might even lead X to a team championship. However, he knew better and even told us then that next year we would win the state but he would be a foot soldier vastly overshadowed by kids who were now 8th graders. It was a prediction that was amazingly accurate and was right in character with the type of person our inductee is – prouder of the school/team’s accomplishments than of his own accomplishments and never one to toot his own horn no matter how notable those accomplishments were. Quite frankly his personal successes at St. X were quite modest once those 8th graders, which included fellow Hall of Famers Bill Schulte and Paul Hove, arrived at St. X. He qualified for the State Meet every year improving from 12th place to 7th to 3rd in the 400 freestyle by his Senior Year, and 4th in the 100 Butterfly. More important to him were those 3-in-a-row State Championships and his captaincy of the 1972 State Champions who were also the Nation’s 3rd ranked high school team.

Escaping the shadow of the superstars he attended the University of Cincinnati where he was also a four-year member of the varsity. At UC Keating showed that he was not without superior ability himself, setting numerous school records, including most points scored in a career. He twice qualified for the NCAA championships and was voted UC’s Most Valuable Swimmer in 1973 and 74. Such were his accomplishments that he was voted into UC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.

After graduation from UC he continued following his father’s footsteps by becoming an attorney and joining the law firm that has his last name in its title. More importantly he has truly been a man for others for St. X Swimming, helping the coaches, raising money to refurbish the natatorium and being the one man who has connected the generations of St. Xavier swimmers.

Richard Holdham ('57) | Swimming

Richard Oldham is a member of the class of 1957 and where Bill Keating was a good swimmer who was part of great teams, this man was a great swimmer who pretty much was the team.

Unlike Bill, he did make the Freshman Basketball Team. But that was the end of his basketball career and he concentrated on swimming the next three years. In those days there was no Keating Natatorium--there wasn’t even a swimming pool at St. X. But despite the lack of facilities he pursued his specialty and pursued it well. While the team failed to win any titles, he won 2 individual state championships in the 50 freestyle and was twice state runner-up in the 100 freestyle. He was also a two-time All American. Most amazingly, he held the school record for the 50 freestyle for over 15 years, which in itself is a record that probably won’t ever be broken. For those of you not familiar with swimming where world records can be broken more than once at the same meet, a 15-year swim record borders on amazing. His 1957 time was so fast that he would have been the fastest sprinter on the first 3 State Champion teams of the 1970's.

After graduating from St. X he accepted a scholarship of a different kind, appointment to the U.S Naval Academy. While preparing to serve his country he continued swimming at Annapolis and was a four-year member of the Navy swim team. During his four years he was a NCAA All-American and was appointed Captain during his senior year. After graduating he was commissioned into the Navy where he spent a number of years in the submarine service sailing in both diesel and nuclear subs. Shortly after leaving the Sub Service he resigned from the Navy and entered Vanderbilt Medical School. Today he is the Head of Pathology at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee where he lives with his wife and two children.

Charles O'Leary ('51) | Football

Charles O'Leary is a member of the class of 1951 who excelled at both baseball and football but ultimately is remembered for his football prowess.

At St. X he played mostly varsity sports. 4 years on the baseball team and 3 years on the football team. As a junior in football he made second–team all GCL. As a senior he was Co-Captain, 1st team all-GCL and an all-City halfback. In baseball he started three games on the Varsity in centerfield as a freshman and then was a starter the next three years. He was also member of the Richter & Phillips "D" Municipal baseball team, which was the AABC of his day, that won the city Championship in 1950 and city runner-up in 1951. Additionally, he was also elected Class President both Junior and Senior years.

After graduation from St. X, Sid Gillman offered him football scholarship to UC. Unfortunately, while playing baseball during the summer before starting college, he broke his ankle and was not able to play on the freshman team. His saw his first action during the Spring Game where, after breaking free for an apparently easy touchdown, he was tackled by a teammate running from the bench. Apparently, the shock of having his first big moment ruined by a teammate and longing for the spiritual exercises and muscular Christianity, he immediately transferred to Xavier University. As an ineligible transfer he played on the freshman team for fellow hall-of-famer Coach Rod Johnson. Once he became eligible he was a three-year starter for Coach Mick Connelly sometimes at halfback, sometimes at defensive back and sometimes both ways. On offense he followed the crushing blocks of another hall-of-famer, Tom Powers for many of his valuable yards. During his senior season he was the leading pass receiver on a team which defeated UC and Boston College.

After graduating from XU, he married and raised 7 children. As a parent he was a long-time coach at St. Mary’s grade school in Football and Baseball. Today he is an avid golfer who follows the football exploits of some of his 10 grandchildren.

Joshua Robbins ('90) | Wrestling

Joshua Robbins is a member of the class of 1990 and still ranks as the best wrestler in School history.

A four-year member of the Varsity wrestling at 152 pounds his litany of accomplishments includes: four-time Holiday Classic Champion, three-time St. Xavier Invitation Champion, two-time All Ohio Catholic Champion, four-time GCL Champion, (in fact, he never lost a GCL match), four-time Division I Sectional Champion, three-time Division I District Champion, two-time Division I State Runner-up and, in 1990, the first and—so far—only St. Xavier Division I State Champion.

As a result of these accomplishments, he was a three-time St. Xavier Most Valuable Wrestler, the 1989 and 1990 Cincinnati Wrestler of the Year and a 1990 First Team Amateur Wrestling News All American. He held or holds the GCL and St. Xavier record for career wins (118) and pins (71). He also wrestled in the Amateur Wrestling ranks during the summer and was the Cadet National Champion in 1988 and the Junior National Champion 1990.

He accepted a wrestling scholarship to Penn State University where he attended from 1990-95. During his Penn State career he was a 2–year starter at 158 pounds. He was a member of 2 National Championship teams in 1990 and 1993, an All-American at 158 in 1993, the 1993 NCAA National Division 1 Runner-up and the 1994 Team Captain.

After college he was an assistant coach at Miami from 1995 to 98. Today he is employed at the Ford Motor Company and with his wife Anita, is raising 3 children.

Mark Schmerge ('75) | Football

Mark Schmerge is a member of the class of 1975 and even today is considered one of the best football players ever produced at St. Xavier High School.

While at St. X he lettered in 4 sports: Football, basketball, baseball and track. As a freshman he played on freshman teams. After that he was predominately a member of the Varsity. He was a forward for two years on the basketball team. A 1st baseman and pitcher for 3 years on the baseball team and, when available, a four-year shot putter for the track team. In football he was a 3-year starter who played tight end and in his senior year and also played defensive end.

During his senior season he was first team all GCL in both football and baseball, 2nd team all City in baseball, and 1st team all City and all State in football. He capped his football awards by being named a Parade All-American Tight End.

Accepting a scholarship to the University of Michigan he played Football for Coach Bo Schembechler, starting as a tight end his freshman year, and earned 4 Varsity letters. He was a member of 3 Big Ten Champions, played in three Rose Bowls and one Orange Bowl. Today he is a Registered Investment Advisor and has three children with his wife Vicki.

Robert Arnzen ('45) | Coach

Robert A. Arnzen is a member of the class of 1945 whose fame derives primarily from his accomplishments after departing St. X.

His athletic career at St. X was, at best, limited. He played and captained the freshman basketball team, was a member of the varsity baseball team as a senior and that was it. He did however pay attention to how these games were played and translated that into a high school coaching career without peer.

After graduating from St. X, he attended the University of Dayton. He played for the U.D. varsity basketball team as a freshman, but an injury that year transformed him into a manager for the rest of his career. However, that injury also enabled him to get the job that led to his success.

In 1950 he began student teaching at St. John’s High School in Delphos, Ohio, and so impressed the principal that he was hired to teach and coach prior to receiving his Bachelor’s degree in 1951. It was a job he retained for the next 43 years.

At St. John’s his record was 676 wins and 291 losses, a 70% winning percentage. The 676 wins is the Ohio record for a boy’s basketball coach.

Those 676 wins represents 11 conference championships and five appearances at the State Finals. His team was State runner-up in 1954 and 1973 and was the 1983 Class A State Champs. Most importantly, it also includes a lifetime 1-0 record versus his Alma Mater where he out coached an overmatched Tom Ballaban.

He was twice named Ohio Coach of the year, and was named the 1976 National Catholic High School coach of the year and the 1990 National High School Athletic Coaches Association regional coach of the year. Since his retirement in 1993 he was elected to the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Kyle Fresh ('89) | Soccer

Kyle Fresh is a member of the class of 1989 who is the first athlete who excelled at soccer to be so honored.

As a freshman he played on the freshman team but for the next three years he was the varsity star. He led the team in scoring and assists in both his junior and senior seasons. Among the school records he holds are: career goals(50), career assists(30), single season goals(20), and goals in one game (7). He was the team MVP after both his junior and senior season and team captain his senior year.

He was named 1st team All-GCL and 1st team All-City both his junior and senior seasons. In addition, after his senior year he was named 1st team All-State, All-Midwest and nationally, he was featured in the Faces in the Crowd section of Sports Illustrated.

