Columbus Dispatch's 2021 Scholar Athlete section

INSIDE 2021 a time to count blessings and lessons. 3 Meet the 204 scholar-athletes selected by their schools. 4-13 Q&A’s with the 24 scholarship and award winners. 14-41 Team of the Year. 43 Scholar-athletes reflect on their high school experiences.

44-46

2S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WE SALUTE THE

DISPATCH SCHOLAR ATHLETES Proud sponsor of the 2021 Dispatch Scholar Athlete Awards This has been a remarkable year, and our graduating scholar athletes have shown remarkable poise. Thank you for representing the attitudes we need most today: Commitment, perseverance, resilience and gratitude.

Wherever the future takes you, we’ll be cheering you on. And when you need help reaching your next goal, we’ve got your back.

Every athlete, every sport, every day.

OhioHealth 24/7 Sports Medicine Hotline 1 (844) 360-GAME (4263) OhioHealth.com/SportsMedicine © OhioHealth Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. FY21-456674. 05/21.

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 3S

2021 a time to count blessings and lessons Ray Stein Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

A 2020-21 school year that began with high school student-athletes facing their toughest opponent yet ended with seniors getting some measure of revenge — and learning a lot about themselves in the process.

The fi ght against COVID-19 is far from over, for student-athletes as well as their immediate and extended families. But the way the school year fi nished surely off ers hope for optimism compared with how it began, with virtual classes and the global pandemic threatening to cancel sports seasons as it had mercilessly done in spring 2020.

“It was extremely hard not knowing if we would have a senior year for sports,” Central Crossing’s Tristen Needham said. “We worked our whole lives for this year. So to be able to lace up our cleats and shoes and get to play was the greatest feeling in the world.”

Needham is one of 204 seniors selected by his school as part of the Dispatch and Encova Insurance ScholarAthlete Awards program, which each year recognizes the top student-ath-

letes throughout central Ohio.

A football, basketball and academic standout at Central Crossing, Needham was among the many honored scholarathletes who focused on the positive nature of the year-long experience rather than the frenetic, stressful early months, when uncertainty and frustration reigned about whether athletics would be contested.

As it turned out, some seasons were delayed and/or shortened, and safety precautions demanded that some pro-

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

ABOUT THE AWARDS

Introduced in 1982, the Dispatch and Encova Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards annually honor the best and brightest high school students in central Ohio.

The selection process

In March, The Dispatch mailed forms to 117 area schools, asking administrators to nominate two seniors — one female and one male — as their institution’s top scholar-athletes to vie for $71,000 in scholarships.

These scholarships are funded by Encova, OhioHealth, Battelle and the family of Capt. Warren B. Sneed. In lieu of the Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet, canceled in 2021 because of ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, awards were announced on June 12 on WBNS-TV (Channel 10).

This year, 204 scholar-athletes from 108 participating schools were honored. Each received a “celebration box” containing banners, posters, medals and other material from program sponsors.

Some sports had to move their state tournaments to smaller venues, including wrestling. The Division I state meet was at Hilliard Darby.

BARBARA J. PERENIC/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

All nominees were eligible for all awards, though students with full-ride scholarships are not eligible for financial awards. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges from The Dispatch, who considered academic and athletic performance, school leadership, community service and other criteria.

Sponsored awards • The John J. Bishop Awards, presented

by Encova Insurance, are presented to a top male and top female scholar-athlete who have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills within their schools.

Warren B. Sneed

• The Capt. Warren B. Sneed Memorial Scholarship is presented on behalf of the 1991 Dispatch scholar-athlete from Circleville High School who died in November 2000 in a military

tocols change because of COVID, but state championships were held in all sports.

“It didn’t matter how many fans were there, it didn’t matter if we had to wear masks. All that mattered was that we got one more chance to go play the games we love,” Needham said.

Along the way, seniors began to see themselves in a diff erent light. They focused on their roles as leaders in their schools and helped pull classmates and teammates through diffi cult circumstances.

“There have been plenty of things to complain about and used to give excuses, but it is up to the leaders to act and speak positively in a way that increases optimism and hopefulness,” Hartley senior Caroline Berger said.

In that quest, the seniors leaned on many others — from peers to adults — to help them navigate new challenges.

“Although there were a lot of roadblocks that could have held us back, my coaches encouraged my teammates and me to seize the opportunities instead of focusing on the struggles,” said Noel Frye of Olentangy Orange.

Many scholar-athletes even surprised themselves with what they dis-

covered they could do.

“I learned that I can multitask with keeping my grades up while still doing extracurricular activities,” Miffl in’s Kyah Mitchell said.

Sydni Cunningham of Utica added, “I learned that I am much more resilient than I had ever thought. I overcame the hardships and still managed to have an amazing senior year!”

Such newfound knowledge is bound to come in handy in college, where some youngsters struggle adjusting to a more competitive atmosphere. The right frame of mind, they said, can make all the diff erence.

“I learned that my mentality has a huge eff ect on what I can accomplish,” said Autymn Briggs of Westerville North. “Once I started to tell myself that I can do something — in track, dance, cheer or academically — my performance improved greatly.”

In the end, the seniors of the Class of 2021 will relish the memories they made, as well as the lessons they learned.

“We will all remember the unconventional school year we had,” said Luke Twiss of Canal Winchester. “It will shape us all into better people.”

accident over the Sea of Japan. The award has been presented annually since 2001.

photographer Maddie Schroeder. Portraits were taken at a location deemed meaningful to the scholar-athlete. The Dispatch would like to thank and acknowledge all of the schools and their administrators who accommodated our requests, as well as The Lakes Golf and Country Club, Schneider’s Bakery, Ten Pin Alley, Pinnacle Golf Club and Tennis Ohio.

• The OhioHealth Perseverance Award is presented to a top scholar-athlete who has persevered over illnesses and/or injuries and/or dealt with major life challenges. The student is honored for his or her determination and courage in how he or she has overcome adversity.

• The Battelle STEM Award is presented to a top scholar-athlete who exemplifies outstanding achievement in science, technology, engineering and math. Researchers and scientists rely on their STEM expertise to drive innovation and solve the world’s most difficult challenges.

Photography All scholarship winners’ portraits were taken by Dispatch staff photographers, including Joshua Bickel, Adam Cairns, Courtney Hergesheimer, Kyle Robertson and Fred Squillante, as well as freelance

Q&As All question-and-answer interviews with scholarship and award winners were conducted, compiled and edited by Ray Stein, Dispatch sports editor emeritus.

More online For expanded Q&As with award winners and full survey responses, see dispatch.com/scholarathletes

Contact us If you have a question or comment about the special section, or The Dispatch’s scholar-athlete program, contact: Ray Stein .................. rstein195@gmail.com

4S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

AFRICENTRIC

Lyric Ransom (4.12) Basketball (4 years), volleyball (4), softball (1)

Landymn Steele (3.72) Football (4 years), bowling (4), baseball (3), track (2)

BIG WALNUT

Allyson Truax

(4.3) Softball (4 years)

Charles Jaeger (4.41) Swimming (4 years), tennis (3)

CARDINGTON

Kyleigh Bonnette

(4.17) Volleyball (4 years), cheerleading (2)

Trey Brininger

(4.13) Football (4 years), basketball (4), baseball (4)

COLUMBUS ACADEMY

Regan Cornelius

(4.13) Field hockey (4 years), cross country (4), track (4)

Brady Hess

(3.89) Football (4 years), baseball (4), basketball (4)

AMANDA-CLEARCREEK

Stephanie Bowers

(4.34) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4)

Timothy Smith

(3.9) Football (4 years), wrestling (2), track (2)

BLOOM-CARROLL

Carley Bryant

(3.95) Softball (4 years), volleyball (3), basketball (3)

Monty Lobb

(4.06) Golf (4 years), basketball (4)

CENTENNIAL

Jacob Barnes

(3.88) Football (4 years), swimming (4), baseball (4), wrestling (2)

COLUMBUS SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Eva Nicolosi

(3.97) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4), softball (2), track (1)

BEECHCROFT

Ta’Aliyah Palmer

(4.0) Bowling (4 years), track (4), cheerleading (4), volleyball (3)

Muhammad Ali Kobo

(4.14) Basketball (4 years)

Tyler Barbee

(3.83) Football (4 years), volleyball (4)

CENTERBURG

Rebecca Scholl (3.86) Cross country (4 years), basketball (4), track (4)

Benjamin Riegel

(3.97) Football (4 years), track (3)

DANVILLE

Maddelyn Wine

(3.87) Softball (4 years), volleyball (2)

Sydney Miller (4.15) Basketball (4 years), track (3), softball (1)

(3.56) Football (4 years), track (3), wrestling (1), basketball (1)

BRIGGS

Tatum Thomas

BERNE UNION

Preston Brady

(3.29) Baseball (3 years), wrestling (2), football (2)

BUCKEYE VALLEY

Chloe Dawson (4.19) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Jacob Chang

(4.31) Tennis (4 years), cross country (3)

CENTRAL CROSSING

Sydney McCullough (3.73) Basketball (2 years), soccer (1)

Tristen Needham

(3.95) Football (3 years), basketball (3)

DELAWARE

Brynn McGrail (4.33) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Ryan Smudz (4.12) Basketball (4 years), lacrosse (3)

BEXLEY

Brooke Cowan

(4.64) Soccer (4 years), track (2)

Elliot Roe

(4.65) Cross country (4 years), track (3)

CANAL WINCHESTER

Allena Klamorick

(4.13) Cross country (4 years), track (4), swimming (2)

Luke Twiss

(3.82) Football (4 years), basketball (3), tennis (1)

CIRCLEVILLE

Kenzie McConnell

(4.45) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4), softball (3)

Adam Cunningham

(4.34) Soccer (4 years), baseball (2)

DELAWARE CHRISTIAN

Elizabeth Ringley

(3.99) Basketball (4 years), volleyball (4), softball (4)

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 5S

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6S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

DESALES

Haley Weis

(4.13) Soccer (2 years), track (1)

Noah Garrick (4.14) Volleyball (3 years), basketball (2), baseball (1)

EAST KNOX

Emily Opfer

(4.25) Track (4 years), volleyball (2), basketball (1)

Hunter Keller (4.3) Cross country (4 years), track (1), baseball (1)

FAIRFIELD UNION

Olivia Spillers (4.0) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4), track (4)

Ryan Magill (3.96) Basketball (4 years)

GRANDVIEW

Tayler Pierce

(3.89) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4), track (2)

Derek Amicon (4.27) Cross country (4 years), track (4), basketball (1)

DUBLIN COFFMAN

Ellie Andrews (4.15) Swimming (4 years)

Nash Hostetler (4.3) Basketball (4 years), baseball (2)

EASTMOOR ACADEMY

Haley Warren (4.25) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (3), softball (2)

Joshua Myers

(3.97) Football (4 years), baseball (2)

FISHER CATHOLIC

Natalie Boyden (3.73) Cross country (4 years), track (4), soccer (4), basketball (1)

Aiden Jackson (4.0) Cross country (4 years), track (4), baseball (2), basketball (1)

GRANVILLE

Ella Rogers

(4.02) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4)

Michael Donelan

(4.12) Football (2 years), swimming (2), track (1)

DUBLIN JEROME

Andrew Bartsch

Sudiksha Pelluru

(4.47) Tennis (4 years)

(4.28) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

ELGIN

Amber Roth

(5.2) Softball (4 years), swimming (4), volleyball (2)

Brett Gubernath

(4.2) Cross country (4 years), track (4), swimming (2)

FRANKLIN HEIGHTS

Emily Wood

(3.62) Softball (4 years), soccer (2), basketball (1)

Deven Dean

(3.53) Track (3 years), cross country (1)

GROVE CITY

Elizabeth Saur (4.58) Golf (4 years)

Jeremiah Bane (3.88) Golf (4 years), basketball (3)

DUBLIN SCIOTO

Audrey Bannister

(4.4) Cross country (4 years), track (3)

Garrett Mielke (4.51) Lacrosse (4 years), basketball (3)

FAIRBANKS

Amelia Cameron

(4.35) Cross country (4 years), track (3), basketball (1)

(3.96) Track (3 years), cross country (1), volleyball (1)

(4.43) Soccer (4 years), track (3), basketball (1)

Titus Krabill (3.96) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

GROVE CITY CHRISTIAN

Taylor Rice

(3.95) Volleyball (4 years), cheerleading (4), track (3)

Kiasia Agbohla-Swann (2.95) Basketball (3 years), volleyball (3)

Joseph Phillips (4.2) Baseball (4 years), football (2), basketball (1)

Timaine Hill

(3.74) Bowling (3 years)

FAIRFIELD CHRISTIAN

Margaret Roberts

Jeremy Ziegler

FREDERICKTOWN

Kelly Sapp

EAST

(3.99) Cross country (4 years), track (2)

GAHANNA

Megan Massmann

(4.49) Track (4 years), volleyball (3), cross country (2)

Ryan Amer

(4.29) Cross country (4 years), track (2)

GROVEPORT

Casey Humphrey (3.54) Basketball (4 years), track (2), tennis (1)

John Motton III

(3.47) Football (4 years), track (4), basketball (2)

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8S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP

Kirsten Offenbaker

(3.83) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Cael Shaw (3.76) Swimming (4 years), soccer (4), tennis (1)

