Class of 2025

As a freshman at Deer Valley HS in 2006, Aaron Wayne was the team’s Most Improved Swimmer. From there, Aaron went on to become one of the most acclaimed swimmers in East County history. After not qualifying for an individual event at the North Coast Championships as a freshman, he placed in the NCS finals as a sophomore (5^th 50 freestyle, 4^th 100 freestyle), a junior (2^nd 50 free, 2^nd 100 free), and senior (1^st 100 free [44.27], 1^st 200 free [1:38.12]), both NCS Meet Records. He was a NISCA High School All-American in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly and twice in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

As a club swimmer in 2008 with the Terrapins of Concord, at the United States 18 & Under Summer National Championships, Aaron won the 100-meter freestyle [49.99, Meet Record] and was 2^nd in the 50 free. He was also an outstanding DV water polo player, earning 1^st team all-league as a sophomore and junior and league MVP as a senior.

Aaron was an excellent student, ranked 4^th out of 785 classmates. He was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University for swimming. While there, he qualified individually for the NCAA Championships all four years. In 2011, he was a member of Stanford’s championship winning 200 free relay that broke the American Record. During the summer of his junior year, Aaron qualified for the Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha. He finished 22^nd in the 200 meter freestyle (1:50.32), 23^rd in the 100 meter. Free (49.97), and 28^th in the 50-meter freestyle (22.88).

He ended his swimming career at Stanford as a 14-time NCAA All-American and was Team Captain as a senior. He was also a 4 time Academic All-American and graduated from Stanford in 2013 with a degree in Bio-Mechanical Engineering.

In the early 1970’s, girls sports at the high school level were just starting to grow due to the passage of Title IX.  One group of athletes at Antioch High School, however, were already taking center stage on the sports scene.   The 1975-76 Antioch High School Girls Volleyball team, coached by the late Sue Cheatham, were a true powerhouse.  The Lady Panthers stormed through the Diablo Valley Girls Athletic League season, winning all 9 of their matches without losing a single set.  This dominant season capped an unprecedented run by becoming the first girl’s team to win three consecutive titles and extending their winning streak to seventeen straight league victories over two seasons.  Outside of league play, the Panthers showed their dominance by winning the Oakland Tech Tournament and the DVGAL Invitational.  The later tournament featured the top schools from throughout the Bay Area and required to the Lady Panthers to win 10 matches over the two-day event, capping it off with a straight set win over previously undefeated Monte Vista. 

The Panthers were led by their Captain, Kathy Rodriquez, a three-year starter for the Panthers.  She shared team MVP honors with Marie Rodriquez and would be named as the outstanding Senior Athlete for 1975-76. Other three-year players for the Lady Panthers were Rosie Augustine, Carla Baker and Robin Stiles.  Julie Jacobsen, Lori Soo, Lisa Bruno and Laura Clark made up the rest of the dominant roster.  They were coached by Sue Cheetham and Asst Coach Bob Holland.

Ashley Edwards’ golf journey is a remarkable story of talent, determination, and strong family support. Influenced by her older sister Alexis and coached by her mother Andria, Ashley quickly emerged as one of the most successful athletes in Deer Valley High School history.

Her impact was immediate earning 1st Team All-League honors as a freshman, an accolade she would receive all four years. She was named to the All-Contra Costa Times Golf Team and ranked among their Top 50 Girl Athletes every year of her high school career. Ashley was a three-time BVAL Golfer of the Year and a four-time MVP for the Deer Valley team.

Her success extended to postseason tournaments. She consistently placed in the top ranks at the North Coast Section (NCS) Golf Championships finishing tied for 4^th as a freshman, tied for 6^th as a sophomore, tied for 5^th as a junior and capped her senior year with an NCS title after shooting a 71 and winning in a sudden-death playoff. That victory qualified her for the Nor-Cal Championships, where she placed second, earning a historic spot at the CIF State Girls Golf Championships. There, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, she tied for 9^th becoming the first and only female golfer from DVHS to reach the state tournament.

Her high school excellence led to a scholarship at the University of Oregon, where she played for four years, consistently ranking as the No. 2 player. She was named among the top 100 collegiate women golfers as a junior, and her best tournament finish was second place at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Tournament. As of 2011, she ranked 4th all-time in scoring average (76.1) with 11 rounds of par or better.

Ashley now joins her sister (2019) and mother (2013) as the only family with a coach and 2 daughters inducted into the Antioch Sports Legends Hall of Fame.