For those of you who are not familiar with soccer, there is a second season for most high school players that takes place in the spring and is known as Club Soccer. In 1989, on his club team, Club Ohio, he led in scoring with 56 goals and took them to the National Championship game.

Accepting a scholarship to the University of Richmond, he started as a freshman and led the team in scoring with 11 goals and 5 assists, which was then the freshman scoring record. The highlight of that season was his scoring the only goal in an upset 1-0 win over National Champion University of Virginia which ended their 33 game unbeaten streak.

After his freshman year he transferred to Boston University. While he changed schools, his performance did not. He played and started for three years and holds the school record for most goals and points in a season. After his senior season he was named team MVP, North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, and Division I All-American.

After graduating from Boston U. he was commissioned in the Army where he also continued to play soccer and was named to the All Armed Forces Team. Today he is still an officer in the Indiana National Guard and still plays and coaches soccer in this area.

Micheal Grimmer ('73) | Swimming

Michael Grimmer is a member of the class of 1973 and member of the fabled 1973 National Championship team.

He was a varsity swimmer for four years on a team that won the Ohio State championship all those years as well as the national championship in ‘73. As has been said before, only (5) college teams would have beaten that 1973 St. X team in a dual meet.

As a freshman he qualified for state meet in the 400 freestyle. As a sophomore he finished 3rd in state in the 400 freestyle, was a member of the state champion 400 freestyle relay team, named All-American, and qualified for the AAU National swim meet.

In his junior year he was the state champion in 400 freestyle individual race where, along the way, he set the team, pool, sectional, district, and state record, achieving the #4 ranking in the nation. He was also again a member of the state champion 400 freestyle relay team. He was named a 2-time All-American, again qualified for the AAU national swim meet and also qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials.

In his senior year he tried a new event and became the state champion in the 100 butterfly individual race and finished 2nd in state in the 400 freestyle individual race. Once again he was named All America and qualified for the AAU national swim meet.

Accepting a scholarship to the University of Illinois, he was a varsity swimmer all four years. He placed in the Big Ten Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships all four of those years. He set Illinois Team records in the 500 freestyle, the 1000 freestyle, and the 1650 freestyle races.

Today he lives in the Cincinnati area where he works as an engineer for General Electric.

Francis Florez ('77) | Swimming

Francis Florez is a member of the class of 1977 who was one of what has become an endless line of national-class swimmers.

He started swimming for the Marlins at age 8 and continued to do so through high school, immediately joining the St. X varsity as a freshman in 1973. He was a member of 4 Ohio State Champion Teams. Additionally he himself was 5-time state champion, 4 times as a member of the 400 yard freestyle relay team and in 1977 in the 200 yard freestyle. He was named Captain in his junior and senior years, was an Enquirer Award Winner in 1976 and 1977, and named to the High School All-America Team all four years.

After graduating from St. X he enrolled in Johns Hopkins University where he continued to swim. As at St. X., he immediately joined the varsity as a freshman. He was a member of the 1978 and 1979 NCAA Division III championship teams and 4-time national champion as part of his 400 yard medlay relay team. He was also named All-America 24 times, encompassing 6 events, the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay and 800 freestyle relay all four years at Johns Hopkins.

He even found time to study hard enough that, after graduating from Johns Hopkins he entered Case Western Reserve Medial School. At Case he was inducted into the Alpha Omega National Medical Honors Society in 1985. Today, as an orthopedic surgeon, he is still involved in sports by helping athletes heal and continue to perform.

Kevin Reilly ('82) | Football, Wrestling

Kevin Reilly is a member of the class of 1982 who was a two-sport athlete while at St. X. excelling in wrestling and football.

In football he played all four years as an offensive tackle and started both his junior and senior years. During his senior year, St. X enjoyed its best football season since the 1970 GCL Championship year by making the Ohio High School Playoffs for the first time. They made Bomber fans proud by battling then 5-time state champion Moeller to a standstill before finally succumbing. Reilly was a Captain of that team and made 1st team All-GCL and 2nd team All-City.

While he was a superior football player, his wrestling achievements are his greatest legacy at St. X. He broke out of the pack in his junior year with an 18-7 record that included 14 pins and was champion at 185 lbs. in the University of Cincinnati Invitational and the GCL and Southwest Ohio Sectional. In his senior year he really flowered. He was the team Captain and showed the leadership one expects from a captain by compiling a 33-5-1 record at the Heavyweight division. Of his 33 victories 31 of them were recorded by pinning his opponent. The 31 pins set a record for both St. X and the Greater Cincinnati Area. He advanced to the State Championship where he made it to the Finals and finished 2nd. As a result he was named St. X most valuable wrestler and named to the first team All-City.

Not having had enough of the Jesuits, he accepted a scholarship to Holy Cross to play football. As a member of the Crusaders he was a 2-year starter and as a senior was named the most outstanding offensive lineman and made 1st team Academic All America.

Reilly became an orthopedic surgeon and since beginning his practice in 1995, has became heavily involved with high school sports in the Cincinnati area as a team doctor for St. X, as an orthopedic consultant to Western Hills and Taylor High School and as the medical advisor to the Southwestern Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association.

James Stahl, Jr. ('57) | Golf

James E. Stahl, Jr. is a member of the class of 1957 and the first competitive golfer to enter the Hall of Fame. He has been playing championship competitive golf since his early teens finishing 2nd in the Greater Cincinnati Juniors in 1955 and winning the 1956 Cincinnati and Ohio Jaycee Juniors. A three-time member of the St. X varsity golf team, his high school career ended in a Jordanesque manner, with him tying an obscure golfer from Upper Arlington named Jack Nicklaus for medalist honors at the Ohio State Golf Championship and captaining the St. Xavier team to its first state championship.

He attended Notre Dame where he was a 3-year varsity letterman, but it has been his career in the amateur ranks of golf that has truly excelled. Over the last 40 years he has been one of the best amateur golfers in the Greater Cincinnati Area and now, one of the best Senior amateur golfers in the world. Locally he has won numerous club championships and has finished 2nd in the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association Metropolitan Tournament, which is more commonly known as the Met, 5 times. He has also finished 2nd three times in the Atlanta version of the Met. Since becoming a senior he has attained world class status that includes finishing 2nd in the 1995 British Senior Amateur Championship, winning the 1995 US Senior Amateur Open, and being ranked the #1 Senior Amateur in the World. His success in these premier amateur events allowed him to compete in the US and British Senior Open Championships.

He is also committed to making golf better for everyone and in conjunction with that sits on the United States Golf Association Mid-Am Championship Committee and the NCAA Rules Championship Committee.

More importantly, he is committed to improving life for others. From his business, the Cincinnati Belting and Transmission Co., he has personally assisted, motivated and mentored dozens of youngsters to admirable success in various fields from police to education to the business world. He has also provided significant care and assistance to the St. Aloysius Home for the mentally retarded young men.

Tom Powers ('50) | Baseball, Football

Tom Powers is a member of the class of 1950 who was a two-sport athlete while at St. X. excelling at both baseball and football.

A catcher on the baseball team, he caught for some famous Bomber pitchers in his three years on the St. X baseball team. He played on the reserves as a freshman and the varsity as a sophomore and junior. He chose not to play for St. X. his senior year but his summer team was the City runner-up and he was one of three players added to the Championship team and went on to play in the national championship series.

However, it was in football that he really excelled. A 4-year member of the varsity football team, he was the only freshman to dress for Coach John Dromo's last St. X team. At the same time he was the star guard on the reserves which won the GCL Championship. A full-time member of the varsity by his sophomore year, he lettered at tackle for the GCL champion Bombers and as a Junior he was the full-time starter at tackle who made the All-City team. He was also one of only two juniors who made first team All-GCL, a truly impressive feat when you consider that the All-GCL team only had 11 players, there were no two-platoon and special teams in those days. Not surprisingly, he was Captain of the team his senior year, All-GCL, All-City, and All-State.

After graduating from St. X, his football prowess earned him a scholarship to Xavier University where he started and lettered at guard his junior and senior year.

After graduating from Xavier, Tom became a football official, an avocation he continued for over twenty years at the high school and college level. If there was a big GCL game in the 60's or 70's, you could almost count on him being assigned to it. Furthermore, if you looked real close at many Bengal home games you could see him holding the chains.

Though he is long-retired from officiating, he still supports and serves high school football by evaluating officials for the GCL. If I may inject a personal note here, I have known this man for nearly 30 years. He has kept me laughing for most of those 30 years with his humor and insights into sports and life. A great raconteur and most assuredly possessed of the Irish gift of gab, I present to you Tom Powers.

Edward Wohlwender ('78) | Wrestling

Edward R. Wohlwender is a member of the Class of 1978 and one of the most highly decorated wrestlers in St. X history.

Encouraged by former Coach Bill Ohr to take the entrance test and join the St. X Summer Wrestling Club, he became a member of the varsity almost from the moment he first stepped on the mat his freshman year. During that freshmen year he won the first of his four varsity letters and became the first freshman wrestler from St. X to qualify for the Ohio District Tournament. That summer he won the State AAU Championship and competed internationally. This was a tantalizing prelude to his next three years that were the greatest that any St. X wrestler had ever experienced.