HILLIARD BRADLEY

Callie Hribar (4.78) Golf (4 years), bowling (4), track (2)

Luke Miller

(4.44) Tennis (4 years)

JOHNSTOWN

Ashley Villa

(4.56) Track (4 years), basketball (2)

AJ Zink

(3.95) Lacrosse (3 years), hockey (3)

LIBERTY UNION

Reagan Farmer (4.44) Softball (4 years)

Denver Kosch (4.23) Wrestling (4 years), football (3), track (3)

HARTLEY

Caroline Berger (4.0) Golf (4 years), softball (2)

Declan O’Brien

(3.98) Soccer (4 years)

HILLIARD DARBY

Mackenzie Hessick

(4.76) Soccer (4 years), basketball (1)

Sean Carney (4.11) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

JONATHAN ALDER

Elaina Winslow (4.0) Soccer (4 years), track (4)

Riley Woods

(4.0) Tennis (4 years)

LICKING HEIGHTS

Madison Werling

(4.14) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4), softball (2)

HARVEST PREP

Kammy Gichoya (4.45) Softball (4 years), volleyball (4)

HILLIARD DAVIDSON

Grace Royer (4.81) Basketball (4 years), soccer (4), lacrosse (2)

Nathan Gilbert

(4.62) Cross country (4 years), track (2)

KIPP COLUMBUS

Kiara Rahmaan (3.73) Cheerleading (4 years)

LICKING VALLEY

Alexa Thomas (4.26) Basketball (4 years), volleyball (3), track (2)

Benjamin Kozlowski (4.97) Lacrosse (4 years), football (2)

HEATH

Shelby Flynn (4.74) Basketball (4 years), softball (4), volleyball (4), track (1)

Hayden Wiley

(4.69) Football (4 years), basketball (4), track (3)

INDEPENDENCE

Kapri Dawkins (3.59) Volleyball (4 years), track (4)

Orlando Jones

(2.6) Football (4 years), track (2), baseball (1), basketball (1), bowling (1)

LAKEWOOD

Riley Jones

(4.26) Track (4 years), tennis (2)

Cade Williamson

(4.23) Baseball (4 years), cross country (4)

LINDEN

Taylor McMichael (3.86) Basketball (4 years), softball (1)

Shamarion Rogers (3.12) Basketball (4 years), football (2)

HIGHLAND

Peyton Carpenter

(4.0) Track (4 years), basketball (4), soccer (3), volleyball (1)

Owen Mott

(3.72) Golf (4 years), baseball (4)

INTERNATIONAL

Natalee Kimes (3.71) Volleyball (4 years), softball (3), basketball (1)

Coleman King (3.34) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

LANCASTER

Grace Parrett

(4.48) Cross country (3 years), track (3)

Jacob Reed (4.54) Wrestling (4 years)

LOGAN ELM

Riley Schultz

(3.8) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4), track (2), softball (1)

Isaac Ward (4.15) Basketball (4 years)

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10S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

LONDON

Elli Trimble

(3.94) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4), softball (4)

Ashton Wolford (4.34) Soccer (4 years), track (4)

MIFFLIN

Kyah Mitchell

(3.64) Track (3 years), basketball (1), cheerleading (4)

Kendrick Frempong

(3.72) Basketball (4), cross country (3), tennis (2), track (1), football (1)

NEWARK CATHOLIC

Brynn Peddicord

(3.96) Basketball (4 years), volleyball (4)

Pierce Ormond (4.0) Cross country (4 years), track (4), basketball (2)

OLENTANGY

Olivia DiGiovine (4.24) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Caleb Gossett

(4.13) Football (4 years), basketball (3)

MADISON PLAINS

Cidny Long (3.89) Volleyball (4 years), softball (4)

Corey Cress

(3.79) Football (4 years), baseball (4)

MOUNT GILEAD

Allison Johnson (4.36) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Andrew Williamson (3.9) Wrestling (4 years), football (4)

NORTH UNION

Jordyn Hoffman

(4.0) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4)

Caleb Isler

(3.98) Wrestling (4 years), track (4), cross country (2), football (2)

OLENTANGY BERLIN

Maia Crumb

(4.0) Softball (3 years), wrestling (2)

Austin Corley (4.2) Basketball (4 years), soccer (4)

MARION-FRANKLIN

Rachel Jared

(3.99) Softball (4 years), volleyball (4)

Rickey Anderson

(3.24) Football (4 years)

MOUNT VERNON

Alexis Rapp

(4.46) Soccer (4 years), track (1)

Ethan Laslo

(4.09) Football (4 years), baseball (4)

NORTHLAND

Fatima HendersonBernard

(3.5) Cross country (3 years), track (3)

Shemar Watson

(3.0) Football (4 years), basketball (4), track (2)

OLENTANGY LIBERTY

Logan Flaugh (4.16) Volleyball (4 years)

Jayce Fitzpatrick (4.12) Wrestling (4 years), lacrosse (2)

MARION HARDING

Nicole Flock

(3.86) Tennis (4 years), basketball (4), track (3)

Owen Russell

(3.42) Soccer (4 years)

NEW ALBANY

Madison Spiess (4.36) Golf (4 years), tennis (3)

Jakob Bering

(4.3) Soccer (4 years), track (1)

NORTHMOR

Megan Adkins

(3.67) Softball (4 years), volleyball (4), basketball (1)

Austin Hammond

(3.51) Football (4 years), track (3)

OLENTANGY ORANGE

Noel Frye

(4.09) Cross country (4 years), track (4), wrestling (2)

Austin Knupp (4.17) Baseball (4 years), hockey (2)

MARYSVILLE

Katherine Krueger

(4.32) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

Sean Richardson

(4.34) Soccer (4 years), tennis (4)

NEWARK

Summer Sands (4.36) Soccer (4 years)

Carl Anderson

(4.18) Tennis (3 years), soccer (1)

NORTHRIDGE

Abbigail Beyer

(4.3) Track (3 years), volleyball (2), basketball (2), cross country (1), softball (1)

Aidan Isler (4.41) Basketball (4 years), track (4), football (3)

PICKERINGTON CENTRAL

Grace Vega

(4.59) Cross country (4 years), track (3), softball (1)

Brady Phelps

(4.6) Tennis (4 years)

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12S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

PICKERINGTON NORTH

Kara Thomas

(4.3) Soccer (4 years), track (2)

Tyce Neu

(4.12) Football (2 years), wrestling (2)

SHEKINAH CHRISTIAN

Sydney Lyons (4.06) Volleyball (4 years)

TREE OF LIFE

Hannah York

(4.09) Soccer (4 years), basketball (1), cheerleading (1)

Nathan Stechschulte

(4.19) Soccer (4 years), basketball (2)

WATTERSON

Grace Jenkins

(4.28) Soccer (4 years), softball (2), track (1)

Andrew Bettendorf

(4.02) Lacrosse (4 years), football (4), basketball (1)

PLEASANT

Sydney James (3.85) Swimming (3 years), volleyball (2), basketball (1)

Austin Shaffer

(3.91) Football (4 years), basketball (4), track (2)

SOUTH

Princess Dweh (3.72) Tennis (3 years), softball (2), cheerleading (2)

READY

Catherine Wolfe (3.97) Softball (4 years), basketball (2), volleyball (1)

(4.3) Swimming (4 years), water polo (3), golf (1)

Ronmell Robinson

(2.9) Football (4 years), basketball (3), track (1)

Reece Yakubov (4.12) Tennis (4 years), golf (4)

Avery Voss

(4.4) Swimming (4 years), water polo (4)

UTICA

Sydni Cunningham (4.12) Volleyball (4 years)

WELLINGTON

Christine Cooke (3.98) Soccer (4 years), swimming (3), basketball (1)

(3.83) Soccer (4 years), football (1), tennis (1)

ST. CHARLES

UPPER ARLINGTON

Lydia Muldoon

Elias Wahl

Heath Thomas (3.77) Swimming (4 years)

Jarrett Pfi ster

(4.25) Basketball (4 years), cross country (4), baseball (3), track (1)

WEST

Fatuma Mohamed

(3.81) Volleyball (4 years), softball (4), basketball (2), soccer (1)

Amer’ Hutchinson

(3.0) Football (4 years), track (4), basketball (3)

REYNOLDSBURG

Cassidy Collins (4.14) Soccer (4 years), basketball (3)

Natanas Gaver (4.02) Swimming (4 years), soccer (2)

TEAYS VALLEY

Karoline Pees (5.22) Cross country (4 years), track (4), swimming (1)

Carson Weiss

(3.35) Wrestling (4 years), track (4), cross country (2)

WALNUT RIDGE

Nevaeh Reaves

(3.79) Basketball (4 years), cross country (3), track (3)

Darron Brown

(3.52) Football (4 years), basketball (4), baseball (2)

WEST JEFFERSON

Vanessa Peshko (4.0) Volleyball (4 years), track (2), tennis (1)

Korbin Keith

(3.95) Football (4 years), baseball (2), basketball (1)

RIVER VALLEY

Mindi Klaus

(4.0) Volleyball (4 years), cheerleading (4), track (1)

Carson Bollinger

(4.0) Soccer (4 years), tennis (4)

THOMAS WORTHINGTON

Jazmine Rogers (3.99) Track (4 years), soccer (3)

Victor Nash

(4.39) Cross country (4 years), track (4)

WATKINS MEMORIAL

Lillia Walter

(4.15) Tennis (4 years), basketball (4)

Jeff Cameron

(4.04) Wrestling (4 years), cross country (1)

WESTERVILLE CENTRAL

Ashley Hockstok

(4.43) Cross country (4 years), track (4), swimming (3)

Josh Qian

(4.79) Golf (4 years), tennis (1)

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 13S

WESTERVILLE NORTH

Autymn Briggs (4.4) Track (4 years), cheerleading (1)

Brennan Albertini

(3.63) Football (4 years), baseball (4), wrestling (3)

WESTFALL

Kylee Henry

(4.0) Cross country (4 years), soccer (4), basketball (4), softball (4)

WHETSTONE

Macy Staggs (4.37) Volleyball (4 years), basketball (1)

Dominic Panzo

(4.34) Baseball (4 years)

WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN

WESTERVILLE SOUTH

Taylor Hughes (4.5) Cross country (4 years), track (4), bowling (4)

Peter Pedrozo

(4.67) Football (4 years), basketball (4)

WESTLAND

Sofi a Rodriguez (3.58) Volleyball (4 years), track (4)

Take a listen to The Dispatch A wide variety of podcasts are available to stream or download in your preferred podcasting app. Check them out!

Political news and insight from the public affairs staff of The Columbus Dispatch.

Hear the latest interviews from news-makers, politicians, artists and musicians.

An audio story about fraternity hazing and the life and death of Collin Wiant, an 18-yearold student at Ohio University.

A weekly podcast on Ohio State football featuring Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman and Rob Oller.

Get Dispatch headlines, along with the latest news and updates from central Ohio and beyond, every morning.

Drew Curtiss

(3.52) Baseball (4 years)

WHITEHALL

Kylie Brown

A project on the Linden community, exploring where it’s been and where it’s going.

(3.73) Volleyball (4 years), softball (4)

WORTHINGTON KILBOURNE

Discussions of important cultural and social issues relating to race, culture, gender and equality.

A weekly podcast on Ohio State basketball featuring Adam Jardy.

A roundtable discussion on the Blue Jackets with reporter Brian Hedger and columnist Michael Arace.

A podcast about the Crew with reporter Jacob Myers, columnist Michael Arace and photographer Kyle Robertson.

dispatch.com/podcasts Katherine Weakley (3.94) Basketball (4 years)

Tyler Kindberg (3.96) Soccer (4 years), basketball (4), track (1)

Lauren Richner (4.36) Swimming (4 years), water polo (4), track (4)

Mitchell Tomasek

(3.3) Football (3 years), basketball (3)

14S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

TOP FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Regan Cornelius

$7,500 Encova Insurance Columbus Academy Grade-point average: 4.13 Sports played: Field hockey (4 years), cross country (4), track (4) Academic highlights: AP Scholar; six-time Academic All-Ohio; scored 32 on ACT Athletic highlights: Four-time allstate, two-time all-America and member of two state championship teams in fi eld hockey; three-time state qualifi er in cross country; two-time all-state in track College choice: Northwestern (anticipated major: cognitive science, premed track) Photo location: The fi eld hockey fi eld at Academy is where I spent much time developing my skills and creating memories I cherish with my team.

Home front: My parents are Gretchen and Patrick Cornelius, and I have two sisters: Lydia is 20 and Paige is 15.

Favorite subject: Either English or biology. I love reading and writing, and learning about how diff erent things live and grow has always fascinated me.

Least-favorite subject: Calculus! I don’t do well with problems that have only one answer or aren’t open to interpretation.

Prized possession: My running watch! I almost never take it off , even on occasions I defi nitely should. I hate being late and it helps log all of my workouts and steps.

Favorite book: “The Chosen,” by Chaim Potok. It’s a beautiful story about the power of friendship and following your own path in life, regardless of ex-

JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

pectations.

Favorite movie: “Collateral Beauty” shows how there is always a bit of a happy ending if you choose to look for it.

Favorite television show: “Criminal Minds”. I like trying to solve the cases along with the team.

