Hall of Fame Inductees

Susie Bair, Class of 1977 Steve Coplen, Class of 1965 team All NLC and led the Upon graduation, team in field goal percentage, Steve accepted a scholarship assists, and free throw at attend Wabash College. An shooting. injury ended his football In the spring, Susie playing career but he split her time between tennis continued to play and letter in and track. She was the tennis baseball for the Little Giants. MVP in 1976. In 1977 Susie He was a Dean’s List student ran track on a team that had a for 5 semesters at Wabash and 15-0 record and won the graduated in 1969. Northern Lakes Conference As a head baseball championship. coach at RHS, Steve coached One of the most for seven years. In 1972, he prestigious awards that Susie led the Zebras to an NLC Susie Bair attended As a teacher, a coach, earned in high school was the championship and in 1979, the RHS at a time when the and a student-athlete, Steve Fellowship of Christian Zebras captured the Sectional IHSAA was just starting to Coplen has dedicated the Athletes National Outstanding championship. recognize girls’ athletics. majority of his life to Female High School Athlete In football, Coach Rochester had an excellent Rochester High School. of the Year in 1977. Coplen has 39 years as a head group of young ladies and they Many of his students and the Upon graduation, coach or assistant coach. He represented RHS very well. athletes that played for him Susie attended Indiana State has been instrumental in Susie was an integral will tell you that Steve was University where she earned turning out excellent offensive part of four different simply the best that RHS had her BS degree in 1981, her MS teams and outstanding running programs. As a volleyball to offer. Upon retirement this in 1985, and her doctorate in backs. As the offensive player, she was a first team All year, he will have coached and 1991. As a volleyball player coordinator for the 1987 state NLC player as well as the taught Biology at RHS for 40 for the Sycamores, Susie champions, Steve was credited Mental Attitude Award years. earned awards for Most with calling one of the best winner. In the first year of the As an athlete at Improved in 1978 and Mental offensive games in IHSAA girls tourney, the volleyball Rochester, Steve earned 14 Attitude Award winner in football playoff history. won the Sectional and varsity letters in football, 1980. Steve has two sons, participated in the finals of the basketball, track, and baseball. Susie is the daughter Danny (class of ’94) and Mike Regional. He was a conference and team of Richard Bair and Jeannette (class of ’99) and two As a basketball player, MVP in football and still holds Gooch. She currently lives in grandchildren. Steve will Susie was instrumental in the record for the most Amherst, New York and is the retire from teaching at the end leading the girls to a three year completed passes in one game Vice President of Buffalo of the 2009 school year but record of 53 wins and 4 losses. at 27. Steve was also selected State College. will continue to coach football The Zebras had two as the Most Valuable Player and work with our offensive undefeated regular seasons on the basketball and baseball and defensive backs. and two trips to the IHSAA teams during his senior year. Semi-State. Susie was first John Hill, Class of 1954 Jerry Knauff, Class of 1959 With John as a team to continue his career as a captain and leading the way in Bulldog representing Butler the dashes, the 1954 track University. After his team was reported to be one of freshmen year, Jerry the best ever. The Zebras won transferred to Southwestern the Rochester Relays and were University in Texas. champs in the very prestigious At Southwestern, Goshen Relays in 1954. In Jerry was named as a Small track John and his teammates College All American his set records in the 100 Dash, senior year. He averaged 20+ the 200 Dash, the 880 Relay, points and 10+ rebounds and After 55 years, you and the Mile Relay. He was a was named a team captain can still look up in the hallway three time CIC champion and during his senior year. a four time state qualifier in Jerry Knauff will tell Jerry’s father, Gerald, at RHS and see John Hill’s you that his fondest memories name as the 200 Meter record Track. John earned Bronze was a longtime Zebra fan and medals in the 100 yard dash are growing up in Rochester a fixture at all of the home holder for boy’s track. Back and representing RHS on the in 1954, John probably did not and the 220 yard dash in 1954. football and