As a sophomore he won the St. X and University of Cincinnati Tournaments, the GCL Championship and finished 3rd in the State. As a junior he repeated as champion in the St. X and UC Tournaments and was 15-0 when he was struck by a spinal virus that not only ended his wrestling season but kept him bedridden for two months. Nevertheless, after recovering from his sickness he resumed wrestling and that summer made the Ohio National Freestyle Wrestling Team. His senior year was the best any St. X wrestler had ever experienced. He was captain of the team, won his third straight St. X and UC Tournaments, his second GCL Title, the Sectional and District Championship and finished second in the State. Additionally, the team won its first District Championship and finished 4th at the State Meet, the highest finish ever attained by a St. X wrestling team. For his efforts he was voted most outstanding wrestler and made 1st Team All-City for the third of three consecutive times. That summer he once again made the Ohio National Freestyle Wrestling Team. He finished high school with a record of 79-15-1 which included 36 pins and is still the school record for career victories.

Upon graduation he received a scholarship of sorts as he was appointed to the United States Military Academy. At West Point he continued his wrestling career earning four varsity letters and winning 82 matches which included 6 tournament championships. He was the Captain of the Team his senior year and a 2-time qualifier for the NCAA Division I Championship. He was also recognized for his leadership abilities as he attained the status of Battalion Commander as a Cadet.

He graduated from West Point in 1983, completed airborne and Ranger training and served in the 82nd Airborne Division until 1989. Today he has returned to Cincinnati, resumed civilian life, where he is still associated with wrestling programs on the eastside of town. Since his days at St. X. the wrestling program has improved tremendously and some of his accomplishments have been matched or exceeded. However, he was a leader and still ranks as one of the greatest wrestlers in St. X. history.

Dennis White | Coach

On Denny White's first day of practice as the St. Xavier swimming coach, he asked the team to dream about winning the State title. As the season progressed, each day the swimmers were asked to believe in the dream and work to accomplish it. At the 1970 State meet, St. Xavier upset a powerful Upper Arlington team to win our first State title.

In 1973, St. X won its fourth consecutive State title and our first National title. Coach White's team featured three swimmers ranked in the top 25 in the world and six other swimmers who earned All American honors that year. To give you an idea about how powerful the '73 team was, you could have divided it into four separate teams, and those teams would have placed first, second, third and fourth at the State meet. Based on actual times, the 1973 team would have beaten all the college teams in Ohio, including the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State, which finished eighth at the NCAA championship that year.

The dream of winning the State Championship became a mission to defend it. Between 1970 and 1981, St. X won a record 12 consecutive State titles. Already during the 1990's, St. X has won seven State championships.

When you think of Ohio high school sports dynasties, you think of Massillon and Paul Brown, Moeller and Gerry Faust and Lakewood St. Edward. St. X has won more consecutive State titles than these other programs have won State titles. With a record 20 State titles, St. Xavier is clearly the greatest sports dynasty in the State of Ohio.

Denny White coached for six years. He won six GCL, six sectional, six district and six State titles. In addition to his 1973 National Championship team, three other of his teams were ranked in the top ten in the country. He was Ohio High School Coach of the Year five times and produced over 40 All Americans.

J. Patrick Boyle ('59) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

J. Patrick Boyle is a member of the class of 1959 who was a three-sport athlete and a two-sport captain while at St. X. In the fall he played football, where, as a member of the varsity, he started at end for three years on offense and defense, and was a key player on Tom Ballaban's first GCL & City champion team. In the winter he played basketball, being called up to the varsity in his sophomore year, as a backup on the undefeated 1958 team and as a starter his senior year until his father's deteriorating health forced him to quit the team. In the spring he played the sport in which he excelled, baseball, where he was the 3-year starting catcher and finished his high school career with a batting average close to .400.

His senior year was a memorable one. He co-captained the football team, was named the lineman of the game in the old GCL doubleheader in which St. X upset Elder, was elected All-GCL and made All-City. He was also captain of a baseball team that was overshadowed by State Champion Elder after which he was elected All-GCL, All-City and All-Ohio. He was one of 6 seniors from Cincinnati selected to play in the 3 State High School All Star Game in Columbus. The All-City team of that year is of particular note in that it included Eddie Brinkman, Roger Staubach, Jimmy Wynn, and honorable mention Pete Rose, all of whom played professional sports.

After graduating from St. X. he attended Xavier University where he lettered the one year he played and then finished his baseball playing in the Military Service.

Greg Frey ('86) | Baseball, Football

Greg Frey of the class of 1986 is the youngest member of the Hall of Fame and first one who was a student when the Hall was founded.

He excelled at two sports, baseball and football, and played them both right through college. In baseball he was a three-year starter who batted over .400 and also pitched, setting the school season strikeout record two years in a row. He was 1st team All-GCL and All-City his junior and senior year and was GCL player of the year as a junior and co-player of the year as a senior with some Moeller kid named Griffey.

But as everyone here pretty much knows, his baseball accomplishments were just a salad compared to the main course, football. A three-year member of the varsity, he logged enough playing time at quarterback to garner honorable mention All-GCL as a sophomore, a feat he repeated as a junior. Feted at the beginning of his senior season as one of the City's best, he did not fail to fulfill. He demolished almost every St. X seasonal and career passing record , including a memorable game against Moeller that was included in the national high school record book. As a result he was the GCL and Cincinnati Player of the Year, Southwest Ohio and Ohio Back of the Year, made Honorable Mention All-America, was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd and was named a National Football Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete.

He chose to attend Ohio State where he was a two-year starter and letterman for the baseball team, hit .303, helped the Buckeyes win the Big 10 championship in 1991 and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. Again, it was through playing football that he achieved his fame. A three-year starter for Coach John Cooper, he was the co-captain and team MVP his senior year. He set a number of school records while playing and still ranks in the top five in many OSU career passing categories. He was a 3-time OSU Scholar Athlete and 3-time Academic all-Big 10. He was also 2-time Honda Scholar Athlete, the 1990 Columbus Touchdown Club Scholar Athlete of the Year and was granted a National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame Post Graduate Scholarship. He ended his college career starting at quarterback in the 1991 Japan Bowl all-star game.

Gary Massa ('77) | Basketball

Gary Massa is the second member of the class of 1977 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He played baseball and dominated in basketball. A two-year varsity starter, he enjoyed, beginning with his senior year at St. X, a four-year run of excellence.

During the 1976-77 season, he was the co-captain of a 17-4 team, the leading scorer at 21 points per game, the leading rebounder at nearly 10 per game and the leading free throw shooter at 81%. As a result he was the Team's Most Valuable Player, GCL Player of the Year, Unanimous 1st Team All-City, 1st team All Southwestern District, 2nd Team All Ohio and Honorable Mention All-American.

Recruited by Tay Baker to X.U., he became one of the touchstones that transformed Xavier from the sleepy program it was then into the national power it now is. A 4-year starter who shot three-pointers before there was a three-point line, he averaged nearly 14 points and 5 rebounds from his freshman through junior years, with his junior year was clearly his best. In his sophomore season he is best remembered for hitting the winning basket that beat Tennessee to win the Volunteer Classic. His junior year, which marked the debut of Coach Bob Staak, culminated with him becoming the first Xavier basketball player ever to be named all-league. Although he was injured much of his senior year he provided leadership for and was a member of Xavier's first-ever league championship team and was named the MCC's top student-athlete. He still finished his career with over 1,000 points and was the first recipient of the Cecil N. Coleman Medal-of-Honor.

Today he is a vice-president of sales and marketing with the Crable Sportswear division of the Midland Company and member of the Musketeer broadcast team.

Richard Reder ('66) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

This year, 1996, Richard Reder is celebrating his 30th anniversary as a member of the class of 1966. He was a true three-sport athlete, playing 3 years of varsity baseball and basketball and 2 years of football. Although basketball was the sport he is known best for he excelled equally at all three.

As a football player he played both ways for two years ... as an offensive end and defensive back. He holds three school football records, including one that will never be broken, scoring the first touchdown in St. Xavier Stadium. In 1965 he set two records that still exist today - most interceptions in a season (10) and the most yardage gained off of interceptions (265). Probably because he had more opportunities he actually intercepted more passes than he caught as an end. Because of this all-around ability, he was named all-GCL on offense and defense and made honorable mention All-City on offense.

As a basketball player, he played guard and was part of the most remarkable basketball team in St. Xavier history. He made the varsity team as a sophomore, even though many of the team members in the class ahead of him had already been playing as sophomores. As a junior he was a valuable reserve on the now mythical 1965 team that lost in the state championship game. As a senior, co-captaining a team that had lost all five of its starters including three 3-year starters (two of whom are already members of the Hall of Fame), he led them to a third consecutive GCL championship and the top seed in the District Tournament. However, they were not able to repeat the magic of 1965 and were stopped in the quarter-finals as they lost at the buzzer. He did however add an all-GCL basketball award to his football honors.

He also played 3 years of varsity baseball, playing four positions including pitcher and shortstop and made still another all-GCL team his senior year.