Favorite musicians: The Young Wild. Their music can be both incredibly soothing and a great pump up!

Favorite animal: Hummingbirds are always fun to watch fl ying around in the summer. They seem so cheerful.

Essential app: Snapchat. I’m horrible at keeping streaks but I always text and call people on it.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Cheese ravioli and a Caesar salad, which my mom makes.

My cooking specialty: Alfredo pasta with crispy mushrooms, though I’m really more of a baker.

Favorite restaurant: Either The

Melting Pot or TAT. I’m a sucker for their homemade pasta.

Guilty pleasure: Baking cake-batter macarons.

Proudest sports moment: Competing in the state meet for cross country, then heading straight to state fi nals for fi eld hockey and scoring the winning goal in my junior year.

Sport I’d like to try: Ice hockey. I used to fi gure skate, so it seems like a perfect combination!

Story behind my uniform number: I wear No. 6, which is the number a family friend and former CA and Northwestern fi eld hockey player Charlotte Vaziri wore.

Favorite athlete: Serena Williams.

I’ve grown up watching her play, and her perseverance and tenacity has always amazed me.

Inspiration: My parents have emphasized the value of hard work and led

through example my whole life.

Dream job: Working as a physician with Doctors Without Borders.

I’d sell this in my store: Books! I’m always looking for new things to read.

Place I’d like to travel: Either Venice or Florence, Italy. I took Latin and ended up falling in love with the history, art and culture of the regions.

Something most people don’t know about me: I can jump rope while on a pogo stick.

Least-favorite household chore: Vacuuming. The cords are always such a hassle.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: True, unfortunately for my friends’ ears.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Whistling Words to leave by: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” — Randy Pausch

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 15S

SPONSOR FEATURE

Supporting our future leaders through the Scholar Athlete Awards Encova Insurance believes that leadership is more than a position – it’s a behavior, focused less on what you do and more on how you do it. They encourage leadership in their associates, and Encova is proud to support community members who work to become better leaders every day. The alignment with the Scholar Athlete Awards’ goal of recognizing students who excel as leaders in their respective sport, classroom and communities is why Encova supports The Columbus Dispatch and the Encova Insurance Scholar Athlete Awards. Since 2007, Encova has contributed more than $720,000 in scholarships to support the education of hundreds of college students.

“The Scholar Athlete Award Finalists were selected not just because of their outstanding athleticism, but because they took the lessons they learned from sports and applied them to accomplish academic excellence and genuine care for their community,” Encova President and CEO TJ Obrokta Jr. said. “The promise of these young leaders makes our team at Encova excited for the future.”

Each year, athletic directors, principals and guidance staff at more than 100 Central Ohio high schools nominate students who embody the ideals of scholar athletes. These students have gone on to study at universities close to home, such as The Ohio State University, and throughout the country at schools such as Harvard University and Vanderbilt University.

This year, Encova will award $60,000 in scholarships to 10 graduating seniors. Two of the scholarships honor John J. Bishop, former president and CEO of Motorists Insurance Group, now Encova Insurance. The John J. Bishop scholarships award $8,500 to one male and one female athlete.

“While we aren’t able to honor the Scholar Athlete Awards Finalists in person this year, we’re grateful for all they do to make our neighborhood a better place,” Obrokta said.

“We know their impact will continue through college and beyond.”

Encova’s mission is to exceed the expectations of their policyholders, appointed agents and associates by being the most trusted and responsive provider of industry-leading insurance solutions.

“We live out our mission by building trusting and caring relationships with our agents, policyholders and communities,” Obrokta said.

“Our associates generously give back to the community through countless volunteer hours and personal financial contributions to charities Encova supports. From Ronald McDonald House to the Scholar Athlete Awards to more than 100 individual charities across our geographic footprint, our goal is to leave a permanent mark where we live and work.”

Encova scholarship winners (clockwise from top left): Regan Cornelius (Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch photo); Josh Qian (Fred Squillante/Dispatch photo); Haley Warren (Courtney Hergesheimer photo); Landymn Steele (Kyle Robertson/Dispatch photo)

ABOUT ENCOVA INSURANCE Encova Insurance provides commercial, auto, home and life insurance. A super-regional carrier ranked in the top 20 mutual insurance companies in the United States, Encova includes more than 1,200 associates writing in 28 states and the District of Columbia, premiums in excess of $1 billion, a surplus in excess of $1.77 billion and assets in excess of $4.3 billion. The group markets insurance solutions through more than 2,000 independent agencies in the Midwest, Northeast and South.

“The Scholar Athlete Awards finalists have been selected not just because of their outstanding athleticism, but because they’ve taken the lessons they’ve learned from sports and applied them to accomplish academic excellence and genuine care for their community.”

— TJ Obrokta, Jr., Encova President and CEO

16S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

TOP MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Josh Qian $7,500 Encova Insurance Westerville Central Grade-point average: 4.79 (1)

Sports played: Golf (4 years), tennis

Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Distinction; National Merit Commended Scholar; scored 1480 on SAT Athletic highlights: Two-time allstate, three-time all-district, four-time all-league and two-time league player of the year in golf College choice: Emory University (anticipated major: economics) Photo location: I chose The Lakes Golf and Country Club. I began playing golf when I was 6 years old, and the game has played an incredible role in my life, so it is only right to do it at a golf course.

Home front: My father is Tony Qian, my mother is Sherry Yan, and I have a 31-year-old sister, Jenny.

Favorite subject: Mathematics, because I love working with numbers and fi nding the right answer.

Least-favorite subject: English, because there are a million ways to get the “right” answer. That makes it confusing at times, but I also enjoy that aspect.

Prized possession: My driver, because that is my money maker. I’ve been using a Ping driver for the past few years. Right now I have the G425 model.

Favorite book: “The Great Gatsby,”

by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The plot is interesting and it teaches a good lesson to appreciate what you have.

Favorite movie: “Molly’s Game,” because I am interested in poker and because Molly Bloom continues to persevere despite all the adversity she faces.

Favorite television show: “America’s Worst Cooks” is entertaining and makes me feel better about myself.

FRED SQUILLANTE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite musician: Luke Combs.

Country music is the best thing to listen to on the golf course.

Favorite animal: Panda bears are cute and playful. I've never seen a panda in person but I love watching videos of them online.

Essential app: Snapchat, which is mostly how I stay in touch with my friends.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Meatballs, made by my dad. He puts an Asian twist on them, but I can’t give away his secrets.

My cooking specialty: I’m not a good cook at all, but my favorite thing to make is ramen.

Favorite restaurant: Texas Roadhouse, where I always get the 6-ounce sirloin steak and grilled shrimp.

Guilty pleasure: I always enjoy a good cheat meal every now and then.

With graduation party season, it seems

every meal is a cheat meal. Otherwise, I love Raising Cane’s and doughnuts.

Proudest sports moment: Winning a playoff to qualify for the Division I state golf meet during my junior year.

Sport I’d like to try: Polo or croquet.

Hitting balls with mallets really interests me and doing it on horseback just sounds even better!

Favorite athlete: Tiger Woods embodies what it means to be a true champion.

Inspiration: Tiger Woods inspires me because despite all the setbacks he has faced he still continues to prove why he is the greatest to ever play golf. It’s hard to say whether he can win again.

He has some very serious injuries but if there’s anyone in the world who can come back from that, it’s him.

Dream job: To be a professional golfer. Traveling around the world and playing golf doesn’t sound too bad.

I’d sell this in my store: If I owned a store it would probably be a bakery and I would be famous for my cookies.

Places I’d like to travel: South Africa or Italy because they are both so different from Ohio and the food looks amazing.

Something most people don’t know about me: I can juggle any spherical objects (golf balls, tennis balls, etc.) but I have only tried doing three.

Least-favorite household chore: Taking out the trash, because it smells bad.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Never. I do sing out loud when I am alone, though.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Tennis. I tried playing in high school this year and was never any good.

Words to leave by: “May you live all the days of your life” — Jonathan Swift

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 17S

JOHN J. BISHOP FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Haley Warren

$7,500 Encova Insurance Eastmoor Academy Grade-point average: 4.25 Sports played: Volleyball (4 years), basketball (3), softball (2) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member, president; Congress of Future Medical Leaders award of excellence winner Athletic highlights: Leadership award for basketball, volleyball Leadership highlights: Three-time captain in basketball; captain in volleyball and softball; four-year student ambassador and peer tutor College choice: Howard University (anticipated major: chemistry) Photo location: I had my photo taken at the Cultural Wall on Long Street. I would pass it often growing up, and seeing local African-Americans doing amazing things inspired me.

Home front: There are six of us. My parents are Henry Warren Jr. and Candace Warren, and my three brothers are Henry, Harrison and Carter.

Favorite subject: Chemistry. It’s intriguing to learn about the natural world at the molecular level.

Least-favorite subject: Calculus, because there’s a lot to remember and the problems can be very time-consuming.

Favorite book: “The Giver,” by Lois Lowry. It was the fi rst book that taught me to embrace my diff erences. It’s the fi rst time I felt comfortable with who I am as a person.

Favorite movie: “Now You See Me,” a movie about optical illusion. The movie gets better every time you watch it because there’s always something you

COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

missed.

Favorite television show: “The Offi ce” gives you a diff erent perspective on how a “normal” life doesn’t have to be monotonous.

Favorite musician: I have listened to Sam Smith’s albums on repeat since middle school.

Favorite animal: Golden Retrievers.

I just fi nd them really cute.

Essential app: My calendar app. I am terrible at keeping up with paper planners, so transferring my events to a digital platform was the best thing I could have done.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Baked spaghetti with meatballs reminds me of home. My dad prepares it most of the time.

My cooking specialty: Defi nitely chicken fried rice, a simple and hearty meal to prepare.

Favorite restaurant: O’Charley’s.

After every event I have (award ceremony, dance recital, you name it) my family goes there to celebrate. It’s become al-

most a tradition. My favorite thing is their potato soup.

Guilty pleasure: Defi nitely brownies and ice cream. But it’s not an occasional thing at all.

Story behind my uniform number: My full name has 11 letters in it, so I wanted my jersey number to be No. 11.

Favorite athlete: LeBron James, mostly because of how much he has poured into the community over the years. He’s doing his part to make a difference, and I love that.

Inspiration: My parents are the most infl uential people in my life. I have watched both of them succeed in their individual careers while still maintaining a stable foundation for my siblings and me. They also have extreme compassion and empathy toward others.

Dream job: As a pediatrician, I would aspire to combat implicit bias and make hospitals a safe and welcoming place for people of color. I know what it feels like to feel sick and hopeless, but I also know how it feels to over-

come that. I want other children to experience the same triumph.

I’d sell this in my store: Ice cream, defi nitely. I am obsessed with it, so being surrounded by ice cream in a store would be amazing.

Place I’d like to travel: I want to travel to every country in Africa, but I love Nigerian culture so I’d like to visit there fi rst.

Something most people don’t know about me: I love to dance and paint.

Least-favorite household chore: The dishes! I’d rather do anything else!

It’s so time-consuming and I always miss dishes around the house.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Yes, I sing all the time. My family is defi nitely tired of me.

Words to leave by: Just enjoy where you are now. We always get caught up in the future, and before we know it, our entire lives have passed by. So learn to embrace your present self. Live in the moment!

18S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

JOHN J. BISHOP MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Landymn Steele

$7,500 Encova Insurance Africentric Grade-point average: 3.72 Sports played: Football (4 years), bowling (4), baseball (3), track (2) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; Honor roll member every quarter Athletic highlights: Second-team all-league in football Leadership highlights: Two-time captain of football and bowling teams, captain of baseball team; Servant Leadership Internship at the Freedom School College choice: Morehouse College (anticipated major: educational studies) Photo location: Africentric played a big role in my decision to go to school at Morehouse, where I can pursue the brotherhood, education and growth that I am in search of.

Home front: My mother is Jonquil Steele and my godmother is Andrea Scott. I also have two sisters, Parist Steele and Iyonna Bayless; and three brothers, Cortlynd Steele, Jamiel Steele and David Scott.

Favorite subject: History holds the keys to the future. Without understanding the past, we won’t be able to walk into our future.

Least-favorite subject: Science, mostly due to the fact I could never really get into the writing portion of it.

Prized possession: My faith. It may

KYLE ROBERTSON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

be a spiritual possession, but if it had not been for the Lord on my side, I would have given up on life a long time ago.

Favorite book: The Bible.

Favorite movie: My favorite is “Boo! A Madea Halloween.” Really, any movie in Tyler Perry’s Madea series is pure comedy.

Favorite television show: “How to Get Away with Murder,” because it has my favorite actress, Viola Davis, in the leading role.

Favorite musician: The gospel singer Tamela Mann. You can feel the emotion as she sings.

Favorite animal: The lion — the kings and queens of the wild.

Essential app: Google is able to tell me the answer to almost any question within seconds.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My mother’s four-cheese ravioli, served with homemade garlic bread and salad.

My cooking specialty: French toast Favorite restaurant: Pier 11 Boiling Seafood & Bar Guilty pleasure: Brownies mixed

with vanilla ice cream is the best. It’s just sweet, lol.

Proudest sports moment: In my junior year, we went to overtime against Marion-Franklin in football. I came in to sack the quarterback from defensive end, but he threw a forward lateral as he was going down that wasn’t called. That led to their game-winning touchdown.

