2025-26 COVINGTON BUCCANEERS

2025-26 BUCCS WRESTLING TEAM: Front Row (L-R) - Ramsé Vanderhorst (Statistician), Matt Schneider (Statistician), Eddie Deaton, Brody Taylor, Ava Ostrov, Chloe Aselage, Aleah Russel, Grayson Feight, Wyatt Kerber, Cassidy Iddings (Statistician), Nadia Ramirez (Statistician). Row Two (L-R) - Caiden Walters, Cutler Robbins, Colton Townsend, Christian Clark, Tyler Palsgrove, Landyn Carnes, Diego Lopez, Henry Skaggs, Jonny Miller, Weston Roth. Third Row (L-R) - Asst. Coach Cael Vanderhorst, Asst. Coach Lance Miller, Day’Lynn Garrett, Landon Beeman, A.J. Reyes, Haydan Wintrow, Liam Geeding, Gavin Brown, Trenton Havenar, Jake Basye, Cooper Turner, Head Coach Eric Vanderhorst, Asst. Coach Dave Osborne.

COACHES: (L-R) – Cael Vanderhorst, Lance Miller, Head Coach Eric Vanderhorst, Dave Osborne.

SEASON PREVIEW:
The Buccs return after putting together another great season last year where they finished with an overall record of 192-59 for the 15th best winning percentage (76%) in the program’s 53-year history. They also finished with a three-dual winning streak topping Piqua, Springfield and Sidney. The Buccs had high finishes at the Mechanicsburg Invitational (3rd/17 teams), the Troy Invitational (4th/15 teams), the Coldwater Invitational (6th/20 teams) and the Lima Central Catholic Invitational (5th/35 teams) and finished as runners-up in the Three Rivers Conference (TRC).

Covington placed 5th out of 22 teams with 5 district qualifiers – Brody Taylor, Henry Skaggs, Caleb Ryman, Mason Epperson and Trenton Havenar – in what turned out to be the toughest Sectional tournament in the state, then took 8th place out of 64 teams at a very strong District tournament, where the team qualified two wrestlers to State – Caleb Ryman and Trenton Havenar – plus state alternate Brody Taylor. Caleb Ryman became just the eighth 3-time state qualifier in school history.

At State, Caleb Ryman earned a spot on the podium with a 5th place finish while Trenton Havenar fell one win short of placing. The Buccs currently have a streak of state placers at 17 consecutive state tournaments – every tournament since 2008. The Buccs lost district qualifier Aveyen Meek, sectional placer Jack Blumenstock and Kaden Thompson to graduation but return a number of talented wrestlers.

Covington will be led by seniors Caleb Ryman, A.J. Reyes, Christian Clark and Day’Lynn Garrett. Ryman is a returning state placer, while Clark is a returning district qualifier and Reyes is a returning letterman. The junior class includes Landon Beeman, Eddie Deaton, Liam Geeding, Trenton Havenar, Diego Lopez, Jonny Miller, Tyler Palsgrove, Henry Skaggs, Caiden Walters, Ava Ostrov and Aleah Russell. Havenar is a returning state qualifier, Deaton and Skaggs are returning district qualifiers, and Lopez is a returning district alternate.

The sophomore class includes Gibson Leach and Brody Taylor. Taylor is a returning state alternate. Rounding out the roster are freshmen Jake Basye, Gavin Brown, Landyn Carnes, Grayson Feight, Wyatt Kerber, Cutler Robbins, Weston Roth, Colton Townsend, Cooper Turner, Haydan Wintrow and Chloe Aselage.

Covington looks forward to competing with a mix of Division 1, 2 and 3 teams. The Buccs return to two prestigious mega-tournaments: the 62-team GMVWA Holiday tournament and the 37-team Lima Central Catholic (LCC) Invitational, as well as the Mechanicsburg, Coldwater, Troy, Urbana and TRC Invitationals. Covington will dual Versailles, Piqua, Sidney and Springfield, along with several other teams at the Versailles Dual Meet tournament. Additionally, the JV team will travel to some competitive reserve tournaments at Vandalia-Butler, Versailles and Greenville.