Reder received a basketball scholarship to Xavier University where he played from 1966 to 1970. At XU he averaged 11 points per game on the freshmen team and 5 points per game over his three year varsity career. His determination and all-around athletic ability was rewarded during his senior year when he became a starter who averaged over 10 points per game.

Nicholas Vehr ('77) | Basketball, Football, Track

Nicholas Vehr is a member of the class of 1977. He was also a three-sport star who, his senior year, made all-city in all three of his sports, football, basketball and track.

In football, he was a two-year starter at end and was a co-captain his senior year. He was 1st team all-GCL and 1st team All City.

In basketball, he was also a two-year starter at forward. His junior year was marked by a penchant for fouls (nearly 4 per game) but in his senior year he teamed and co-captained with Gary Massa to lead St. X to a 17-4 record and prepared the way for our next inductee's year of glory. Relying on his prior experience he cut down his fouls and averaged 10 points per game. He was All-GCL and All-City.

In track, a sport he probably excelled at the best, he dominated in the field events. As a junior he won the GCL championship in both the discus and high jump. In fact he was never beaten in the high jump until the state meet. At the state track meet he finished fifth setting the school high-jump record of 6'7" in the process, a record that also still stands. He led St. X to the City and District track championship and was named the Cincinnati Post's Big School Athlete of the year. He also made all-Ohio in the high jump. His senior year, due to an attack of mononucleosis and a requirement to gain weight for football, was not quite as illustrious. Nevertheless, as in football and basketball, he was captain of the team. He repeated as GCL champ in discus and high jump, but was only 4th in District in the high jump and did not qualify for the state meet. However, he was again all-city.

He received a football scholarship to Notre Dame where he was a three-year letterman for Coach Dan Devine and was a member of the 1977 National Championship team and the 1980 team that played Georgia for the championship. Although his primary position was tight end (it was there he helped Joe Montana learn how to throw passes to the tight end, a skill for which Dwight Clark is eternally grateful). He was actually a man of multiple positions, on offense and on most special teams. During his senior year he was second on the team for average yards per reception. He played in two Cotton and two Sugar Bowls and after his senior year he was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game. An honor of even more importance was his selection to the ND all-bookstore basketball team.

Upon graduation, Vehr got into a different game, that of politics. He worked behind the scenes for a number of years in public relations, now with the Dan Pinger Agency, laying the way for his own candidacy which was fulfilled in 1993. He was a solid member of the Cincinnati City Council.

Stephen Wolf ('78) | Basketball, Tennis

Stephen Wolf is a member of the class of 1978 and was the leader of what was no worse than the 3rd best basketball team in St. Xavier history. Additionally he was an outstanding tennis player and is a member of the first family of St. Xavier Athletics.

As a tennis player he was a four-year varsity letterman. Playing Number One singles his junior and senior years, he was a state championship qualifier, two-time team MVP, All-City, and All-State. As a junior he won the Ohio Valley 18 and under championship and thus was rated the best 18 and under player in the Cincinnati Area and Number 3 ranked in the State of Ohio, which was pretty good since, in those days he was from Kentucky. His senior year he retained his All-City and All-State rankings despite being stricken with mononucleosis.

While he was probably more dominant in tennis, it was as a basketball player that he is best remembered. A two-year starter on teams with a combined record of 35-7, his senior year he captained the Bombers on an amazing march through the season. Through the first fifteen games, which were all won by St. X, many perceived it as the best Bomber team. The team played and beat every top team in the city, including the LaSalle Thompson-led Withrow and administered the most fearsome beating I ever saw given to Elder. With the post-season looming, our inductee was unfortunately injured in the 16th game. Without him the Bombers lost the next two regular-season games. Even his return for the tournament, albeit at less than full speed, was not enough to recover the magic and they fell to LaSalle in the Sectional Championship Game. Nevertheless, our inductee was the leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, (he also averaged 3.4 assists per game) of a GCL Championship team, the team MVP, GCL Player of the Year, first team All-City, All-State and placement on a few high school All-American lists.

He received a scholarship to North Carolina State to play for Norm Sloan, but only stayed for one year before transferring to Xavier where he played three years for Bob Staak. While an ankle injury deprived him from ever reaching the level he did at St. X, he was a major contributor to the then-rising Xavier program as part of the first MCC Champion and NCAA tournament qualifier. He twice won the Connie Brown "Most Inspirational Athlete" award. Wolf is best known as a fierce competitor who still regularly plays basketball and plays at a high level.

Harry Heskamp ('35) | Baseball, Basketball

Harry Heskamp is a member of the class of 1935 and played sports in an era in which the games were played differently and the terms associated with those sports seem by today's standards, quaint. But make no mistake about, this man played those sports with vigor and at the highest level.

A two-sport star in basketball and baseball, he started playing as a freshman on something called the minim basketball team. As a sophomore, he played on both the intermediate and reserve basketball teams and practiced with the varsity (which is still probably less time than the average 10 year old CYO player puts in today). With his ascendancy to upperclassman, he was elevated to varsity in both sports.

He started both years, respectively, as a guard and shortstop. Statistics were not extensively kept as they are today, but the yearbooks were laudatory in their descriptions of him in both sports. His senior year, he was captain of both teams and was the player-coach of the baseball team. He was also chosen a member of the "X Club", which was an organization of varsity letterman who excelled in classroom achievement and leadership abilities in all aspects of school life.

After St. X. he attended Xavier University and fought in World War II. While running the Heskamp Printing Company, he played for and managed a semi-pro baseball team in the area. He was also a long-time knothole coach who received many awards from his knothole district. He is also a fine bowler and golfer. In addition, he raised five sons who graduated from and contributed to athletics at St. X and now is seeing a third generation matriculating at St. X.

Heskamp has been a loyal and exemplary St. Xavier man for over 60 years.

Paul Hove ('73) | Swimming

Paul Hove is a member of the Class of 1973 and, until recently, was considered the best high school swimmer in St. Xavier history. He was one of the few athletes whose reputation preceded his entrance into St. X. and whose performance exceeded that reputation as he led X to its first state and national championship.

His list of accomplishments are so numerous that they cannot be reasonably grouped by academic year. Starting from his freshman year, he won six state championships in various free-style events and never finished lower than 2nd in any state championship event. He set school records every year he swam. He set state records in his sophomore and senior year and set the Ohio State University pool record for the 200 freestyle in 1973.

He was a two-time Most Valuable Swimmer and four-time All-American high school swimmer. His arrival, not coincidentally, marked the beginning of the St. X. swimming dynasty, which 25 years later, is still going strong. He led St. X to its first four Ohio championships, a national ranking of 3rd in 1972 and the 1973 National Championship on a team that was so strong that it could have split in four and swept the 1st four places in Ohio.

After graduation he attended Southern Methodist where he was a three-time NCAA All-American and set school records in seven different events. Internationally he was a member of the 1973 through 76 US National Team that competed at the World Championships and a member of the 1976 800 meter Freestyle Relay Team that set an American Record. He barely missed making the 1976 Olympic Team. Finally and most impressively, he was ranked as one of the top 25 swimmers in the world from 1970 through 1975.

After college he continued swimming competitively and successfully in the Masters Program. He passed away in 1988.

Bill Wolff ('61) | Baseball

Bill Wolff is a member of the class of 1961, who excelled in baseball at many levels.

He was a three-year letterman in both basketball and baseball, and although he was good enough in basketball to be offered a college scholarship, his accomplishments in baseball are his hallmark. As a pitcher/third baseman he led the Bombers his junior and senior years in both pitching and batting. The highlight of these two years was his shutout of Elder, then multiple state champions. Led by our inductee, the Bombers advanced to the District Finals in 1961 only to be frustrated by the same Elder team, on its way to the state semi-finals.

After graduation from X, he declined an offer and bonus from the St. Louis Cardinals (there was no draft yet), and instead accepted a scholarship to UC. At UC he was a two-year MVP, captain his senior year, all Missouri Valley Conference 3 years and in his senior year, after leading the nation with a .779 slugging percentage he was named first team All-America.

In 1965, after graduating from UC, in the same draft with Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan, the Cardinals made him 39th player selected. However, after 6 1/2 years in the minors mostly in AAA, our inductee left professional baseball and took the head coaching position at XU which he held until 1979.

Wolff has been a member of the U.C. Hall of Fame since 1987.

T. Courtney Roberts ('80) | Swimming

T. Courtney Roberts is a graduate of the class of 1980 who lettered every year as swimmer and was a member of four state champions during St. X's record-setting 12 year reign. He earned All-American status six times for his specialties, the 200 and 500 meter freestyle. He won the district in these events 6 times and was state runner-up his junior and senior years at 500 meters. He was captain and MVP of the 1980 team.

Outside of St. X he swam for the Cincinnati Marlins and was a member of their 1980 National Championship Team. After graduation he attended Harvard where he was also a four-year swimming varsity letterman and two-year letterman for the water-polo team. During his senior year he captained the swim team, finished in the top sixteen at the 1984 NCAA 1500 meter freestyle championship, and was invited to the 1980 Olympic Trials. This culminated in being honored by Harvard with the Harold S. Ulen trophy, which is awarded to the individual who most exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship and team cooperation.