We may have been cheated, but it was still my proudest moment.

Sport I’d like to try: I’d like to try skiing due to how ludicrous it seems.

Favorite athlete: JuJu SmithSchuster of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After meeting him in person, his whole attitude reminded me of myself. You can see the leadership within him.

Inspiration: My family, because despite the evil we may have faced, we still continue to strive for success. I owe my family the world for all they have done for me. College has always been a must because as we put it, “When one goes, we all go.”

Dream job: A minority-rights activist. When I advocate and act for people, I

feel as if I am doing something greater than myself.

I’d sell this in my store: I would sell “how-to” books and videos because I would never run out of business. People will never stop needing education about how to do things.

Place I’d like to travel: New Guinea, so I could see where my family is from.

Something most people don’t know about me: Gospel music keeps me calm, cool and collected.

Least-favorite household chore: Doing the dishes, because it makes me sweat.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Not unless I’m comfortable with them. When people ask why, I say, “because my ministry is not to bless everyone’s ears.”

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Playing off ense in basketball. I can’t shoot to save my life.

Words to leave by: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” — James 2:26

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 19S

LEADERSHIP ISN’T WHAT YOU DO, IT’S HOW YOU DO IT Congratulations, 2021 Scholar Athlete Award Finalists!

AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS

encova.com

20S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

FIRST RUNNER-UP FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Karoline Pees

$5,500 Encova Insurance Teays Valley Grade-point average: 5.22 Sports played: Cross country (4 years), track (4), swimming (1) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; Academic allOhio; scored 33 on ACT Athletic highlights: First-team allregion and all-district and state-meet qualifi er in cross country; second-team all-league in track College choice: Cedarville (anticipated major: allied health, pre-physical therapy) Photo location: Slate Run Metro Park.

I took long runs each week at this park for cross country throughout high school. It is such a beautiful place to run, especially when the leaves change in the fall!

Home front: I live with my parents, Kevin and Kerri Pees, and have two older siblings: Kaitlyn is 23 and Caleb is 21.

Favorite subject: I always liked math. Solving complex questions and fi nding the answer makes me feel accomplished.

Least-favorite subject: English. I enjoy reading occasionally but analyzing literature has never been a favorite.

Prized possession: My piano! I play almost every day, so I will miss it while away at college!

Favorite book: Growing up, “The Mysterious Benedict Society,” by Trenton Lee Stewart, captured my attention and let my imagination wander.

Favorite movie: “McFarland, USA,” about a cross country team. I love to watch it before big races!

Favorite television show: I enjoy

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

the airy humor of “The Offi ce.” I also can play the theme song on the piano while sitting backwards.

Favorite musicians: The praise team at my church, Village Chapel. It has been a joy to be a part of this team over the past fi ve years.

Favorite animal: Killer whales.

When I went to SeaWorld as a kid, I thought they were fascinating!

Essential app: Spotify! I love listening to music, especially worship music.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Pretty much any meal that includes rice. My mom is really creative at cooking chicken all diff erent ways and pairing it with diff erent things like sweet potatoes, broccoli or chickpeas.

Favorite restaurant: Brassica is delicious! The pita sandwiches are fresh and fi lling. They are probably one of the messiest things to eat, but worth it!

Guilty pleasures: Graeter’s salted caramel ice cream and maple iced long john doughnuts from Lindsey’s Bakery

in Circleville.

Proudest sports moment: Qualifying for the Division I state cross country meet last fall was probably the hardest physical thing I’ve ever done. It was such an honor to have run against the best runners in Ohio!

Favorite athletes: My siblings have both worked hard in their sports to give their all. They always pulled me along and helped me get better.

Inspiration: My parents! My mom was a stay-at-home mom and homeschooled my siblings and me. My dad has always been there for us while also providing for my family. In humility, they have both taught me by personal example to work hard and give God all the glory.

Dream job: Being a physical therapist who works with athletes. A physical therapist gave me hope when I faced an injury and I want to do the same for other athletes!

I’d sell this in my store: Cupcakes!

When I was little my cousin and I formed the Cupcake Club. We started baking and selling cupcakes.

Place I’d like to travel: I love visiting U.S. National Parks. I would love to go back to the Grand Canyon and hike it again.

Least-favorite household chore: I never enjoyed folding laundry. By the time I wash my clothes and fold them, I just wear them again.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: I normally don’t when others are around, but I do enjoy singing in my car or while playing my guitar!

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Making a quesadilla. I always get impatient and turn up the burner too high. The outside ends up getting burnt and on the inside the cheese doesn’t even melt.

Words to leave by: “Go get ’em, kid” — Teays Valley cross country and track coach Zach Frank

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 21S

FIRST RUNNER-UP MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Elliot Roe $5,500

Encova Insurance Bexley Grade-point average: 4.65 Sports played: Cross country (4 years), track (3) Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Distinction; Cum Laude Society member; scored 33 on ACT Athletic highlights: First-team allleague and all-district in cross country College choice: Georgia Institute of Technology (anticipated major: computer science) Photo location: I thought the Bexley High School track was the best way to represent my running career.

Home front: My mother is Elena Irwin and my father is Brian Roe, both of whom are professors at Ohio State. I have a 20-year-old brother, Isaac, who is a jazz musician.

Favorite subject: At this point my computer science classes don’t even feel like work anymore, just an hour of problem-solving.

Least-favorite subject: I always had a hard time memorizing things for biology. However, I loved the teacher and my classmates.

Prized possession: My Spikeball Pro net. My friends and I have spent uncounted hours playing spikeball together, before and after practices as well as on weekends.

Favorite book: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” by Ken Kesey. I loved the McMurphy character as well as the mechanistic symbolism of the book.

Favorite movie: “The Usual Suspects.” I did not see the twist coming at all. It completely blew my mind.

Favorite television show: “BoJack Horseman” is an animated show that presents serious themes through a

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

wacky and goofy world with talking animals. It’s surprisingly clever.

Favorite musicians: Gunk is a relatively new and small band that for me is the perfect mix of nostalgic punk rock and more technical math rock.

Favorite animal: I love dogs and have always. I think they are the fl uffi est and friendliest creatures in the world and deserve the absolute best.

Essential app: Watching YouTube is how I unwind from a long day.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My grandmother’s rouladen. It’s a German meat dish consisting of veal, onions, pickles and mustard.

My cooking specialty: I can’t confi dently claim any specialty, but I would say my burgers are above average.

Favorite restaurant: Cafe Istanbul is a Turkish restaurant that is incredibly good. I’m pretty sure they have the best bread and baba ganoush in the world.

Guilty pleasure: Cream soda, when my family buys it. It is dangerously

good.

Proudest sports moment: Organizing and participating in Bexley Roundnet Club’s fi rst tournament. I founded the club and organized the event. It was incredibly rewarding to see all of my work come to fruition.

Sport I’d like to try: I’d love to get into volleyball more seriously. I’ve played a couple times with my friends and it has always been a blast.

Favorite athlete: Preston Bies is a professional Spikeball player who is incredibly good-natured and goofy as well as really good at the sport.

Inspiration: My mom is an incredibly kind, hard-working and badass individual whose ambition is intense and ceaseless. I hope to have half her motivation someday.

Dream job: I think it would combine my two most prominent passions: nature (hiking and backpacking) and programming. Most likely, I think this would result in a technological job fo-

cused on sustainability.

I’d sell this in my store: Backpacking gear, defi nitely. It would be fun to talk to each customer about planning their trips and swapping tips.

Place I’d like to travel: I’d like to go to Scotland to hike the West Highland Way, a beautiful, long-distance backpacking trail that winds through Scotland’s countryside.

Something most people don’t know about me: I lived in Zurich, Switzerland, for a year when I was 5 years old.

Least-favorite household chore: Making my bed. It’s a bunk bed and it’s hard to put the sheets on the top bunk.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Only if it’s a really good song. Then absolutely, which according to my parents is a lot.

Words to leave by: “I never know if I can handle anything. That’s what makes my life so exciting!” — Todd Chavez from “BoJack Horseman”

22S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

SECOND RUNNER-UP FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Shelby Flynn

$4,000 Encova Insurance Heath Grade-point average: 4.74 Sports played: Basketball (4 years), softball (4), volleyball (4), track (1) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; scored 28 on ACT Athletic highlights: First-team alldistrict in basketball; second-team allleague in volleyball and softball College choice: Ohio Dominican (anticipated major: integrated mathematics education) Photo location: I chose the high school fi eld because softball will always be my favorite. I’ve played many other sports, but nothing beats the way it feels to be out on the diamond.

Home front: My parents are Cindy and Matt Flynn, and I have a 20-yearold brother, Marshall.

Favorite subject: Math, which hints to why I chose mathematics as my major. I enjoy the challenges of it and honestly fi nd some parts pretty fun to work out.

Least-favorite subject: English probably gives me the most trouble. It bothers me when I’m writing and don’t know how to put what’s in my head into words.

Favorite book: I like Stephen King books. “Pet Sematary” is one of my favorites.

Favorite movies: I LOVE Marvel

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

movies. I’ve seen every single one of them many, MANY times.

Favorite television show: I watch “The Offi ce” way too much.

Favorite musician: I can’t really choose a favorite, but just about anything country is my style.

Favorite animal: I don’t really have a true favorite, but I think lemurs are adorable.

Essential app: Instagram. I’m always on it.

Favorite home-cooked meal: It’s not really a meal, but my mom makes some pretty darn good buff alo chicken dip.

My cooking specialty: I don’t cook much, but when I do it’s usually some Velveeta shells and cheese.

Favorite restaurant: Pappy’s Grill on 79 is the best. I’d eat there every day if I had the choice.

Guilty pleasure: Getting takeout for dinner when I’m not in the mood to make anything and because I don’t want to sit in a restaurant. Eating at home

while watching Netfl ix is the best.

Proudest sports moment: When our basketball team made it to the district championship game this year. We fi nished runner-up, but we were the fi rst Heath girls team to make a district fi nal in Division II. Sport I’d like to try: I’d like to try lacrosse. It looks, like, really hard but seems fun.

Inspiration: He may not know it, but my brother inspires me and has always motivated me to be my best. I’ve looked up to him since we were young and I still do. I can’t wait to be at ODU with him next year.

Dream job: It may sound boring, but my dream job would be to come back to Heath to teach math in middle or high school while coaching either softball or basketball.

I’d sell this in my store: Clothes for tall people and people with really long legs. As a tall person with long legs, I can’t even begin to explain how hard it is to fi nd jeans in a store that aren’t way

too short.

Place I’d like to travel: I’m not a big traveling person, but I love going to Nashville, Tennessee, and walking down Broadway and Music Row. Something most people don’t know about me: I can juggle … sort of.

Least-favorite household chore: For some reason I don’t like putting clean clothes away. They pile up until I’ve got a tower of clothes on my desk.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: If those people are friends or family, then maybe they’ll get a show.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Math problems on the derivative of inverse functions. If you took AP Calculus, then you know what I’m talkin’ about.

Words to leave by: I really like this quote, especially after this crazy year: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 23S

SECOND RUNNER-UP MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Austin Corley

$4,000 Encova Insurance Olentangy Berlin Grade-point average: 4.2 Sports played: Basketball (4 years), soccer (4) Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Honor; National Honor Society member; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: Second-team all-district and fi rst-team all-league in basketball; honorable mention allleague in soccer College choice: University of Pennsylvania (anticipated major: economics and statistics/analytics) Photo location: In the gymnasium at Olentangy Berlin. I was redistricted here when the school opened, in 2018, and it has given me an opportunity to build a culture and environment from the ground up.

Home front: My parents are Gloria Fleming, M.D., and Todd Corley, and I have a 20-year-old sister, Olivia.

Favorite subject: I have always been a practical, methodical person, so I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of math.

Least-favorite subject: AP Physics was my most challenging class. Although I enjoyed the course, the material was very complicated.

Prized possession: My Lego Architecture collection. I’ve really enjoyed building those sets over the years. I started when I was about 7 years old and have 17 sets completed now.

Favorite book: “Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelley. I appreciated the book’s underlying message of how discrimination aff ects individuals.

Favorite movie: “The Incredibles.”

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

When I was a kid, I loved how futuristic it was and all of the characters’ cool abilities.

Favorite television show: “Breaking Bad” Favorite musician: The rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie. I enjoy his musical style. My favorite album of his is the deluxe version of “Artist 2.0,” which is also the last one he released. I’m hoping he releases another one soon!

Favorite animal: Penguins always seem calm, cool and collected.

Essential app: Instagram is the best way for me to stay connected with my friends and stay up-to-date with what is going on around the country and world.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My momma’s famous Italian sliders. She puts on her special sauce and bakes them with her special seasonings that are all top secret.

My cooking specialty: Scrambled eggs. I usually make three at a time and add shredded sharp cheddar cheese along with pepper while they are cook-

ing in the pan.

Favorite restaurant: Cook Out, a fast-food restaurant chain typically located in the southeastern United States.

My go-to meal there is a cheeseburger, hush puppies, onion rings and a milkshake. I try to get a diff erent shake every time I go because they have so many fl avors! Right now, I think I’ve had about 15 diff erent ones.

