Four alumni athletes–Beverly Greene Weston, Wendy Sweney, Shelby Cheses and Leah Levey Balay–as well as coach Scott Dempsey, were inducted into the Bexley Athletic Hall of Fame during a celebratory brunch Saturday, Sept. 20 in the high school gymnasium.
Wendy Sweney, Class of 1976, never lost a match in her four years playing tennis for the high school, finishing with a flawless 48–0 record in both singles and doubles competitions.
Sweney’s dominance came at a time when girls tennis was still fighting for recognition in Ohio, she said.
During her senior year, Sweney led Bexley to the inaugural Ohio High School Girls Tennis State Championship in 1976.
Sweney said her performance earned her a full tennis scholarship to Miami University. Sweney credits coach Steve Parsons at Columbus Indoor with inspiring her to embrace hard work.
Looking back, Sweney said tennis did not just provide her with triumphs but with direction.
“Most importantly, it helped me get a college scholarship,” she said. “Working hard at something makes life better, so if you have any kind of chance to play sports in any way in college, do it.”
Shelby Chese, Class of 1989, said the induction was a meaningful chance to reflect on her journey in tennis.
Cheses ended her high school career with a doubles state championship, which was a victory that came after several roadblocks during the postseason, she explained.
Cheses said overcoming those obstacles and finishing on top was one of her proudest achievements of her athletic career.
Tennis has remained in Cheses’s life well beyond her high school years. What started as a summer teaching job at Bexley Parks and Recreation grew into Cheses running the program herself, a role she has held for the past two decades, she explained.
Additionally, Cheses said she returned to Bexley as a coach in 2007, where she led the high school tennis program for 16 years.
Cheses’s advice for current athletes is to “go out there and have fun.”
“When you are out there on the court or field, give your all,” Cheses said. “You can learn so much about life through playing sports. The opportunities to build lasting relationships lie on the court. Take advantage of that.”
1983 Bexley graduate Scott Dempsey was honored for his impact as the girls soccer head coach from 1998 to 2010.
During Dempsey’s 18 years leading the program, he held a 224-24-34 record and led the team to 10 league championships, 12 district titles, eight regional crowns and a 2009 state title.
Dempsey said he could’ve never imagined receiving the honor as a student athlete in the 1980s and credited the many mentors who helped him along the way.
“I never thought of becoming a teacher and a coach until Bexley teachers like Nial Davis, RG Smith and our principal Donald Wynkoop encouraged me to begin following that path,” he said.
The encouragement from these Bexley educators shaped the course of his career, Dempsey said, and positively impacted the future of Bexley soccer.
Dempsey expressed pride from the work he did over nearly two decades to foster not just a competitive spirit, but also a sense of community.
“I look back on the 18 years I invested in our school, our soccer community and our soccer programs as a coach with incredible pride and gratitude for the opportunity to help change lives, develop tremendous people and raise the standard of excellence that Bexley soccer became,” he said.
With four generations of his family having resided in Bexley, Dempsey said he felt humbled to join the Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I am eternally proud of our accomplishments and of the recognition and success of our players, coaches and teams that will always be part of the Bexley soccer tradition,” he added.
Leah Levy Belay, Class of 2010, established herself as one of the top players in Bexley girls soccer history. A two-time first team All-State selection, Belay scored 27 goals her senior season and helped lead the Lions to the 2009 Division II state championship.
Belay said playing alongside her older sister for three years was the highlight of her career. More than anything, the team itself was what drove her forward, she added.
“We were such a close-knit team, and I was so motivated to do the best I could to not let my teammates down,” Belay said.
Her senior season, when Bexley went undefeated to win the state title, is still a favorite memory, Belay said.
“I still keep in touch with my teammates from high school,” she said. “It is a bond that is unlike any other.”
Beverly Greene Weston, Class of 1961, was one of the top female athletes at the high school during a period where athletic opportunities for girls were limited. She earned varsity letters in every competitive sport available and led her class team to four consecutive Sports Night basketball championships. Weston also served as a president of the Girls Athletic Club.
“I am so honored to be in the Hall of Fame, especially at my age,” she said.
Weston credited her father and Mrs. Love, her teacher and coach, for motivating her to compete. Her proudest memory was winning Sports Night basketball all four years, but she said she took away a much larger lesson.
“Playing sports taught me that whether you win or lose, the important thing is what you learn in the process,” Weston said.
Reflecting on how opportunities for athletes have expanded since her time at Bexley, Weston offered advice for current players.
“Play up to your abilities and get coaching if you need to excel and get a college education and scholarships,” Weston said.
Published and digitized October 2025.