After graduation from college he entered and won the "Swim Around Manhattan" Race in 1985 by swimming 26 miles around the island in 7 hours and 50 minutes. He also has run in the Columbus and Boston Marathons. While doing all this, he found time to become a doctor and is now in the process of finishing his residency and setting up a practice in Cincinnati.

Martin Wolf ('75) | Basketball, Tennis

Martin Wolf is a member of the class of 1975 and the first son to join his father in our hall of fame. He was a two-sport star who quite honestly excelled equally well in both sports—tennis and basketball—playing varsity 7 out of 8 possible seasons. In basketball, he is remembered as one of the finest shooters in school history, who unfortunately, predated the three-point shot. In tennis, he was quite simply one of the best players ever.

A member of the basketball varsity from his sophomore year on, he made All-GCL and was honorable mention All-City his junior year in which he averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds per game for a team that was ranked #1 in the preseason. As a senior, he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. He was also captain, team MVP, 1st team All-GCL and All-City, and honorable mention All-Ohio (being one of the last Kentuckians to do that).

As a tennis player, he was a four-year member of the varsity, and number one singles for his last three years. During those last three years he was team MVP, All-GCL and All-City. Additionally, during his junior and senior years he was All-State. In his senior year he was sectional singles champ and state tournament semi-finalist.

After St. X, he attended Xavier University where continued to play both sports. Playing for Tay Baker, he saw his shots limited by the unfortunate coincidence of being a contemporary of Nick Daniels, but he continued as a four-year number one singles player on the Tennis Team. After college he has continued in athletics as one of, if not the finest, amateur tennis player in this area. He has won the Metropolitan Singles Championship 5 times, the most recent in 1985, and been Doubles Champion seven times. Last year in the 35 & older classification he was rated 2nd in the US and the World. Today he is a Tennis Pro, a father, an entrepreneur and strong supporter of St. X .

Robert Conway ('45) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Robert Conway is a graduate of the class of 1945 who earned a total of 9 letters in three sports, football, basketball and baseball. He played with the other stars of the mid-Forties who have previously graced this podium. The football and basketball teams from 1943 to 1945 recorded achievements that St. X had never seen before. Conway was in the middle of all of them.

He was a two-year starting fullback on our first GCL Championship team in 1943 and with Rod Johnson, was the star of the 1944 team. In basketball, as a junior, he was a valuable supporting player on the team that coined the name 'Bombers' and was undefeated until beaten by eventual State Champ Middletown in the regional semi-finals. As one of the stars in 1944-45 he led the Bombers to a 26-5 record, 2nd straight GCL championship and district runner-up in the state tournament. He was the scoring leader during the tournament.

While the baseball Bombers could not match the exploits of the other two teams, Conway was a 3-year starter on that team. After graduation he accepted a football scholarship to Holy Cross, but after one year transferred to Xavier, where he played fullback and punted for Ed Kluska's fine teams. One of his lesser known teammates then was a little-known guard from Pennsylvania - Tom Ballaban.

After finishing his athletic career and education, Conway has been a pillar of this community and contributor to much of what is good about this city. His overall contributions have already been recognized by St. Xavier when he was awarded the Insignis in 1981.

Bob Dalton ('71) | Wrestling

Bob Dalton is a member of the class of 1971 and is the first wrestler to be called to the Hall of Fame. He took up the sport in his junior year only after the veteran football coach failed to recognize his athletic talent and retain him on the team. Joining a program that was just emerging from club status, and under the tutelage of Coach Bill Ohr, he found his calling in wrestling, a calling he answered for the next 17 years.

In his very first year he was the GCL, Sectional and District Champion in the 145 weight class and placed 6th at the State Tournament, becoming the first St. X wrestler to do so. His senior year was even better as he did a repeat performance as GCL, sectional and district champion and again placed 6th in the State Tournament a finish that was not exceeded for at least 10 years by a St. X wrestler. Additionally he was named Cincinnati Wrestler of the Year, an award that only two subsequent Bombers have received.

He attended Miami University where he continued wrestling. At Miami he was team captain and a two-time MVP. He was a three-time Mid-American Conference Champion and NCAA tournament qualifier, the first Miami wrestler and the only St. X wrestler ever to do that.

After graduation he went into teaching and coaching at Lakota High School. From 1975 through 1987 as head coach his teams won 103 dual meets, twenty-two tournament titles, two Cincinnati City Championships, and came the closer to winning the Ohio State Championship than any area school. In his final year, 1987, he was named Ohio Coach of the Year. He is now an administrator with the Reading School District.

William J. Keating, Sr. ('45) | Swimming

William J. Keating, Sr., like Bob Conway, is a member of the class of 1945, the fourth member of that class to be inducted. Also, like Bob Conway, he has already received (in 1986) the highest honor this school awards, the Insignis. Finally, still again like Bob Conway, he is a widely recognized for his contributions to our community that far outshine his athletic career. Nevertheless, this gentleman had an outstanding athletic career as a swimmer.

He was a four-year member of the St. X varsity who was co-captain his senior year. During that senior year, the team was State runner-up, and he was the 100 yard breast stroke champion and a member of the State Champion Medley relay team. For his efforts he was all-City and all-State. Although he is closely associated with the University of Cincinnati, he actually started his collegiate career at Purdue. At Purdue he was a varsity letterman his freshmen year where he won the Indiana Collegiate 200 yard breast stroke championship. After his freshmen year he transferred to UC where he was a four-time letterman, captain of the 1950 team, and was named All-America. He is a member of the UC Athletic Hall of Fame, a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for outstanding collegiate athletic and career achievement and was, of course, instrumental in the building of our natatorium.

He has been a judge, city councilman, congressman, chairman and publisher of the Enquirer and has continued his involvement in athletics from Knothole baseball to College sports.

Peter Boylan ('61) | Football

Peter O. Boylan is a graduate of the class of 1961 who earned a total of 7 letters in three sports, track, football and baseball. But it was as a football player that he made his mark. On a team that won the "important games that prepared the boys for college" rather than those that count in the won-loss category, he was an all-purpose back who rushed, caught passes, ran back kicks of all kinds and led the team in scoring. During his senior year he ran a kickoff back for a touchdown against Elder in a game best remembered by a bizarre missed field goal attempt. He was co-captain, the Most Valuable Player, first team all-GCL and was all-City in both newspapers. He also received the Archbishop Alter Leadership Award presented to the outstanding senior football player in the GCL. Perhaps his status as a football player and a person can be summed up by this bit of knowledge. Pete was nominated to the hall of fame not by anyone associated with St. X, but by an opponent from his high school days, Roger Staubach.

After high school he matriculated at Xavier University where he played all four years and earned 2 letters. After graduation ended his athletic career he moved around the country for business purposes, but returned to Cincinnati a few years ago. Since returning to Cincinnati, he once again became very involved with St. X. In addition to supplying a son who is an excellant soccer player, he has been an enthusiastic member of the boosters who for the past two years was the chairman of this event.

Albert Sicking, Jr. ('53)

Albert G. Sicking Jr. is member of the Class of 1953 and probably the only reason people thought that Tom Ballaban was a good basketball coach. A two-sport man in football and basketball, he was an end in football and a star in basketball.

A three-year letterman and a two-year starting center, Sicking averaged the then astounding total of 25 points per game in his senior year. Twice he set and broke the school record for points in a game by scoring first 34 and then 35 points. During his final two years, St. X won 18 games each season and the GCL championship. His and the team's greatest moments came at the end of his senior season. Led by Sicking, who was the tournament's leading scorer, the Bombers moved through the Cincinnati District until they met the Big Blue of Hamilton for the championship. In a truly gripping game, he put in the last basket in the final seconds to win by two and bring home the district title. Moving on to the Regionals our inductee set a tournament record by scoring 34 points in the game against Middletown. However, magnificent that his effort was, it was not enough to defeat the eventual state champions and that game brought a close to his high school days. For his efforts he was chosen captain of the all-GCL and All-City basketball teams.

He then moved on to the University of Dayton to play for Tom Blackburn where he was the sixth man and backup center to All-American John Uhl. During his career at Dayton, the Flyers were perennial NIT participants and in his junior year they were NIT champions. Today he is an attorney who has had a long career with the IRS.

Frank Froelke ('59) | Basketball, Football

Frank Froelke is a member of the Class of 1959 and a native of Hamilton, who lettered in three sports, (track, football, basketball) and starred in two (football and basketball). Not a physically imposing specimen, he was the possessor of those most important athletic attributes, speed, quickness and agility.

A halfback on the football team who was All GCL and All City, he led the 1958 Bombers to an 8 2 record which included two games in which he scored three touchdowns. His contributions to this team were of such a magnitude that Coach Ballaban remarked that the team's record would have been reversed had this man been injured or had not played. He was also honorable mention all Ohio and was invited to play in the North South All Star game.

After football season, as was the norm in those days, this man stepped off of the gridiron onto the basketball court and captained the 58 59 basketball team. Leading a team that was supposed to be rebuilding after the success of the previous two years, our newest hall of famer spurred them to a 17-6 record, the Cincinnati district championship before the team succumbed to Middletown in the Regional Semifinals. As in football, he was All GCL and All City.