Guilty pleasure: Binge-watching Netfl ix shows and movies with some popcorn and candy.

Proudest sports moments: Winning the Division I district championship in soccer and getting our fi rst postseason tournament win in basketball, both during my senior year.

Sport I’d like to try: Surfi ng. I really enjoy the beach and the ocean.

Favorite athlete: Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. I enjoy watching his game, and I respect how he uses his platform to address social-justice issues.

Inspiration: My mother is the most

hard-working, resilient and loving person I know. Also, shoutout to my dad and big sister: I love you guys, too!

Dream job: An economist or NBA data analyst.

I’d sell this in my store: Milkshakes have been my lifelong favorite dessert/ treat.

Place I’d like to travel: Hawaii, because of the beach but also because I have grown up watching “Hawaii Five-0.” I have watched every episode of all 10 seasons and was amazed by the scenery.

Least-favorite household chore: Cleaning the table after dinner. After a satisfying meal, I usually want to kick back and relax.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Ha-ha, true.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Cooking anything other than scrambled eggs and ramen noodles.

Words to leave by: “To whom much is given, much is required.” — Luke 12:48

24S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

THIRD RUNNER-UP FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Mackenzie Hessick

$2,000 Encova Insurance Hilliard Darby Grade-point average: 4.76 Sports played: Soccer (4 years), basketball (1) Academic highlights: Summa Cum Laude honors; National Honor Society member; scored 32 on ACT Athletic highlights: Second-team all-league in soccer College choice: Wittenberg (anticipated major: education) Photo location: Darby Stadium is where I spent most of my summers, falls and springs during high school. Playing on that fi eld, watching football games in the bleachers and running sprints on the track are memories I will never forget.

Home front: I live with my parents, Rob and Julie; my 19-year-old brother, Ethan; and my 12-year-old sister, Clare.

Favorite subject: I can’t say that I have a favorite subject, but AP Statistics is my absolute favorite class I took in all of high school. The passion my teacher, Mr. (Russell) Lupis, brought to the classroom every day inspired me to become a future educator.

Least-favorite subject: Science has always been a struggle spot. My junior year was fi lled with many late-night cram sessions for my chemistry class.

Prized possession: My Apple Watch. I am way too competitive when it comes to closing my rings.

Favorite book: “Becoming,” by Michelle Obama, because, duh, it is Michelle Obama.

Favorite movie: “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I love the music and the drama behind making it!

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite television show: I am a superfan of “The Bachelor.” I have viewing parties every Monday and participate in a fantasy league with friends.

Favorite musician: The rapper DaBaby is my go-to artist for a good pumpup song.

Favorite animal: I’m defi nitely a dog-lover. I have one dog, Rocky, whom I begged my parents for ages to get me.

He is one of the things I will miss most at college next year.

Essential app: TikTok, simply because of all of the life hacks I pick up every time I go on the app.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My mom makes chicken and waffl es for weekend brunch. It’s a combination of my favorite lunch food and breakfast food. Delicious!

My cooking specialty: I have been told that I make some of the best panseared salmon.

Favorite restaurant: Starbucks.

Who needs food when you have coff ee?

Guilty pleasure: Staying up late and watching Netfl ix. I always regret it in the morning, but I never fail to click the “next episode” button late into the night.

Sport I’d like to try: I always wished I was a better swimmer, probably because of all of the Olympics I watched as a kid.

Favorite athlete: Rose Lavelle of the U.S. Women’s National soccer team is never the most outspoken player, but she has an incredible impact on her team.

Inspiration: My cousin, Ella Karst, lives with left hypoplastic heart syndrome. I have had the honor of tutoring Ella and her amazing sisters, and I amazed by the strength and courage she displays as a second-grader. When I grow up, I hope to be just like Ella.

I’d sell this in my store: I defi nitely would own a coff ee shop! There’s nothing better than a good Starbucks drink.

Place I’d like to travel: England. I

love British accents!

Something most people don’t know about me: I used to be a competitive dancer when I was in elementary school. Shout-out to Dance Connection in Hilliard!

Least-favorite household chore: I will clean the dishes all day if that means not having to put a single one away. For some reason, drying dishes and putting them back in our cabinets is treacherous to me.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Of course. I am always jamming with my friends before soccer games!

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Braiding my own hair. It’s super frustrating when I try to do fun hairstyles for games, but I end up failing every time.

Words to leave by: “This is not a time for tinkering; it is a time for transformation.” — Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations Secretary-General

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 25S

THIRD RUNNER-UP MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Dominic Panzo

$2,000 Encova Insurance Whetstone Grade-point average: 4.34 Sport played: Baseball (4 years) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; qualifi er in state and national competitions for design and applications with Business Professionals of America; scored 32 on ACT Athletic highlights: Second-team all-league and member of three-time league champion in baseball College choice: University of Miami (anticipated major: sports administration) Photo location: The Whetstone High School baseball fi eld has been a second home for me throughout my time as a Brave. I have many great memories at that fi eld.

Home front: I live with my mother, Julia, and my father, Brian.

Favorite subject: History. I fi nd it interesting to learn how the world worked in the past and how the past continues to aff ect the present. As the age-old adage goes: Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.

Least-favorite subject: I fi nd math to be extremely boring. I also do not enjoy trying to memorize the endless number of formulas and equations necessary for high-level mathematics.

Prized possession: My letters, academic and athletic. My athletic letter symbolizes my dedication to improving as a ballplayer and dedication to the baseball program. My academic letter represents my commitment to excellence in the classroom.

JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite book: “Clemente,” by David Maraniss, a biography about Roberto Clemente. There are plenty of books about Clemente, but this one does an extraordinary job of detailing his lasting impact on baseball as well as his humanitarian eff orts.

Favorite movie: “The Perfect Game” tells the story of a baseball team from Monterrey, Mexico, that in 1957 became the fi rst team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series.

Favorite television show: “The Goldbergs” is an amusing depiction of the 1980s. I fi nd a lot of parallels between the mom on the show and my mom.

Favorite musicians: I have been listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers with my dad for a long time.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Tacos with a variety of toppings, prepared by my mom.

My cooking specialty: I’m admittedly not much of a cook, but I’d like to think I make some pretty good nachos

with cheese, tomatoes, beans and jalapenos.

Favorite restaurant: Chuy’s TexMex. Their tortilla chips are to die for and their creamy jalapeno salsa may be the best I’ve ever had.

Guilty pleasure: Most of the time, I drink water when I am thirsty. Every now and then, a soda is a refreshing change.

Proudest sports moment: Winning the 2019 City championship in my sophomore year, which was my fi rst season as the starting catcher.

Sport I’d like to try: It’s a natural progression for baseball players to switch to golf at the end of their career, given that both sports involve swinging a stick.

Story behind my uniform number: I wear No. 22 because it is the number worn by Andrew McCutchen, my favorite baseball player growing up.

Inspiration: Not only was Clemente a tremendous player who overcame a great deal of adversity as one of the fi rst

prominent Latin players in baseball, but he was perhaps one of the most humanitarian athletes to ever live.

Dream job: General manager for a Major League Baseball team. I enjoy the business side of sports and strategizing how to make an organization successful.

I’d sell this in my store: Baseball equipment Place I’d like to travel: The pictures I have seen of Hawaii look amazing, and I particularly enjoy places with tropical climates.

Least-favorite household chore: Weeding the fl ower beds is a tedious and time-consuming process.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I’m really bad at folding clothes. I usually try to fold something a couple of times and then give up and shove it in my drawer.

Words to leave by: “Any time you have an opportunity to make a diff erence in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” — Roberto Clemente

26S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WARREN B. SNEED MEMORIAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Kenzie McConnell

$3,000 The Sneed family Circleville Grade-point average: 4.45 Sports played: Volleyball (4 years), basketball (4), softball (3) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: Two-time fi rstteam all-state, four-time fi rst-team alldistrict and two-time district player of the year in basketball; fi rst-team allstate and district player of the year in volleyball.

College choice: Ashland (anticipated major: exercise science) Photo location: I chose to have my picture taken in my gymnasium because I’ve had some of my best sports memories from high school there.

Home front: I live with my parents, Luke and Stephanie, and three younger siblings: Gabby (15), Liam (13) and Mallory (11). We also have a black Labrador puppy named Banks.

Favorite subject: Math, because there is usually one answer and a series of steps to follow to get that answer.

Least-favorite subject: English.

There is too much creative freedom and sometimes I’m not very good with my words.

Prized possession: My Yeti cup. I use it every day and would not be able to live without it.

Favorite movie: “Soul Surfer.” I love how the main character is so determined. Plus, the movie takes place at the beach, and I love the beach.

Favorite television network: HGTV. I like to think I could fl ip a house like Chip and Joanna on “Fixer Upper.”

FRED SQUILLANTE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite musician: The country singer Morgan Wallen has a song for every mood and occasion.

Favorite animal: Sea turtles. I think it’s so cool how they go back to where they were hatched to lay their eggs.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My mom makes potato soup in the crockpot that smells and tastes amazing. And it’s 10 times better in the winter when it’s cold.

My cooking specialty: Defi nitely pasta. I make it for every pregame meal.

Favorite restaurant meal: My go-to meal when I go out to eat is a grilled chicken quesadilla.

Guilty pleasure: Probably chocolate chip cookies. I got really good at making them over quarantine and now my family wants me to make them all the time.

Proudest sports moment: When I scored my 1,000th point in basketball, during my junior year. The support from

the crowd and the student section was insane.

Sport I’d like to try: Tennis. During quarantine my family played a lot of tennis at some courts beside my house and it was actually really fun.

Story behind my uniform numbers: I wear No. 44 for basketball because my dad wore it when he played at Circleville and I wear No. 21 for volleyball because my birthday is Aug. 21.

Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan. I really loved the documentary “The Last Dance.”

Dream job: I would love to run a bakery because I love to bake cookies and things for my family and friends.

I’d sell this in my store: I would sell ChapStick and sweet tea, because those are my favorite things ever and I’m obsessed.

Place I’d like to travel: Greece, because I think the houses are so pretty

and I hear they have really good sunsets.

Something most people don’t know about me: I dedicated my freshman softball season to learning how to juggle and now I view it as a life skill.

Least-favorite household chore: Doing the dishes. We don’t have a dishwasher in our house so we have to do them by hand. I hate when leftover food touches your hand and you have to scrub it off .

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: I’ll either sing at the top of my lungs or just nod my head along, there’s no in between.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I cannot throw a spiral with a football. I’ve tried to do it multiple times and I might get it once out of every 50 throws.

Words to leave by: “Be grateful for what you have and work for what you want”

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 27S

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28S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

OHIOHEALTH PERSEVERANCE AWARD

Hayden Wiley

$2,500 OhioHealth Heath Grade-point average: 4.69 Sports played: Football (4 years), basketball (4), track (3) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; school selection as scholar-athlete of the year Athletic highlights: Member of two-time league champion track team and league champion basketball and football teams College choice: Miami University (anticipated major: economics) Photo location: At the football victory bell at Heath, where I’ve spent some of the best moments of my sports career with my best friends.

Home front: I live with my mom, Andrea Hartman, and my stepdad Jeremy Hartman. I have one sister, Makenna; a brother, Carter; a stepbrother, Grady; and a stepsister, Darby.

About the award: I have dealt with lots of drama, for lack of a better term, from an unstable home life that my mother and siblings and I escaped almost 10 years ago. Ongoing stress and anxiety weighed on me, but I could maintain focus through sports — not just getting lost in the competition but through the bonds and friendships I built. My mom is an obvious rock in my life, and she helped a lot, but throughout high school my teammates helped me stay focused on what was next rather than what had been.

Favorite subject: AP Calculus is a fairly diffi cult course and math in general has kept me entertained throughout high school.

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Least-favorite subject: I like some aspects of biology, and anatomy has its upsides, but as a whole the way that those classes work — you kind of memorize information, then regurgitate it — makes it less engaging.

Prized possession: My Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins jersey. Despite rarely having a reason to wear it in Ohio, the jersey is one of the coolest things I have.

Favorite movie: I like a lot of movies but to me the best is “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.” It’s a culmination of everything good about Star Wars.

Favorite television show: I like the dry humor of “The Offi ce,” and if I have too much time I could be stuck watching it for hours.

Favorite musicians: I like rap, and Yung Gravy has a unique style of music.

Plus, he’s the greatest lyricist of our generation.

Essential app: I could not go without Spotify. I would feel weird driving in si-

lence all the time.

Favorite restaurant: Bibibop. You get a healthy, fi lling meal with a lemonade for like 10 bucks. You just need purple rice, potatoes and yum-yum sauce and you’re set.

Guilty pleasure: I occasionally allow myself a Red Bull. It’s not healthy but sometimes at the gas station I’ll compulsively buy one.

Proudest sports moment: We played Johnstown for the league championship in football this past season and won the game when I broke up a pass, leading to an interception.

Sport I’d like to try: Snowboarding, if that counts. I would defi nitely be bad at it, but it would be cool to try.

Favorite athlete: Conor McGregor made the UFC the big name it is today by being incredibly controversial and backing it all up. McGregor is the coolest guy in sports.

Inspiration: My mom has been

through the same stuff that I have but from a far more diffi cult perspective.

She handled all the tribulations in our lives so well.