An athlete with a 6’6” inch frame would normally be found in a basketball gym, however, Dave DuPlesis’ powerful left handed baseball swing led him to the baseball field.  From the first time he picked up a baseball bat he knew this was his sport.  At Antioch High School in 1988, he was selected first team All DVAL, second team All East Bay, Team MVP and the Tribune Prep of the Week. 

After high school, Dave enrolled at Diablo Valley College and in the 1990 baseball season he was one of their best hitters.  He was second on the team with a .326 Batting Average and tied for first with 24 RBI’s. His hitting performance caught the attention of professional baseball scouts and he was selected in the 33^rd round of the 1991 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. 

In 1992 he split time with the Salinas Spurs in the California League and the Watertown Indians in the New York-Penn League.  In 130 games his combined line with both teams was a .267 BA with 24 doubles, 14 homers and 58 RBI’s.  In 1993, he played for the Columbus Red Stixx of the South Atlantic League.  He appeared in 52 games and had a .289 BA with 8 home runs and 32 RBI’s. 

Following the 1993 season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos and was assigned to play for the West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League.  In a tough hitters league he had another solid season at the plate.  In 115 games he hit .260 with 24 doubles, 8 homers and 58 RBI’s.  This would prove to be his last year in professional baseball.  After four years, his career stats included 1144 plate appearances with a .268 BA, 55 doubles, 30 home runs and 148 RBI’s.

To be nominated as Male All-Around Athlete at Deer Valley High School, a student must compete in three varsity sports and earn 1st or 2nd Team All-League honors in at least two. In 1999, Robert Butler achieved this distinction by excelling in football, basketball, and track & field, earning the school’s Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year award. He was also named Runner of the Year for the track team and ranked among the Contra Costa Times’ Top 50 male athletes.

In football, Butler stood out as a wide receiver, earning 2nd Team All-League honors as both a junior and senior during a time when De La Salle dominated the Bay Valley Athletic League. His senior year included 35 receptions and five touchdowns, highlighted by a standout performance of 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburg. He was DVHS football MVP as a junior and Co-MVP as a senior. Post high school, he played at Los Medanos College, earning Player of the Week as a freshman, then transferred to Humboldt State for one season.

As a basketball starter, he averaged 7.4 points per game and ranked second on the team in rebounds.

Butler’s strongest performances came in track and field, where he was named Team MVP. He earned 1st Team All-League in the 200 meters and 2nd Team in the 100 meters. His season culminated with a gold medal in the 200 meters at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions, clocking a personal best of 21.76 seconds. This qualified him for the CIF State Meet, where he ran 21.86 in the prelims, capping an exceptional multi-sport high school career.

Alexandra (Alex) Kovalick was a multi-sport athlete and one of the early leaders of girls wrestling at Antioch High School. Named the school’s Athlete of the Year in 2009, Kovalick competed in wrestling, track and field, and cross country.

She was a four-year varsity track athlete and a three-time North Coast Section qualifier in the 4×400-meter relay (2007–2009), also qualifying in the 100-meter hurdles in 2008. In the fall, she ran cross country, competing year-round as a student-athlete.

On the wrestling mat, Kovalick served as captain of the girls’ team. Placed three times at the North Coast Section Championships.  Her Senior year Alex placed second at the North Coast Section Championships in the 122-pound weight class and finished fifth at the CIF Northern Regional.  She closed out her senior season with a first-place finish at the 2009 U.S. Girls Wrestling Association (USGWA) State Championships. At a time when girls wrestling wasn’t yet sanctioned in California, her father and coach, Joe Kovalick, actively worked to find girls tournaments where she could compete.

Alex practiced with the boys’ team and regularly wrestled in JV boys’ matches. She was coached by Joe Kovalick, Brett McNamar, Jesse Unpingco, and Steve Sanchez. She also played a key role in growing the girls’ program at Antioch by recruiting other athletes—most notably Dana Karkar, who went on to become the head girls wrestling coach at Willits High School. Alex considers her role in building the program one of her most meaningful contributions to the sport.

Wrestling runs deep in the Kovalick family. Her grandfather, George Kovalick, is recognized as the “Father” of high school wrestling in the Ohio Valley and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, where he received the Lifetime of Service to Wrestling award.

After high school, Alex wrestled for three years on the UC Santa Barbara club team, earning a second-place finish at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Association (NCWWA) Regional Championship. She also attended Waldorf College on a wrestling scholarship, competing at 55kg for the women’s team.

Her high school and collegiate career came just before girls wrestling was officially sanctioned in California in 2011. Alex Kovalick’s leadership and perseverance helped pave the way for the next generation of female wrestlers in Antioch and beyond.