Class of 2023 

Class of 2023:  

Gage Steele 2012 – Athlete

Nicole King 2012 - Athlete

 Trey Kirkland 2007 – Athlete

 Tiffany Walker 2005 - Athlete

 Charles Sperry 1998 — Athlete

Mary Frances Bukva — Contributor

Gage Steele

Graduating Class of  2012

Athlete

Gage was a three-sport athlete who excelled in football, wrestling, and track & field. He was a four-year letter winner in Football & Track, and a one-year letter winner in wrestling.

In Football, Gage was an outstanding linebacker and running back. He rushed for 3,514 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career as a running back. On defense, he recorded 374 career tackles and three sacks leading the team in tackles each year.  He was voted captain and MVP for his final three years.   Gage was voted All-District and All-Region three times during his career both on offense and defense. In addition, he was recognized with Second Team Class AA All-State honors from VirginiaPreps.com, TV 3 Player of the Year, Northern Virginia Daily First Team All-Area at linebacker, and he ranked No. 81 among the top 100 players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times. He helped lead his team to two playoff appearances in football, including the Regional semifinals game his senior year.

In Track, Gage was a four year letter winner.  He still holds records in the 4x 100 relay and long jump. His personal best was 11.69 in the 100 meters, 24.47 in the 200 meters, and a record 21’ 4” in the long jump.

After graduation, Gage played Football at James Madison University.  He finished his career ranking 10th all-time in tackles (354).  He produced a pair of 100-tackle seasons, with 106 in 2013 and 104 in 2016. He served as team captain in 2015 & 2016, and he played a key part of the

 2016 National Championship team.

Quote from Gage: “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” – John Wooden

Nicole King

Graduating Class of 2012

Athlete

Nicole excelled in softball for the Wildcats. She was a four time letter winner and starting pitcher for the Wildcats. She was a four time All-District Pitcher, 2nd team 2009 and first team 2010-2012. She was a three time All-Region Pitcher 2010-2012.  Upon her graduation, she held the school records in: games, innings pitched,

complete games (78), shutouts (19), ERA (1.39), and wins (47). Her WCHS Strikeout record of 987 is 10th in the state of Virginia.

Nicole was Team MVP all four years for Softball.  She was WCHS most

outstanding female performer 2009-2010, WCHS most outstanding female athlete 2010-2011 and WCHS female performer of the year again in 2011-2012

After graduation she attended University of New Haven where she continued her softball career. She finished her career there with 44 wins (7th all time), 581 strikeouts (3rd all time), 531 innings (7th all time), and 111 appearances (2nd all time).

Richard “Trey” Kirkland

Graduating Class of  2007

Athlete 

Trey excelled in wrestling for the Wildcats. He was a four-year letter winner and two year MVP.  Trey was a three time District Champion, a two time Region Champion, and a four time state qualifier. In his 2006 year Trey reached the

Virginia State finals for Warren County and became a State Runner Up. In his senior year, he became a two time state place winner with his 3rd place finish at the state tournament.

As a senior he was selected 2nd team all Washington Metro Area and was selected as the WCHS Male Outstanding Performer.  Trey finished his

career with 146 career wins (1st all time), 100 career pins (2nd all time), 182 takedowns (2nd all time), and most wins in a season (41).  He had 9 career titles and in 2006 became a folk style All American at the NHSCA National tournament. Trey was a key part of the Wildcats District championship teams of 2004 and 2005.  While at WCHS

Trey had a 4.0 GPA and was a member of the National Honors Society. After 

graduation he 

attended University of Pembroke in North Carolina and continued his wrestling career.

Tiffany Walker

Graduating Class of 2005

Athlete

Tiffany was a three sport athlete who excelled in volleyball, basketball, and softball for the Wildcats.

In volleyball, Tiffany was a four-year letter winner, one-year team captain, one-year team MVP, and a member of the 2003 Northwestern District Championship Team. She was named 1st team All-District honors in 2003 and again in 2004. Upon graduating, she was 1st in total kills with 518. 

In basketball Tiffany was a three-year letter winner, one-year team MVP, a team captain, and named 1st team All-District honors in 2005. She participated in the 2005 Kelly Washington All Star Game. Upon graduating, she was the 5th leading scorer with 740 points.

In softball Tiffany was a four-year letter winner and named All-District

honors in 2005. She served as team captain and earned the 2005 WCHS Impact Player of the Year award. Her senior year she was named WCHS Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year and WCHS Most Outstanding Female Performer of the Year.

After graduation she attended Ferrum College and continued her Volleyball Career. Tiffany earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pre-Professional Science from Ferrum College in 2009.

Quote from Tiffany: “Talent is God Given. Be Humble. Fame is Man-Given. Be Grateful. Conceit is Self-Given. Be Careful. Always strive to be a Game Changer throughout everything you do in life.”

Charles “Chuckie” Sperry

Graduating Class of 1998

Athlete

Chuckie excelled in football and wrestling for the Wildcats. In wrestling, he was a two time District Champion, two time Region Champion, and a two time state place winner. He placed 5th in the state in 1997 and 6th in the state in 1998.  He finished his career with a record 34 wins in a season,

8 career titles and had Warren County’s first ever 100 win career season (106 wins). In 1998 he was honored with wrestling’s Most Valuable Wrestler Award.  

In Football, he was an outstanding running back and linebacker. He finished his career with 3000 all-purpose yards, 300 career tackles, 9 interceptions, and 22 career touchdowns. In 1997 & 1998 Chuckie was voted Most

Valuable Player on the Football team.  Along with all these accolades he was Chosen as “Who’s Who Among American High School Athletes” in 1997.   After graduation he attended Shenandoah University where he continued his football career.

Quote from Chuckie: “"Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you 

espond to it."

Mary Frances Bukva

Contributor

Mary Frances Bukva, a 1968 graduate of Warren County High School, had never played sports until she attended Longwood College.  While at Longwood, she played intramural volleyball and field hockey and varsity fencing.  She excelled in fencing, becoming a captain, and placed in numerous college tournaments including winning the Virginia State Women’s Foil Championship in 1971.  In 1972 she was inaugurated into the Outstanding College Athletes of America Hall of Fame. After college, she returned to Warren County as a physical education teacher where she coached middle school basketball, volleyball and track & field.  She served as a teacher and administrator in the county for 48 years. During that span of time, she was honored by the Chamber of Commerce in 1992 as Educator of the Year, the Warren County Public School System as Secondary Teacher of the Year in 1996, and the Rotary Club in 2003 for Excellence in Education.  She served the WCHS athletic department in a number of different ways including serving as secretary of the booster club and working as a ticket taker for football, volleyball, basketball, and wrestling.  She is the “voice of the softball team” serving as the announcer and score person for over a decade. There isn’t a single athletic season where you do not see Ms. B cheering for the Wildcats!   Upon her retirement in 2021, Warren County High School honored her service by creating the Mary Frances B. Bukva, “Ms. B,” Scholarship given to a senior who best exemplified what it means to be a Wildcat, because Ms. B is, and always will be, maroon and white.

Quote from Mrs Bukva: Faith tells us that no matter what lies ahead of us, God is already there!