I’d sell this in my store: Electric vehicles. Having a car dealership and getting all the new e-cars would be cool.

Something most people don’t know about me: I was born near Houston, and lived in Oklahoma for about 10 years.

Least-favorite household chore: I hate cleaning our gutters, because our roof is really steep.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: I do. Never in my life have I been too afraid to sing Taylor Swift with the boys.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I am horrible at folding T-shirts. I’ve studied, I’ve practiced. I’ve watched it done. I can never get an even fold.

Words to leave by: “Curiosity made the cat famous.”

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 29S

SPONSOR FEATURE

Sports medicine programs play vital role in high school sports As high school sports have evolved into major programs that rival those at some colleges, the presence of a sports medicine team of physicians and athletic trainers at the game and on the practice field has never been more important.

When an injury occurs, the sports medicine team is who parents, coaches and players rely on to ensure an athlete receives the proper treatment and a return-to-play protocol that gets him or her back on the field without further injury.

OhioHealth Sports Medicine has been providing this critical support to area high schools, colleges, universities and professional sports teams for more than a decade.

But treating injuries is just one part of OhioHealth Sports Medicine’s focus.

The team also provides specialized programs that focus on improving safety and maximizing physical and mental performance.

These specialty programs include OhioHealth’s athletic cardiac screenings, pre-participation heart screenings for athletes 14 and older that test for underlying heart conditions that could put them at risk for sudden cardiac death.

A concussion management program, run by specially trained physicians and athlete trainers, utilizes the most current research and best practices to manage these serious brain injuries. This includes baseline ImPACT® neurocognitive assessments used by the National Football League and Major League Baseball to determine an athlete’s brain function before and after a concussion that enable doctors to uncover cognitive deficits. OhioHealth athletic trainers and physical therapists also work with a physician to thoroughly evaluate and assess a concussed athlete’s condition and create a personalized return-toschool and return-to-play protocol to keep them excelling on the field and in the classroom.

OhioHealth provides a sports psychology program because getting and maintaining the right mindset can make

all the difference in athletic success.

This program helps players, coaches and teams overcome psychological barriers, build confidence and optimize mental performance.

The sports medicine team also provides sports nutrition counseling that helps athletes understand how an optimal eating plan can maximize performance while a custom athletic performance exercise program called APEX, designed for student athletes, enhance movements specific to a sport through a customized strength and condition program.

By bringing together this multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, sports nutritionists, sports psychologists, physical therapists, sports medicine physicians

and athletic trainers, the OhioHealth Sports Medicine team focuses on all areas of a player’s health and performance so they can make the most of their high school playing careers and minimize their risk of injury.

OhioHealth Sports Medicine provides over 150 athletic trainers and physicians to more than 50 high schools, nine colleges and universities as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Columbus Crew.

30S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

BATTELLE STEM AWARD WINNER

Brady Phelps

$0 (Full-ride scholarship) Pickerington Central Grade-point average: 4.6 Sport played: Tennis (4 years) Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Honor; medal winner and state qualifi er in Science Olympiad; Ohio STEM Advocacy Day advocate; National Honor Society member; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: First-team allleague in tennis College choice: Ohio University (anticipated major: advanced computing) Photo location: I have a lot of good memories at the Pickerington Central tennis courts. I got to combine my love of tennis with a lot of great times with friends, family and my coach.

Home front: My parents are Kim and Matt, and I have two younger brothers: Spencer is 16 and Gavin is 13.

Favorite subject: Calculus, because every problem felt like solving a puzzle and I had a great teacher.

Least-favorite subject: English, because it is too subjective.

Prized possession: My phone allows me to communicate with my friends and listen to music.

Favorite book: “Lockdown, Escape from Furnace,” by Alexander Gordon Smith, is the coolest book ever because the odds were stacked against the subjects in a gripping tale of escape.

Favorite movie: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I defi nitely enjoy “Star Wars.” I am also a fan of “Draft Day.” Favorite television shows: I enjoy documentaries, re-runs of “The Offi ce,”

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

and “The Blacklist.”

Favorite musicians: Machine Gun Kelly or Brakence, because I can sit back and vibe to them. They also are both from Ohio, which is pretty cool.

Favorite animal: The ducks that live in the pond behind my house take care of themselves, enjoy the family life, and don't bother anyone.

Essential app: That would have to be Spotify, for the unlimited music supply.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Absolutely everything my Grandma Janet cooks or bakes. She is most famous for her turkey, which she always manages to make perfectly.

My cooking specialty: I make a mean box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and I do grill burgers on occasion.

Favorite restaurant meals: Popeyes’ spicy chicken sandwich, but hold the pickle, and Romeo’s pizza.

Guilty pleasure: Edible cookie

dough Proudest sports moment: Winning the Ohio Capital Conference team championships twice in high school.

Sport I’d like to try: I’ve never tried skiing and would like to. Sliding down snow looks so fun.

Favorite athlete: I like Rafael Nadal’s tennis game.

Inspiration: My parents’ ability to overcome adversity and their varying strengths inspire me to be the best version of myself every day. I strive to be like them and hope to continue making them proud.

Dream job: Running my own tech start-up. I love technology and to start something of my own that could make a positive impact on the world through technology would be a dream come true.

I’d sell this in my store: Massaging chairs. As a child, whenever I went to a store that had massage chairs, I would

sit in them as long as humanly possible.

Places I’d like to travel: I would like to eventually visit all of the U.S. National Parks. I have been obsessed with parks since I was young.

Something most people don’t know about me: Last summer, I recorded a song with my youngest brother.

Least-favorite household chore: Laundry is time-consuming, and I have to wait for both the washer and dryer to be free to complete the chore.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: No, but when the radio comes on in my car, I turn into a rock star.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: My handwriting is so notoriously bad that for 13 years my teachers have always been amazed at my ability to read it.

Words to leave by: “Don’t sweat the small stuff .”

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 31S

BATTELLE STEM AWARD RUNNER-UP

Brynn McGrail

$2,500 Battelle Institute Delaware Grade-point average: 4.33 Sports played: Cross country (4 years), track (4) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; 2021 International Science and Engineering Fair competitor; 2021 Believe in Ohio regional science winner; four-time Ohio Academy of Science award winner Athletic highlights: Second-team all-league in cross country; member of national champion synchronized skating team College choice: Cincinnati (anticipated major: environmental engineering) Photo location: I chose Deer Haven Park, where we had summer cross country practices and I have good memories running there with my friends. It’s also where I collected duckweed from the pond for my science fair research.

Home front: I have the best parents, Mollie and Vince. I also have a 25-yearold sister, Avery, and a 19-year-old brother, Colin. We also have our dog, Eddie.

Favorite subject: I’ve always loved science, especially the environmental and biological sciences. They have interesting concepts that I understand easily and get passionate about.

Least-favorite subject: I don’t have a big interest in history. I understand its importance, but I couldn’t get myself excited about studying. I’ll work on that in college.

Prized possession: My old Nalgene water bottle has collected many stickers over the years that represent the parts

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of my life. I take it everywhere and my stomach sinks when I realize I don’t know where it is.

Favorite book: “The Great Gatsby,”

by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has it all: a good plot, intrigue, fun.

Favorite movie: I honestly have a hard time staying awake during movies.

But “The Princess Diaries” makes me happy, and reminds me of my childhood, so I always stay awake.

Favorite television show: Right now it’s “Schitt’s Creek.” My whole family loves it.

Favorite musicians: I love so many artists and bands that it’s hard to limit the list, but I’m defi nitely a true fan of Coin and MisterWives.

Favorite animal: Dogs really top all for me. My family has always had dogs who are part of the family. I also get excited to meet new dogs in public.

Essential apps: Instagram or Spotify. I run an active baking account on Instagram (@bakewithbrynn) where I get to be creative and start a small business.

But I also have an intense Spotify account where I make monthly playlists. I couldn’t go a day without my music.

Favorite home-cooked meal: I love fettuccine alfredo with homemade bread. My dad cooks it, and it’s best the night before a race.

Favorite restaurant: Shorty’s in Delaware makes my favorite pizza, Hawaiian, although it’s not actually on their menu.

Guilty pleasure: Watching movie edits on Instagram.

Proudest sports moment: Coming back from seasons of setbacks in cross country and track to get all my running PRs my senior year.

Favorite athlete: Colleen Quigley is an amazing runner, but I also admire her commitment to being a role model and sharing so much about injuries and setbacks. She also loves the race-day braids.

Inspiration: She may not know this, but my sister, Avery, inspires me because she’s successful in something

she’s passionate about and is talented as an artist.

Dream job: I want to work on tools for sustainability with my own research and engineering, which could go many ways. But ultimately I’d like my job to be ever-changing with what is needed to help the environment.

I’d sell this in my store: I would own a “cakery” with my friends. I would sell cake by the slice, because everyone could use a slice of cake.

Something most people don’t know about me: I modeled for a big catalogue for Vera Bradley when I was a kid.

Least-favorite household chore: Cleaning the kitchen. I think because I have to do it so often for all the baking I do. I make quite the mess.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Yes, and I actually don’t stop.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: This is embarrassing, but I cannot make good a grilled cheese. I forget how to do it every time.

32S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HONORABLE MENTION FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Callie Hribar $1,000 Encova Insurance Hilliard Bradley Grade-point average: 4.78 Sports played: Golf (4 years), bowling (4), track (2) Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Distinction; National Honor Society member; scored 31 on ACT Athletic highlights: Two-time fi rstteam all-league in bowling; four-time honorable mention all-league in golf College choice: South Carolina (anticipated major: anthropology and/or computer science) Photo location: Ten Pin Alley, where I grew up bowling. Some of my earliest childhood memories are from these lanes, where I fell in love with the sport.

Home front: My parents are Mark and Doreen Hribar, and I have two older sisters: Christy is 20 and attends High Point University, and Casey is 27 and in her fourth year at the UNC School of Medicine.

Favorite subject: English. Being able to fi nd deeper meaning in text and articulate it properly is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. Also, I’m a grammar fanatic.

Least-favorite subject: Science challenges me. I love certain aspects of it, but some areas are either too abstract or too complicated for me to understand.

Prized possession: My dog, Phineas. In my opinion, he’s the cutest dog on the planet.

Favorite book: “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. It gives intriguing and powerful commentary on societal expectations and feminism.

Favorite movies: All of the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies. I was obsessed with this series as a kid. They

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still make me unbelievably happy.

Favorite television show: “Julie and the Phantoms” is uplifting, and the music is really fun! I got my entire family hooked on it.

Favorite musicians: My music taste changes almost every day, but some artists/bands that have stuck with me through it all are Harry Styles, Hozier, 5 Seconds of Summer and The Happy Fits.

Favorite animal: I love all animals, but if I had to choose it would defi nitely be dogs. I grew up around them, and they are super-aff ectionate.

Essential app: My sudoku app. If I didn’t complete the challenge puzzles every day, I don’t know what would become of me.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Every St. Patrick’s Day, my mom makes corned beef and cabbage. I don’t care too much for the cabbage, but the corned beef is to die for.

My cooking specialty: I’m very good

at making Asian rice bowls (with very detailed instructions and recipes, of course).

Favorite restaurant: I have a strong loyalty to bd’s Mongolian Grill. I go there every year for my birthday to get stir fry and hit the birthday gong.

Guilty pleasure: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which are simultaneously the best and worst snack ever invented. No pain, no gain, am I right?

Sport I’d like to try: Skiing. Currently, I have the confi dence to attempt only the bunny hills, but I’d love to feel the adrenaline rush that comes with racing down steeper paths.

Favorite athlete: Marshall Kent is an excellent bowler who has overcome a lot of adversity. I also got to work with him personally at a clinic in 2019.

Inspiration: My family. My sisters set a great example for me to follow to future success, and my parents have done all that they can to support me on

that journey.

I’d sell this in my store: I would open my own thrift store to help provide aff ordable clothing to my community and reduce waste created by the fashion industry.

Place I’d like to travel: Paris. I want to have one authentic French crepe in my lifetime.

Something most people don’t know about me: I can shred on Guitar Hero. I’ve completed that game on expert mode at least three times.

Least-favorite household chore: Cleaning my room. I have gotten used to having a thin layer of clutter covering my fl oor.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Defi nitely. I’m the person screaming my lungs out to any song I recognize.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Being on time.

Just ask my dad.

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 33S

HONORABLE MENTION MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Derek Amicon

$1,000 Encova Insurance Grandview Grade-point average: 4.27 Sports played: Cross country (4 years), track (4), basketball (1) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; all-Ohio scholar-athlete; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: Champion and third-place fi nisher in state cross country meets; district and regional champion in cross country and track College choice: Cornell (anticipated major: statistics, possibly adding economics) Photo location: I chose the steep hills in Grandview Heights, where I have lived and run all my life. Grandview is important to me because of how supportive the community is. Running those hills has helped prepare me for the slopes of Ithaca, New York.

Home front: My parents are Vikki Vincent and Mick Amicon, and I have a 20-year-old sister, Nina, who attends DePaul and also runs cross country and track.

Favorite subject: I likely will major in statistics in college. Most people hate math but somebody has to do it!

Least-favorite subject: History. I have enjoyed seeing how my diff erent passions have evolved over the years, but I haven’t been able to force myself to remember the exact year things took place despite the fact I fi nd history interesting.