After graduating from St. X, Froelke attended Notre Dame where he was a member of the track team and set an outdoor pole vault record. Now a lawyer living in Hamilton, he was at one time the youngest mayor in Ohio when he was elected Hamilton's mayor in 1968.

Clint Haslerig ('70) | Football, Track

Clint Haslerig is a member of the class of 1970 and was also a two sport star in football and track. This man was a physically imposing specimen who had tremendous speed and strength.

In track he was a sprinter and excelled in the then 880 relay. In football however, he made his mark. Playing on the two best teams that St. X has ever had, he was the star. In his junior year he caught twenty passes as the split end on a team whose season passing records were probably eclipsed by Greg Frey in one game. However, that team was and is still, the only undefeated team in our history which won the GCL and City championship and finished fifth in the pre playoffs state rankings. Our inductee garnered 2nd team all GCL honors. His senior year he was the captain. While the team's record "slipped" to 8-2, this team was much more dominative in victory, outscoring its opponents 320 42 which included a 35-7 thrashing of Princeton. In addition to being captain, he played receiver, halfback, and returned kicks. He was the leading scorer and the key to the offensive prowess of this team. For his efforts he was first team All GCL, All City and honorable mention all Ohio.

After graduation, Haslerig went on to the University of Michigan where he played wingback for Bo Schembechler on some powerful teams including a 9-0-1 team his senior year. After Michigan, he was drafted and played in the NFL for a number of years as a wide receiver for the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and Forty Niners. Today he resides in California where he is a partner in a consulting firm.

Dan Tehan ('24) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Dan Tehan is a member of the Class of 1924 and was a legend in southwest Ohio. A varsity letterman in baseball, basketball and football for his entire high school career including his freshman year, he had an immediate effect on the teams at St. Xavier from the moment of his arrival. He was all Ohio in both football and basketball as a lineman and a guard. Such was his prowess that the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1925 called him one of the best tackles to have ever played in the State of Ohio.

This hall of famer then enrolled at Xavier University where he played four years of football and three years of basketball and won six varsity letters. A real gamer, he once played a game less than a week after breaking his jaw, rubbing mud on his face to prevent the opposition from discovering his injury. After his senior year of football, he was too injured to play basketball, so he helped coach the team.

He bypassed professional football, such that it was in those days, however he then became a referee and by 1930 he was in the NFL. He refereed in the NFL until 1963, retiring after doing the 1963 championship between the Bears and Giants. Today we are familiar with some of the NFL referees due to their constant exposure on TV. While this man retired before TV become so dominant, he was a legend amongst officials and especially the coaches. Even today he holds the record for having refereed the most play off games in NFL history. He is also remembered as being the only Democrat to consistently win election to county wide office in Hamilton County as he was the Sheriff for many years. Tehan passed away in 1980.

John Dromo | Coach

John Dromo is a native of Sharon Pa. and a graduate of John Carroll University where he starred in every sport they had. Upon graduation in 1939, he entered coaching and enjoyed a successful tenure at DeSales High in Newark, Ohio. He briefly returned to John Carroll and then, in 1942, was lured by the lucre and the glory of St. X. As was the custom in those days, he coached nearly everything. And to his credit, he coached everything well.

Ending years of athletic drought, he single handedly returned champions to St. X. With such players as Charlie Wolf, George Ratterman, Rod Johnson, the Gruber twins and Tom Powers, he brought home the first GCL football championship in our history. However, in basketball, he made an even greater mark. With many of the same players he won two GCL and a district championship and is perhaps best remembered for his 1943 44 team which lost only once, in the State tournament. It was this team that inspired the nickname, Bombers, that still adorns our teams today.

In 1947 he left St. X to coach at Louisville's Male High School. While refereeing, was spotted by University of Louisville's legendary basketball coach Peck Hickman and soon after hired as a Jack of all-trades coach. While at UL he was an assistant football coach, where he recruited Johnny Unitas, the golf coach, where he recorded over 1500 victories, and of course either an assistant or head basketball coach. During his tenure with the basketball program, he recruited such players as Butch Beard, Wes Unseld, Jim Price, Charlie Tyra and Mike Lawhon. With one of the nation's best recruiting classes at his side he was ready to move UL into the really big time when a heart attack ended his basketball career in 1971. The fruits of his efforts are apparent today as Louisville is an annual powerhouse. He continued coaching golf until 1988 when he finally retired. Dromo is a member of the U of L, John Carroll and Mercer County, Pa. Halls of Fame.

Joseph Sadelfeld ('65) | Basketball

Joseph Sadelfeld is a member of the glorious class of 1965 and, along with Hall of famer Bob Arnzen, led the St. X basketball team to its still greatest moment, the State Finals.

A two sport star, he played four years of baseball and three years of varsity basketball. During his basketball career, he averaged over 17 points per game, was a senior co captain and played for back to back GCL championships as well as the state finalists. He made all GCL his junior and senior years, all city as a senior and made the all tournament team in Columbus. He still ranks in the top ten of career scorers. As a baseball pitcher, he also made all GCL, all City, and earned a scholarship to Ohio State.

At Ohio State, he played both baseball and basketball. He was all Big Ten as a sophomore pitcher in 1967 and still holds a number of school records there. Also, though not a key link, he was nevertheless a member of the 1968 OSU basketball team that went to the Final Four and beat Houston and Elvin Hayes for the consolation game. After dropping basketball to concentrate on baseball, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1969 and entered their minor league system. After one year he developed the bane of all pitchers’ arm trouble which ended his professional sports career. He then entered the education/coaching profession in which in he still retains memberships today as a teacher and basketball coach at Naples High School in Naples, Florida.

Bill Schulte ('73) | Swimming

Bill Schulte is a member of the class of 1973 and, depending on who you talk to, somewhere between the best and 3rd best swimmer to compete at St. X.

Basically, but not exclusively a backstroke swimmer, he was all City four times, Swimmer of the Year in 1972, multiple state champion in two events, the backstroke and medley relay, and, as a captain, led St. X to the first four of its eventual 9 straight Ohio Swimming Championships. He set and then broke his own state records for the backstroke and capped it off by setting a national high school record for the 100 meter backstroke in 1973. As a result of this excellence he was a four time high school All American. He slacked off very little in national competition as he finished 6th in the 100 backstroke and 11th in the 200 at the 1972 Indoor Nationals and 12th at the 1972 Olympic Trials. In 1973 he finished 2nd in the 100 at the AAU National Indoors, 4 hundredths of a second behind world record holder John Naber.

After St. X he attended Indiana University, which in those days was the UCLA of swimming. In 1975, during his sophomore year he was runner up in the 200 yard backstroke which is second best national finish by a graduate of St. Xavier High School.

Dick Ullrich ('56) | Football

Dick Ullrich is a member of the class of 1956 and a resident of the State of Indiana who took the Trailways bus to school and back.

Unable to play sports his freshman year because of his residence, as a sophomore he stepped into the starting football lineup on both the offense and defense and never left. A senior co captain, he played guard and linebacker, and was all GCL and all City his junior and senior years. Aptly nicknamed "Killer" he literally inspired fear in offensive players by his exploits as a linebacker. At that time he may have been the best linebacker in the history of the league. He also competed in the field events on the track team.

After graduation, he earned a football scholarship to Purdue where he played under legendary coach Jack Mollenkoph and with players like Len Dawson. Following his father's footsteps, he became a pharmacist, the profession he still practices today. Still a loyal Hoosier, he resides in Aurora with his family.

James O'Connell ('52) | Basketball

James O'Connell played on Tom Ballaban's first basketball team in 1951 52. A graduate of the class of 1952, he played basketball for four years, varsity for 3 and was captain both his junior and senior years earning all city honors both years. The leading scorer in his senior year he averaged nearly 25 points per game as he led St. X to an 18 5 record, the GCL championship and the district semi finals. He also made honorable mention all state.

He moved on to XU where he played on the freshman team for a couple of young graduate assistants by the name of Dick Berning and Jim Bunning. Although his college career was hampered by injuries, under Ned Wulk he started as a sophomore and played in the NIT.

After graduating from XU he went into education and the coaching profession. He coached for three years in Kentucky and eventually ended up at Milford where during his six year career, he won over a 100 games. He gave up coaching for administration and just recently retired as a long time principal in that district. O'Connell holds the distinction of being the first athlete from the decade of the 50's to enter the hall of fame.

Thomas Rhoads ('63) | Football

Thomas Rhoads is a graduate of the class of 1963 and personified the scholar athlete that St. X. is so justifiably proud of. An excellent student, he was a four year football player who is best remembered as a defensive tackle. Although his teams were not outstanding, he was. In 1962, his senior year, his tremendous play was earned him 1st team All GCL, All City, All Southwest Ohio honors, and 2nd team all state. He also was named the winner of the first "That's My Boy" Award which was awarded to the local high school athlete who embodied the best aspects of the scholar athlete and citizenship.

