The history of sports in Northern Kentucky goes back a long way. A very long way. Decades. Centuries.
We know you’ve seen these lists before, but this is a different and unique way of presenting our “50 sports icons in Northern Kentucky” as we’ll provide you one per day over the next 50 days.
Hall of Fames are everywhere in NKY, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame, NKU, Thomas More and local high schools all have something to recognize their past.
We’ll preface this series by saying this, some of you may disagree with who should or shouldn’t be in the top 50 and that’s fine. Plenty are in the Hall of Very Good, but we feel these 50 are the one’s who stuck out to us.
Sports Editor Evan Dennison spoke and conferred with several local NKY sports history buffs to get their opinions and lists of their own and who should be “locks” for the 50 sports icons. We compiled each list and came up with the 50 of our own (maybe cheated a little by putting families in as one) to present over the next 50 days.
Hope you enjoy as summer time rolls on!
The 34th of the 50 sports icons is the Walz family, one of the strongest family legacies in Northern Kentucky.
WALZ FAMILY
Few families in Kentucky high school sports history boast a legacy like the Walz family. Roger Walz, a 1962 Highlands graduate, helped ignite the Bluebirds’ football dynasty as quarterback of teams that went 35-1 and reached three straight state finals from 1959-61. He later returned as head coach, guiding Highlands to the 1975 Class 3A title and serving as the school’s athletic director. His wife, Janine Thoeny Walz, was a trailblazer in girls sports, winning the first five girls regional tennis championships from 1960–64, earning letters on Bellevue’s boys tennis team, and entering the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. A cheerleader, valedictorian, and pioneer, Janine inspired a family legacy rooted in excellence.
Their daughter, Jaime Walz-Richey, remains one of the most decorated basketball players in Kentucky history, named Miss Basketball, Parade Magazine National Player of the Year, and Gatorade Circle of Champions in 1996. Her 4,948 career points stood as the state record for 20 years. She now coaches the Highlands girls basketball team and has over 400 wins. Her husband, Bert Richey, is also part of the Highlands family coaching boys golf coach and assistant on Jaime’s staff.
Their son, Jeff Walz, is one of the top women’s college basketball coaches in America. In nearly 20 seasons at Louisville, he’s led the Cardinals to four Final Fours, two national title games, and over 500 wins, transforming UofL into a perennial power. The Walz family’s name defines generational impact in northern Kentucky athletics.
See the 50 sports icons on a day-to-day basis over the next 50 days
— Day 1: Dave Cowens
— Day 2: Shaun Alexander
— Day 3: Homer Rice
— Day 4: Dicky Beal
— Day 5: Jared Lorenzen
— Day 6: Jim Bunning
— Day 7: Tom Ellis
— Day 8: Nate Dusing
— Day 9: Jim Connor
— Day 10: Steve Cauthen
— Day 11: Irv Goode
— Day 12: Stan Steidel
— Day 13: Kenney Shields
— Day 14: David Justice
— Day 15: Morgan Hentz
— Day 16: Eddie Arcaro
— Day 17: Nancy Winstel
— Day 18: Steve Flesch
— Day 19: Donna Murphy
— Day 20: Randy Marsh
— Day 21: Mike Yeagle
— Day 22: Derrick Barnes
— Day 23: Dale Mueller
— Day 24: Dave Faust
— Day 25: Kirsten Allen
— Day 26: The Oldendick family
— Day 27: Martin “Mote” Hils
— Day 28: Nell Fookes
— Day 29: Owen Hauck
— Day 30: Becky Ruehl
— Day 31: Tom Thacker
— Day 32: Sydney Moss
— Day 33: Bob Schneider
— Day 34: The Walz family
— Day 35: John Toebben
— Day 36: Pat Scott
— Day 37: Bob Arnzen
— Day 38: Joan Mazzaro
— Day 39: Frank Jacobs
— Day 40: Adrienne Hundemer
— Day 41: The Draud family
— Day 42: Bill Krumpelbeck
— Day 43: The Molony family
— Day 44: Allen Feldhaus
— Day 45: The Maile family
— Day 46: Maureen Egan Corl
— Day 47: Bill Aker
— Day 48: Maureen Kaiser
— Day 49: John Brannen
— Day 50: Mike Bankemper