Prized possession: My dog Teddy, a 10-year-old Bichon-poodle mix that we’ve had for almost as long as I can remember. I have always loved dogs and he was my fi rst major pet.

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Favorite book: I enjoyed “It,” by Stephen King, and was ecstatic when the movie series was released. I’ve always loved the mystery genre and specifi cally how King has mastered it.

Favorite movie/TV show: Anything with Andy Samberg. When I was young I found his digital skits on “SNL” hilarious. Since then I have enjoyed everything he has been in, from “Hot Rod” to “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” all the way up to the recent “Palm Springs.”

Favorite musician: Sam Cooke, not just for his music, but how he shaped today’s music.

Favorite animal: I am fascinated by the thousands of diff erent types of fi sh found all over the world. When I go scuba diving in new locations I am amazed by their unique colors and patterns.

Essential app: I cannot live without the camera app. Photography is one of my hobbies and I enjoy capturing memories wherever I go.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Whenever we go to my aunt and uncle’s house for Christmas my uncle always makes Italian wedding soup. Not only is it amazing, but it also reminds me of the laughs we share with my large family over the holidays.

Favorite restaurant: The Original Pancake House. Funny thing is, though, my go-to order is a blueberry waffl e.

Guilty pleasure: I let myself have doughnuts on days that end in “Y.” Proudest sports moment: Winning the Division III cross country state championship in 2019.

Sport I’d like to try: Someday I would love to attempt a triathlon. I have always loved running and cycling but the swimming would need some work.

Favorite athlete: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, for taking himself from the bottom to the top all the while staying humble. His journey was neither quick nor easy, but

he never quit on it.

Dream job: Something that allows me to apply my statistics major to environmental activism and sustainability.

Place I’d like to travel: I would love to travel to Queensland, Australia, as scuba diving is a hobby of mine. Preferably this would be before the Great Barrier Reef is completely destroyed.

Something most people don’t know about me: I love drawing and playing guitar.

Least-favorite household chore: I hate things like vacuuming or dusting because I always know that the work I’m putting in now will be completely unnoticeable in less than a week’s time.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I really enjoy drawing people, but I can never seem to get the faces right.

Words to leave by: “There’s a lot less traffi c on the extra mile.” — Roger Staubach

34S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HONORABLE MENTION FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Lauren Richner

$1,000 Encova Insurance Worthington Kilbourne Grade-point average: 4.36 Sports played: Swimming (4 years), water polo (4), track (4) Academic highlights: National Honor Society president; International Baccalaureate Partial Diploma candidate; scored 34 on ACT Athletic highlights: Four-time allstate and seven-time state-meet qualifi er in swimming; two-time district qualifi er in track College choice: Denison (anticipated major: undecided, possible pre-med) Photo location: I’ve been swimming at the Worthington Natatorium since I was 6 years old on my club team, then for my high school water polo and swim teams. I have spent many hours here!

Home front: I live with my parents, Kristin and Tom Richner, and my two siblings, Christopher (16) and Madelyn (13). I also have two baby Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cody and Finn!

Favorite subject: I love history. I took IB History so that I would be able to go back in depth into world history, and I loved the small class size we had.

Least-favorite subject: AP Chemistry was a pretty challenging, but I ended up liking it. I’m even thinking about majoring in chemistry now.

Prized possession: I have a travel journal I’ve used since 2014, so it holds a lot of amazing memories.

Favorite books: I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd. It’s been a comfort series for me since I was in elementary school.

Favorite movies: I love “Titanic” and “The Notebook” even though I always

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have to prepare myself to watch them.

Favorite television show: I started watching “Psych” with my sister and have watched it a dozen times by now.

We even went to Santa Barbara to see where it was fi lmed.

Favorite musician: Frank Ocean Favorite animal: I’ve always had a dog growing up, so I’m a huge dog person! I grew up with a golden retriever named Sunny.

Essential app: I can’t go without TikTok. There are a lot of entertaining videos on there and it’s often how I wind down at the end of the day.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My Italian grandma’s fried dough is superaddictive.

My cooking specialty: I’m no chef, but I make really good Thai peanut noodles.

Favorite restaurant: I like to make my own tacos at Condado, and their

guacamole, salsa and queso are unreal.

Guilty pleasure: Online shopping. I could go pro, but I really try to exercise self-control. I allow it once in a while!

Proudest sports moment: This year at the state swimming meet, our team placed top eight in both of our relays: seventh in the 200 medley and eighth in the 200 free.

Sport I’d like to try: I’ve always wanted to try diving seriously. I’ve never done it outside of my childhood summer swim and dive team, but it looks fun.

Story behind my uniform number: I chose No. 6 for water polo because it was the only option left when I was a freshman. But I got attached to it and I’ve picked it every year since.

Favorite athlete: The Olympic swimmer Lilly King is a huge inspiration. In March, my friends and I were at a meet in Indianapolis and she happened to be swimming, too. We were

pretty star-struck.

Place I’d like to travel: I’d love to go to Italy to see Florence and Venice. We were supposed to go last summer, but our trip got canceled, which was a huge bummer.

Something most people don’t know about me: When I was younger I was convinced I was going to be a famous author.

Least-favorite household chore: I’m scarred from mowing the lawn one time a couple of summers ago when I ran over a wasp nest and got a few stings.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: I have no choice; I’ve been in choirs my whole life!

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I’m so bad at running. I’ve been trying for four years, but I’ve pretty much resorted to the pole vault pit.

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 35S

HONORABLE MENTION MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Aidan Isler $1,000 Encova Insurance

Northridge Grade-point average: 4.41 Sports played: Basketball (4 years), track (4), football (3) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; Superintendent Award winner; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: All-state and all-district, and three-time all-league in football College choice: Ohio State (anticipated major: biomedical engineering) Photo location: At Lobdell Creek near Alexandria. Fishing is one of my favorite activities, between the strategy and adventure of the experience and the mystery of what the next cast might bring.

Home front: I live with my parents, Brian and Kate Isler, and two younger brothers, 16-year-old Bryce and 12-yearold Colton.

Favorite subject: It has to be science. There are so many unique and diverse areas of study that are both engaging and interesting.

Least-favorite subject: Writing and/or English is the hardest subject for me because I am a very rule-driven, numbers-type person. English does not have a specifi c set of rules to follow.

Prized possession: My German Shepherd, Zeus. I got him when I turned 10.

Favorite book: “The Martian,” by Andy Weir, because I am fascinated with space and the book makes it seem so real.

Favorite movie: “Avatar” is one of the best movies ever made. The freedom and lifestyle displayed by the Na’vi on Pandora is fascinating.

Favorite television show: “Black-

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list,” in which the episodes all correlate to form a bigger plot.

Favorite musician: I have never really been interested in music, so I honestly could name only about two musicians.

Favorite animal: Dogs are extremely loyal and want to do nothing than please. They can make your day in an instant.

Essential app: I couldn’t go without the weather app. I enjoy doing things outside, and knowing the weather is vital.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Pheasant stew, made by my mom. It is so hearty and warm, it is fantastic.

My cooking specialty: I bake more than I cook, and during quarantine I found that I can make a mean pizza.

Favorite restaurant: Probably Brio Italian Grille. I am a huge fan of pasta and they have some of the best.

Proudest sports moment: When I

played in my fi rst varsity football game.

I was a sophomore who had not played football the year before due to injury.

Having the older kids all rely on me and say I had done a good job was frankly awesome.

Sport I’d like to try: Mountain biking. Going downhill seems extremely technical and would make my adrenaline race. Going uphill, however, may not be as fun.

Favorite athlete: I met Archie Griffi n when I was a kid. He was extremely nice, took the time to talk to me and autographed my football. Not to mention he is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner and, most important, from The Ohio State University.

Inspiration: Elon Musk is making a diff erence for the world and does not take a step to the side.

Dream job: I want to be an orthopedic surgeon. I have had surgery on my knee already, so I know how much pain

surgeons can take away.

I’d sell this in my store: I would own a fi shing-specifi c store, selling lures, rods, boats, reels and even live bait.

Place I’d like to travel: It’s a dream of mine to visit Alaska and fi sh for salmon.

Something most people don’t know about me: I make my own maple syrup straight from the maple trees in my backyard for my breakfast pancakes.

Least-favorite household chore: Cleaning. I know it is going to get dirty again anyway, so why clean it?

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I cannot sing or jump to save my life.

Words to leave by: “Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going.

Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.” — Kobe Bryant

36S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HONORABLE MENTION FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Ella Rogers $1,000 Encova Insurance

Granville Grade-point average: 4.02 Sports played: Soccer (4 years), basketball (4) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; Cum Laude Society member; Spanish National Honor Society member Athletic highlights: Two-time fi rstteam all-state and all-district and threetime fi rst-team all-league in soccer; allAmerican in soccer; fi rst-team all-district and all-league in basketball; captain of state fi nalist soccer team and basketball team.

College choice: Xavier (anticipated major: management) Photo location: I chose to take the photos on my high school turf fi eld because that is my happy place. I also train there a lot.

Home front: I live with my parents, Denny and Janell, and my brother Coury, who is a senior at Otterbein.

Favorite subject: Math. I’ve always enjoyed numbers, as well as knowing that there is an exact answer. I have also been lucky to have excellent math teachers.

Least-favorite subject: English, because I am not a fan of formal writing.

Prized possession: My family constantly supports me and are always there for me.

Favorite book: “1984,” by George Orwell. I really enjoy the characters and the dystopian plot.

Favorite movie: “Remember the Titans,” because of the themes it points out. Every time I watch it, I am inspired to work harder and be a better teammate.

Favorite television show: “Stranger

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Things.” I love the cast, and the plot is intriguing and exciting. I have watched the series three times and can’t wait for season four.

Favorite musician: Luke Combs, because of his great voice and meaningful lyrics. My favorite song of his is “I Know She Ain’t Ready.”

Favorite animal: I think orca whales are fascinating creatures. I watched the documentary “Black Fish,” and that got me hooked.

Essential app: Snapchat, because I would hate to be disconnected from my friends.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Ribs, prepared by my dad. He smokes them in the Big Green Egg grill and they are amazing.

My cooking specialty: I prefer baking rather than cooking. My specialties are lemon blueberry cake and classic white wedding cake. Baking became a hobby of mine during quarantine.

Favorite restaurant: Chick-fi l-A. I lived in Peachtree City, Georgia, for fi ve years and they were everywhere. I miss not having one close.

Guilty pleasure: Ice cream. I love mocha chip from Graeter’s.

Proudest sports moment: Winning the state semifi nal in my senior year of soccer and playing in the state fi nal.

Sport I’d like to try: I would like to surf. I love being in the water and it looks fun.

Favorite athlete: Julie Ertz of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Inspiration: My brother inspires me because of his constant dedication and strong morals.

Dream job: FBI profi ler, because I love “Criminal Minds.”

I’d sell this in my store: I would make and sell baked goods.

Place I’d like to travel: Denmark.

My future college roommate is from there, and I think it would be cool to see

where she lives.

Something most people don’t know about me: I love to fi sh, thanks to my granddad. I also want to live on a lake.

Least-favorite household chore: Doing the laundry, which is very timeconsuming. I also hate putting my clothes away.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: It depends on who I am around. I will sing out loud in front of my friends.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Making meringue buttercream that’s not grainy.

Advice for an underclassman: If you really want to be successful in something you must grind and put in the hard work because that the only way to earn success.

Words to leave by: “All things are possible for one who believes.” — Mark 9:23

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 37S

HONORABLE MENTION MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Charles Jaeger

$1,000 Encova Insurance Big Walnut Grade-point average: 4.41 Sports played: Swimming (4 years), tennis (3) Academic highlights: AP Scholar; Honda-OSU STEM Award winner; National Honor Society member; scored 34 on ACT Athletic highlights: Second-team all-league in swimming; third-team allleague in tennis College choice: Cincinnati (anticipated major: chemical engineering) Photo location: I chose Schneider’s Bakery in Westerville, my favorite place to get doughnuts and/or cookies growing up and home to more than a few fond memories. Their smiley-face cookies were basically a staple in my diet as a kid.

Home front: I live with my parents, Dave and Becky, and three siblings: my older brother Clark (20) and my younger sisters Kate (15) and Leila (9), along with our mastiff , Rosie.

Favorite subject: Defi nitely math. I love being able to problem-solve and think critically, and it comes pretty naturally.

Least-favorite subject: The one that gave me the most grief was AP psychology.

Prized possession: I have an old stuff ed animal named Farns that was my favorite toy as a kid. It’s a little worse for wear nowadays, but it still makes me smile.

Favorite books: Probably the Percy Jackson series. It’s been a while since I’ve read one, but those books basically framed my entire childhood.

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Favorite movie: “Napoleon Dynamite.” The soundtrack, the humor, the dance scene at the end, and the characters are all unmatched.

Favorite television show: “The Mandalorian.” I grew up watching “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” with my brother.

The Mandalorian reminds me of that part of my life while being interesting and fun.

Favorite musician: Probably John Mayer, who was my inspiration to teach myself how to play guitar.

Favorite animal: I love manatees.

Actually, they kind of remind me of my dog in that they seem laid-back and content, along with looking very huggable.