Rhoads then attended Notre Dame where he continued his stellar play and also enjoyed playing on stellar teams with such luminaries as, Terry Hanratty, Rocky Bleier, Jim Lynch and Jim Seymour. As a defensive end, he started his junior and senior years and help anchor the defensive line of the 1966 National Champions which played the famous 10 10 tie with Michigan State. His play earned him honorable mention All America and his unselfishness in taking on entire offensive lines allowed Allan Page to grab the glory and go on to a Hall of Fame Career. A third round draft choice, he played briefly with the Buffalo Bills and was traded to the Bengals where his pro career came to an end when he followed Paul Brown's advice and began seeking his life's work.

Today he lives with his wife and three children in Hilton Head S.C. and his son is a freshman footballer at Duke. It is fitting that he enters on the night that his coach Tom Ballaban is our featured speaker, since he was one of Tom's best defensive players.

Jack Thobe ('58) | Basketball

Jack Thobe is a graduate of the class of 1958. He played football only as a freshman despite the fact that he was a solid 6 foot 8. However he did play basketball for four years and he played it very well. Starting at center from his sophomore year on, he set St. X season and career scoring records and still holds the single game scoring mark. He was All GCL and All City two years, the team MVP and second team All Ohio his senior year. He would have been 1st team All State except for a contemporary of his from Middletown by the name of Jerry Lucas. He is perhaps best known for his starring role on the 1958 team which won 23 games in a row and was, until the 1965 state runner up, the best team this school ever produced. Led by this man they swept through the regular season not only without a defeat, but experienced only two games where they won by less than 10 points. So powerful were they that opposing teams were forced to stall to keep it close. They normally won by scores of 72 46. They blew through the district experiencing their only close game of the season, beating Bacon by 4 and winning the title against Taft 73 48. Moving on to the regionals, they were one game away from meeting Middletown and Jerry Lucas in a battle of undefeated teams when they got caught looking ahead and lost to Dayton Fairview.

After graduating from X he went on to Xavier where he was a standout player for 3 years for Jim McCafferty. He was a starter on the first XU team to go to NCAA. After he graduated he was drafted by the NBA and the original ABA, but because he wanted a stable career, played AAU basketball with the Goodyear team, the company with whom he is still employed. Today he lives in Southern California with his wife and 5 children, one of whom (his daughter) is a professional golfer and a son who is a professional baseball player in the Cubs orginization. Without argument this man is still one of five best basketball players in this school's history.

Herbert Budde ('49) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Herbert (Huck) Budde graduated from St. Xavier in 1949. He ran track as a freshman and played baseball his sophomore, junior and senior years. He played football and basketball all four years at X. He earned letters in his final three years.

In football Huck played end. In his junior year he caught touchdown passes against Withrow, Hughes, and Elder. In addition, he was on the receiving end of Dan Brady's last second, game-tying touchdown in the 1947 X-Bacon game.

Huck was the starting center for the basketball team. As one of the team's top scorers senior year, he helped lead the team to a 16-6 mark, a GCL co-championship, and a second place finish in the district tournament.

During his high school career, Huck was named to the Post's all- city first team (basketball) as both a junior and a senior. As a senior he was named to the Post's all-city first team (football). Also in his senior year The Times-Star named Huck to its all-city basketball team and made him honorary captain of that team.

Huck continued playing basketball at Xavier University. In his senior year he was co-captain of the team. The '52-'53 Xavier yearbook refers to Huck as "one of the most outstanding X cagers of the past several seasons" and goes on to point out that in that season Huck set the (then) all-time XU season scoring record with 501 points. Huck scored 26 points in XU's win over UC that year.

Bill Cady ('47) | Basketball, Football

Bill Cady '47 played varsity basketball all four years at St. X. He played varsity football his final three years. His junior year he played baseball. In football he played offensive end. On the basketball team he played center and was a consistently high scorer. In his junior and senior years the basketball team's combined record was 36-13. In his senior year Bill served as captain of both the football and basketball teams.

Bill later attended Xavier University where he continued playing basketball. In his senior year he was a starter on the team during its 16-10 season. Bill was often one of the team's leading scorers, producing 22 points in a win over Miami and 18 in a loss to Dayton.

Following college, Bill coached basketball at Steubenville College and McNicholas High School. He has been the head basketball coach at LaSalle High School since the school opened. He had 400 career wins as a basketball coach. At various times he has also served as athletic director at LaSalle.

Bill Lukens ('73) | Football, Wrestling

Bill Lukens '73 played football all four years at St. X. He was a starter on both the freshman and reserve teams. His junior year he was a starting offensive guard, and in his senior year he played both offensive and defensive tackle. Serving as captain of the team as a senior, Bill won the following awards: team MVP, outstanding offensive lineman in the GCL, all-GCL, all-city, all-state (honorable mention). He also played in the East-West all-star team and the North-South all-star team.

Bill also wrestled for four years at St. X. As a heavyweight in his senior year, he was team captain and finished second in district competition and seventh in state competition.

At Ohio State Bill played football all four years and was the starting offensive guard as a junior and senior. As a junior he was named first team all-Big Ten and achieved honorable mention as an academic all-American.

As a senior he was tri-captain of the team. His achievements his senior year included OSU outstanding offensive lineman, first team academic all-American, first team all-Big Ten, and honorable mention All-American. During his years at Ohio State Bill played in three Rose Bowls and one Orange Bowl.

Tom O'Brien ('66) | Football

Tom O’Brien is a member of the class of 1966. Although football was his primary sport, he was a good baseball player as well.

He led all St. Xavier tacklers as a defensive end his Senior year and was named Senior Most Improved Player and All-GCL.

Upon graduation, O'Brien matriculated at the U.S. Naval Academy where he was a three year starter in football. O'Brien was voted All-East Defensive End in 1970. After the Academy he played one year of football with the Quantico Marines, and completed 5 years of active Marine Corps Duty.

His coaching career started back at Navy in 1975, after which he moved to Virginia with Coach George Welch. O'Brien was named Head Coach at Boston College in 1997.

Bert Schloemer ('33) | Basketball, Football, Track

Bert Schloemer is a member of the class of 1933. He was a classic three sport athlete, starting at guard and center for two years in basketball, cornerback and halfback for three years in football, and running track for four years.

In track he competed in the 100 & 220 yard dash, 440, relays, low hurdles, broad jump, javelin & shot put. Schloemer was never beaten in a GCL sprint race. He won three gold medals in 1932 GCL meet and four in the 1933 GCL meet. He set GCL and St X track records which stood until the 50’s.

After graduation from St. Xavier, Schloemer played fullback and ran track at University of Detroit and then at Notre Dame. He was a member of 1935 Notre Dame team that played the legendary game against Ohio State.

Frank Johnson ('45) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Frank (Rod) Johnson is a member of the class of 1945. He was a three sport athlete (Baseball, Basketball, and Football.)

In football he played both offensive and defensive line. In 1944 he was named All-GCL, All-City and All-State.

After St. Xavier, Johnson played for Frank Leahy at Notre Dame. During his last three years the Irish went undefeated and were twice named National Champions.

Hal Pennington ('30) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Hal Pennington, a Cincinnati Sports Legend, is a member of the St. Xavier Class of 1930. He was a three sport athlete (baseball, basketball, football.)

Pennington made All-City as a first baseman in baseball. On the gridiron, he was a halfback and fullback. He led St. Xavier in scoring twice and was named captain and 1st Team All-City his senior year.

In basketball he repeated his leadership as a scorer, leading the squad in his Junior and Senior years. Three times in basketball Pennington outscored the other team by himself. The 1928-29 team lost in quarter finals of the National Catholic High School Tournament in Chicago.

After high school, Pennington played football and basketball at Xavier University for 3 years, serving as Co-Captain of the basketball team his Senior Year. He was named to All-time Xavier team in 1970.

Pennington went on to play professional basketball (before the NBA.) He served as a long-time amateur coach, coaching National Champion AAU basketball teams. He also played and coached professional football, starting as the youngest coach in professional football history (23). As a youth baseball coach Pennington won National Championships in 1968 and 1985. Some of his former players include the likes of Dave Parker, Ron Oester and Buddy Bell.

Pennington is a member of Xavier, Hamilton County and LaRosa’s Halls of Fame.

John Crowley ('24) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

John “Botts” Crowley is a member of the Class of 1924. He played football his sophomore and junior years; basketball sophomore, junior and senior years; and baseball sophomore, junior, and senior years. He was Captain of the basketball team his last two years.

Crowley was named an all-city fullback both years that he played football. He gained all-city status in basketball, as a center in 1922 and as a forward in 1923 and 1924. At the Tri-state Basketball Tournament held at UC, he led the St. X team to a second-place finish in 1923 and to the quarter-finals in 1924. In 1924 he was the lone Ohioan named to the all-tournament team, the other four selections being from Indiana.

Crowley was a first baseman/outfielder for the baseball team. He led the team in home runs and hit over .400 in each of his three years. In a game against Lockland High School, he stole five bases. The 1924 baseball team captured the city title with a 12-0 season mark.