basketball games After graduation, John was basketball court under the as a ticket taker. The rebound even know what a meter watchful eye of Hall of Fame was…he did however travel timed at 9.8 in the 100 yard trophy has been sponsored by dash at the State AAU Coach Paul Rockwell. the Knauff family in memory 200 yards in 22.0 seconds flat As a young child, to make him one of the fastest championships. of Gerald. Upon graduation, John Jerry grew up with polio. He Jerry graduated with a Zebras in history! overcame this obstacle but did John was a three sport attended Purdue University BBA from Southwestern from 1954-1956. He earned not make the varsity University in 1964 and with a athlete at Rochester during his basketball team until his junior high school career. He played the three degrees from Ball law degree from South Texas State University before being year. During his senior year College of Law in 1966. Jerry basketball under Coach Bob of 1958-59, Jerry earned the Matthias and was a two year awarded his doctorate in continued to play basketball Educational Administration Most Valuable Player Award and earned a Gold Medal in varsity letter-winner. John for the Zebras. He was was a member of the 1950 from Ball State in 1983. the State of Texas Senior Dr. John Hill and his selected to the first team All Olympics. football team that was the first Central Indiana Conference since the depression years and wife, Carole Ann live in Jerry and his wife, Muncie. Their daughter is basketball team and earned the Mitzie, live in Cypress, Texas. he was a senior on the Central rebound trophy. He was also Indiana Conference champs Mrs. Christina Pippen. John They have five children, Jerry and Carole Anne have two named as one of the top 100 Knauff, Jr., Cary Overbey, (8-0-1) under Coach Bob players in the state of Indiana Matthias. That team finished grandchildren. Cathy Ahart, Lindsey Buerger, his senior year. and Lisa Cayton. the season with an 8-0-1 Jerry had many record. scholarship offers, but decided Brad McMillen, Class of 1989 Steve Ruckman, Class of 1989 and was chosen as the All Stater led his team to a Defensive Player of the Year conference championship. He in 1989. holds the RHS school record Brad and his of 50 points and the Peru gym classmates also excelled in the record with 52 points in a sport of baseball at RHS. game. Brad earned four varsity As good as he was at letters over his career that saw basketball and football, the Zebras earn 4 Sectional Steve’s greatest love was the baseball titles and 2 TRC baseball field. He was a four conference championships. year letter-winner and led the He was a team captain and an Zebras to four Sectional all conference baseball player. Many Zebra fans that baseball titles. He was all Brad McMillen is Brad completed his watched Steve Ruckman play conference three years and led remembered by most as the high school playing career, football, basketball, or the Zebras with a .511 batting quarterback that led the 1987 representing Rochester High baseball would argue that he average in 1989. Zebras to a 2A state title. School, as a member of the was the best-ever all around Steve was recruited to However, he was an North All Star team. Brad athlete to attend Rochester Indiana State to play outstanding three sport athlete started as defensive back in High School. His stats could basketball and baseball. After as well as one of the top the All Star game and helped easily support that argument. one year of basketball, Steve scholars in the class of 1989. his team to an easy victory As a football player, focused on the diamond. He As a quarterback, over the South squad. Steve was a remarkable was named as a Freshmen All Brad finished his career with Upon graduation from receiver, defensive back, American in l991 and was all 3,692 passing yards and 34 RHS, Brad attended Butler return man, and kicker/punter. Missouri Valley Conference in touchdowns. He won 27 University where he graduated He was a four year letter- 1993 and 1994. He holds the games in three years at with honors in 1993 with a BA winner and scored the winning Sycamore record for the quarterback and earned many in Spanish and International TD in the state championship highest fielding percentage at honors that included the Jim Studies. He later earned his game in 1987. He was all third base. Ballenger Award, First Team MBA from San Diego State conference, an MVP, an all Steve went on to play All TRC, Team Captain, and University in 2000.

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