Following high school, Crowley attended the University of Notre Dame, but a shoulder injury ended his athletic career. A newspaper article of the early 40's commented, "Mr. Crowley was rated the greatest prep school football player in the country a good many years ago. He was a back and they say he could really carry the mail. He was lightening fast. He crashed into an enemy line with the power of a hopped up bull. The kid was just as great a baseball player."

When Notre Dame got Crowley, the Irish expected a lot from him. But in his freshman year Botts suffered a broken shoulder that ended his football and baseball careers. Those who know say that broken shoulder robbed football and Notre Dame of another Gipp, Thorpe, or Nevers, and robbed major league baseball of a standout star.

John served as a professional umpire for eight years (until 1940) in the Eastern and International Leagues. For many years he maintained a close association with sports as a sales representative for MacGregor Athletic Goods Co. Crowley died in September of 1985.

Paul Cain ('25) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Paul (Chip) Cain is a member of the Class of 1925. Because he had to hold down part-time jobs for his first three years of high school, he did not play sports at St. Xavier until his senior year. In his senior year he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.

Cain played center on the football team. He was captain of the basketball squad and played forward. The basketball team reached the state semi-finals that year, along the way defeating such powerful teams as Stivers and Middletown. Cain was named an all-city forward and was selected to the all-tournament team.

He played second on the baseball team, which had an undefeated season and won the state championship.

At Xavier University Paul lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track. Playing quarterback, he captained the football team his senior year. He played forward in basketball and several different infield positions for the baseball team. In his senior year Paul was the high point man in the inaugural basketball game at Schmidt Fieldhouse (a 29-25 defeat of UC).

Following his graduation from XU, Cain spent two years at St. Ignatius High School in Chicago, coaching four sports. He later coached for nine years at Purcell. He had a successful tryout with the Chicago Bears, but declined the opportunity to join the team. He did, however, play a couple of seasons with the original Cincinnati Bengals until a broken collarbone put an end to his career.

The 1929 Xavier University yearbook reads, "It is a rather difficult task to write anything new about the football captain of the Musketeers. For three years the name of Paul Cain has been connected with almost every important athletic contest at St. Xavier. The sport scribes have sung continually of his prowess on the gridiron, the court, and the diamond. Every sport fan in Cincinnati realizes that in Paul Cain, Xavier has one of the greatest athletes of her history. His prowess as an athlete demands no further acclaim.

"Last fall as captain of the 1928 Musketeer eleven, "Chip" performed almost perfectly. He was a true captain ready at any time to make any sacrifice for the success of the team, respected by his team-mates and by his coaches, the hero of the fans -- he is the real Musketeer ideal, an athlete, a student, a gentleman, and a good fellow."

Jim Bunning ('49) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Jim Bunning is a member of the Class of 1949. He played basketball and football all four years at St. Xavier, and baseball sophomore, junior, and senior years. He also ran track as a freshman. He was a "sure-handed" end for the 1949 6-3 football team. In his senior year he played forward on the basketball team, whose record that year was 16-6. The team shared the GCL title (with Purcell) and was district runner-up. Bunning was also the mainstay of the baseball team's pitching staff.

The 1949 Xavier Prep described Bunning as "the star forward on this year's championship basketball team, and all-city end on the gridiron." He went on to pitch in the major leagues for 17 seasons (with four different teams). His career record was 224 wins and 184 losses, a .549 winning percentage. His lifetime ERA was 3.27. He pitched 3,760 innings in the majors and struck out 2,855 batters, tenth on the all-time strikeout list. On eight occasions he won 17 or more games in a season, and he had 40 career shutouts.

In 1958, while with Detroit, Bunning pitched a no-hitter, defeating Boston 3-0. In 1964, he threw a perfect game in a 6-0 win over the Mets.

George Ratterman ('44) | Football

George Ratterman is a member of the class of 1944. He played tennis, baseball, basketball and football at St. Xavier. In his junior and senior years, he quarterbacked the football team to a GCL championship (1943) and a second place finish in 1944. He was named to the all-GCL football team in both his junior and senior years. As a senior, Ratterman earned honorable mention on the all-Ohio team. Playing at guard on the basketball team, George was team captain in his senior year and was named to the first team, all-GCL and all-city, and to the second team, all-Ohio. In tennis, he was the Junior Amateur Champion of Southwestern Ohio.

Ratterman attended Notre Dame after his graduation from St. Xavier. At Notre Dame he played quarterback behind Frank Dancewicz and Johnny Lujack. After college, he played professional football for four different teams. From 1952 to 1956 he played behind Otto Graham in Cleveland.

Bob Arnzen ('65) | Basketball

Bob Arnzen is a member of the Class of 1965. He played end on the football team in his senior year. He was a pitcher on the baseball team during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. However, Arnzen’s greatest athletic achievements at St. Xavier came on the basketball court.

Arnzen played basketball all four years, leading the Bombers to the State Finals in his senior year. The 1964-1965 team went 24-3 and won the GCL Championship, the District Championship, and the Regional Championship before losing to Columbus South in the state finals 54-53.

School records covering 1960 to the present indicate that Bob was the all-time scoring leader in St. X basketball history with 1016 career points. He also holds the single season records for most points with 526 (1964-1965) and for most rebounds with 432 (1964-1965). He is third on the all-time list of average points per game with 15.4.

He was respected by his fellow players, as reflected in his being elected as a co-captain in his senior year, but more importantly, was a complete team player. Coach Dick Berning commented, "Bob was the smartest player I ever coached." He was an excellent student as well as being an excellent athlete.

In addition to Bob's basketball achievements, he played baseball for three years on the St. Xavier varsity, and as a senior, also played on Tom Ballaban's football team. That year he caugbt the winning touchdown against Roger Bacon--no small accomplishment.

After graduation from St. Xavier, Arnzen attended Notre Dame on a basketball scholarship. His basketball accomplishments there are also well documented. He led the team in scoring his sophomore year, and was also a starter his junior and senior years. He was the first player-ever selected as captain of the Notre Dame basketball team his junior year, and was also a captain his senior year.

After graduation from Notre Dame Arnzen played professional basketball and baseball.

Tom Ballaban | Coach

Tom Ballaban served as head football coach at St. Xavier from 1953 to 1977. During those years his teams compiled a record of 142-91-8, winning GCL championships in 1957, 1968, and 1970 and finishing second in the GCL in 1971, 1973, and 1976. His best single-season records were in 1968 (9-0-1) and 1957 (9-1). On three other occasions his teams went 8-2.

Ballaban also coached basketball at St. Xavier from 1951 to 1954, compiling a 59-25 record. During these years Tom's basketball teams won a district championship, a GCL championship and a GCL co-championship. His 1954 team finished second in the GCL.

Dick Berning has coached the St. Xavier basketball team since 1955. He is currently in his thirtieth year as head coach. He has had 24 winning seasons in those years and his career record prior to the opening of the 1984-85 season was 407-213. Berning's teams have won 7 GCL championships and have finished second in the league 9 times. He has won 3 district titles and 1 regional title. His 1964-1965 team reached the state finals before being defeated by Columbus South 54-53.

Among those currently on the St. X faculty, Dick's length of service is exceeded only by Tom Ballaban's.

Charlie Keating ('41) | Swimming

Charlie Keating is a member of the Class of 1941. Although Charlie also played football and ran track at St. Xavier, he is best known for his achievements in swimming. He was a member of the swim team all four years and served as team captain in his senior year. In his sophomore, junior, and senior years, he led the team to 3 successive GCL championships while setting several school records and earning all-state honors.

After graduating from St. Xavier, Charlie attended the University of Cincinnati where he continued his swimming career. In NCAA competition he won the 200 yard breast stroke to become UC's first NCAA Champion and All- American. He is a member of UC's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Keating's devotion to St. Xavier High School goes well beyond his graduation. He was the driving force in the construction of Keating Natatorium. Since the natatorium was built in 1970, the St. Xavier Aqua- bombers have won 13 state swimming titles and have finished second in the state twice. Throughout these years Charlie has maintained his interest in and support of the St. X swimming program.

Charles Keating Jr. Wins the 200 Individual Medley

Charley Wolf ('44) | Baseball, Basketball, Football

Charley Wolf is a member of the Class of 1944. He played baseball, basketball, and football in his years at St. Xavier. In his junior year, playing end, he was named to the All-GCL football team. In his senior year he was named to the All-Ohio football team. As a forward on the basketball team his senior year. he was second in scoring for the season with 189 points and helped lead the team to a 22-5 record and a first-place finish in the GCL and the district before they were defeated in the regionals by eventual state champ Middletown.

Wolf entered the Navy after graduating from St. Xavier After his years in the service he attended Notre Dame for a year and a half where he played baseball. basketball, and football. Upon leaving Notre Dame he spent seven years in the Reds farm system and then left baseball to become athletic director and head basketball and baseball coach at Villa Madonna (Thomas More). In the '58-'59 season Wolf's Villa Madonna team went 22-5 and was invited to the NAIA tournament for Division II schools.

Charley also coached professionally with the Cincinnati Royals (3 years), and the Detroit Pistons (2 years). One of his Cincinnati teams made it to the NBA playoffs but was defeated by the Celtics in the seventh game of their series.