Essential app: Sadly, TikTok is dangerously addictive, but it’s got basically every kind of content you could think of.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My mom makes an amazing macaroni and mushroom soup.

My cooking specialty: It’s funny that you assume I’m able to cook. The extent of my ability in the kitchen is ba-

sically fried eggs, omelets and paninis.

I’ll need some work before I can live on my own.

Favorite restaurant: Raising Cane’s is defi nitely my go-to, but any fried chicken will do.

Guilty pleasure: Sometimes I just grab a handful of chocolate chips out of the pantry to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Don’t tell anyone.

Sport I’d like to try: I’ve always thought snowboarding could be fun. I can wakeboard, so I’m hoping it’s similar, because I don't want to have to get over the whole learning curve again.

Favorite athlete: Beanie Wells, the former running back for Ohio State. I grew up a Buckeyes fan and plan to be one for the rest of my life.

Inspiration: Defi nitely my dad. The dedication he puts into every aspect of his life is something I’d like to see in myself someday.

Dream job: Probably working for Tesla on solar energy or something of the sort. They’re a cool company and I

admire everything they do.

I’d sell this in my store: Musical instruments. I love playing guitar and piano, so it would bring me great joy to help introduce others to it. Music connects people regardless of their beliefs, cultures or backgrounds.

Place I’d like to travel: Italy, mostly because I love seeing diff erent styles of architecture.

Least-favorite household chore: The laundry. Don’t know why, but I can’t stand it.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Only when it’s people I know pretty well. In all honesty, I’m a terrible singer. I try to not let that deter me, though.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Making good scrambled eggs; they always either turn out too watery or too tough. I'm a terrible cook.

Words to leave by: “Break the wrist, walk away.” — Rex Kwon Do (Napoleon Dynamite)

38S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HONORABLE MENTION FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Elizabeth Saur

$1,000 Encova Insurance Grove City Grade-point average: 4.58 Sport played: Golf (4 years) Academic highlights: AP Scholar Award recipient; National Honor Society member; scored 30 on ACT Athletic highlights: Second-team all-state, two-time all-district and three-time all- league in golf College choice: Youngstown State (anticipated major: engineering) Photo location: I chose Pinnacle Golf Club, where my family are members. Pinnacle holds many of my special memories with friends and family, as well as my golf career.

Home front: My parents are Lisa and Howard Saur. I also have two younger sisters who mean a lot to me. Bella is 15 and played on the high school golf team with me, and Aleia is 9.

Favorite subject: Math comes natural to me and is something I want to have a career with.

Least-favorite subject: I don’t have a least-favorite anymore, but I used to dislike history until high school, where my teachers made classes fun and interesting.

Prized possession: A signed golf glove given to me from Lexi Thompson, the LPGA player who inspires me.

Favorite book: “Golf is Not a Game of Perfect,” by Bob Cullen and Bob Rotella.

It helped me improve my mental game.

Favorite movie: Growing up, “The Lion King” was my favorite. I can still recall watching it with my sister when we were very young.

Favorite television show: I don’t

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really have a favorite because I do not often fi nd time to watch TV. Favorite musician: Post Malone covers many diff erent genres of music. I love every song I have ever heard from him.

Favorite animal: My favorite is a giraff e, because I am really tall, too.

Essential app: My camera app. I am known for always taking pictures because I love looking back on them.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Spaghetti and meatballs, which my gramma and mom prepare using the same recipe. I still have never eaten a better plate of spaghetti than ones from them.

My cooking specialty: Breakfast.

More specifi cally, I am best at cooking eggs and French toast.

Favorite restaurant: Columbus Fish Market. I love their fi let with bearnaise sauce.

Guilty pleasure: Going on late-night car rides with my friends and blasting

music.

Proudest sports moment: When I qualifi ed for the state golf tournament as an individual in my junior year. This was a goal I set for myself when I fi rst started playing — and also was one of the most ambitious goals I’ve ever made.

Sport I’d like to try: I have watched so many of my sister’s basketball games over the past few years, it made me wish I had tried it when I had a chance.

Favorite athlete: Simone Biles. I used to do gymnastics and she served as one of my greatest role models. Now she inspires me by the way she has overcome obstacles and encourages me to keep pushing boundaries and challenging myself.

Inspiration: My parents have done so much for our family. They have made many sacrifi ces, and work incredibly hard.

Dream job: To play professional golf

and also be an entrepreneur.

I’d sell this in my store: I want to own a store where I sell golf clothes specifi cally for women, as well as activewear.

Place I’d like to travel: I’d love to travel to many parts of the world but the top destination on my bucket list is Iceland to see the Northern Lights, visit a geothermal pool and see an ice cave.

Least-favorite household chore: The chore my sisters and I try to get out of is loading the dishwasher. I would rather clean and organize.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: No, I usually only sing with my closest friends.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I can never pose for pictures no matter how hard I try.

Words to leave by: Live by the belief that everything happens for a reason and fi nd positivity in every moment you can.

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 39S

HONORABLE MENTION MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Victor Nash $1,000 Encova Insurance Thomas Worthington Grade-point average: 4.39 Sports played: Cross country (4 years), track (4) Academic highlights: National Merit Scholarship fi nalist; AP Scholar with Distinction; National Honor Society member; scored 35 on ACT Athletic highlights: Team captain and leadership board member in cross country; state-meet qualifi er in track College choice: Case Western Reserve (anticipated major: civil engineering) Photo location: Along the Olentangy Trail, where I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. I love having this natural space so close to my home where I can relax and ground myself.

Home front: My parents are Steve and Patricia Nash, and I have two siblings: my sister, Christina, is 22, and my brother, Wesley, is 12.

Favorite subject: It’s hard to pick one because I like pretty much everything. This year I’ve liked physics because I can apply it to the real world.

Least-favorite subject: I had an engineering class this year that comprised four big, open-ended projects. I ended up getting the work done, but most of that work was done on the night before it was due.

Prized possession: I don’t mean to brag, but my team wins a lot of trophies.

Sitting on my shelf right now is the 2019 cross country district runner-up trophy.

Favorite book: The answer usually is “whatever I’m reading right now.” In the past year I’ve enjoyed “Interior Chinatown,” by Charles Yu; “Invisible Man,”

by Ralph Ellison; and I’ve re-read the Harry Potter series, to name a few.

JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite television shows: If I want to think: “Russian Doll.” If I don’t: “Parks and Recreation.”

Favorite musician: My playlist features artists from the Beatles to Tyler, The Creator to Antonio Vivaldi. But if I had to pick a favorite it might be Hozier.

Favorite animal: Sometimes I see a picture of a bear just chilling and I think “that would be a good animal to pet if it didn’t result in me getting mauled.”

Essential app: A lot of times I prefer YouTube to TV or movies. It feels more personal when someone’s talking about cooking, or music theory, or movies that I like.

My cooking specialty: I’ve gotten really into Italian cooking in the past few years, partly because one main point is getting complex fl avors out of a few simple ingredients. One such dish is pasta aglio e olio — literally just garlic

and oil and pasta.

Guilty pleasure: Doesn’t everyone say ice cream? If it were possible to eat it for every meal and still be able to run reasonably fast, I wouldn’t have to worry about meal-planning anymore.

Sports I’d like to try: Skeleton — that one-man head-fi rst sled from the Winter Olympics. A (slightly) less dangerous one might be another event from track and fi eld: the pole vault.

Favorite athlete: Derek Jeter was one of the best baseball players of all time, known for coming through in the clutch throughout his career. Plus, his Turn 2 Foundation has been helping atrisk kids since his rookie year.

Inspiration: My cross country and track coach, Bill Darling, forms a personal relationship with every runner he coaches and is one of the best storytellers I know.

Dream job: I’d spend half an hour popping bubble wrap, taste-test dishes for a fi ve-star restaurant, and then retire to a life of luxury. More seriously, I would be happy in any job where I can use creative and analytical skills to help people.

I’d sell this in my store: Used running shoes. I have a lot of them and while they might not be healthy to keep running in, someone who needs a pair could buy them for cheap.

Least-favorite household chore: I always have baskets full of laundry in my room. Once I fi gured out I can just wash and dry my clothes without actually putting them away, I was screwed.

Words to leave by: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’ ” — Kurt Vonnegut

40S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

HONORABLE MENTION FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Catherine Wolfe

$1,000 Encova Insurance Ready Grade-point average: 3.97 Sports played: Softball (4 years), basketball (2), volleyball (1) Academic highlights: National Honor Society member; Father Huber Memorial scholarship winner; scored 31 on ACT Athletic highlights: Captain of twotime league champion in softball College choice: Ohio State (anticipated major: criminology and criminal justice studies) Photo location: The science lab of my high school is one of my favorite spots because I was always doing something hands-on there. As a curious person, it was where I knew I could go to get my questions answered.

Home front: I live with my parents, Carrie and Jimmy Wolfe; my 16-year-old brother, Andrew, who is a sophomore at Ready; and my 12-year-old sister, Julia, who is in seventh grade at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Favorite subject: I took every science class I could fi t into my schedule, from biology to chemistry to physics to anatomy. I love working hard to understand the “why?” in life.

Least-favorite subject: Being honest, I don’t have a least-favorite. I tend to be a little bit of a nerd in that way. The subject that has given me the most trouble, however, is math. I have spent countless hours asking for calculus help.

Prized possession: Some of the best gifts I have received are in ticket form.

My favorites are from seeing “Hamilton” live, going to Washington D.C., and rid-

MADDIE SCHROEDER/FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ing roller coasters at Cedar Point.

Favorite book: “The Hunger Games,” by Suzanne Collins. I love how it’s like I’m in the arena with Katniss.

Favorite movie: Although “The Help” is sad at some parts, the overall story is eye-opening and invites conversation about important issues.

Favorite musicians: This is a tough question! But if I had to narrow it, I’d say Khalid or Harry Styles have songs for every mood and occasion.

Favorite animal: Duh, the wolf. It looks friendly, but is secretly fi erce (like me).

Favorite home-cooked meal: When my mom marinates pork chops and asparagus and grills them. I eat asparagus like candy.

My cooking specialty: Eggs. I like to add cheese, spinach and mushrooms to them.

Favorite restaurant: Buff alo Wild Wings is our go-to for a postgame meal, and we always have good laughs and

good food.

Guilty pleasure: A venti iced coff ee from Starbucks.

Proudest sports moment: Winning the Central Catholic League softball championship in back-to-back years.

Story behind my uniform number: Normally, I’m the No. 3, which I picked after I heard the “Schoolhouse Rock” song “Three is a Magic Number.” When I got to high school, No. 3 was taken, so I went to the next best, No. 13.

Favorite athlete: Serena Williams is a strong, bold and competitive businesswoman. She does it all.

Inspiration: My grandmothers. My mother’s mother, Chris Doppes, had a job and raised four kids while my grandfather served in the military. My father’s mother, Terri Wolfe, was a single mom who had to work hard for everything she earned.

Dream job: President of the United States. I want to have the means to help all people. Plus, living in the White

House would be pretty cool.

I’d sell this in my store: I would sell shoes — all kinds of shoes! I also would add snack stations because sometimes I get a little hungry after spending too much time at the store.

Place I’d like to travel: China. I have taken four years of Mandarin Chinese and the culture fascinates me.

Least-favorite household chore: Loading the dishwasher. Having to touch food from other people’s plates is gross.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Always! I even tend to sing my sentences on a regular basis.

A lot of times I don’t even realize it.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: I can’t fi gure out how to do the kick worm. I shake the whole house trying, but I haven’t quite mastered it.

Words to leave by: “Dream with ambition, lead with conviction.” — Kamala Harris

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 41S

HONORABLE MENTION MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Reece Yakubov

$1,000 Encova Insurance St. Charles Grade-point average: 4.12 Sports played: Tennis (4 years), golf (4) Academic highlights: National Merit Commended Scholar; National Honor Society member; scored 33 on ACT Athletic highlights: Four-time state-tournament qualifi er and fourtime all-league in tennis; four-time allleague in golf College choice: Ohio State (anticipated major: pre-med ) Photo location: I chose Tennis Ohio, the old Ohio State varsity indoor facility, where I grew the most as a player.

Home front: I am the youngest in a family of fi ve with my parents, Tracey and Steven, and two older brothers, both of whom are golfers. Connor is the oldest and Evan is the middle child.

Favorite subject: Math, specifi cally statistics. It’s interesting to see the various ways to present data to help prove your point. I am all about proving myself right.

Least-favorite subject: Physics.

Electricity and stuff like that will never make sense to me.

Favorite book: “Open,” by Andre Agassi, is an amazing insight into his life and his mindset while on tour.

Favorite movie: “The Wolf of Wall Street” has an absolute crazy storyline and Leo DiCaprio did an amazing job playing Jordan Belfort.

Favorite television show: “The Blacklist.” It’s never repetitive and always action-packed.

KYLE ROBERTSON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Favorite musician: The country star Thomas Rhett is a great singer and he seems like such a laid-back kind of guy.

Favorite animal: Dogs truly are man’s best friend.

Essential app: The comedic information on Twitter is next level. You can fi nd things on Twitter that you would never think of fi nding elsewhere.

Favorite home-cooked meal: My mom’s steak. I’m not sure what her secret is, but she has never made a bad steak in her life.

My cooking specialty: I’d have to say my specialty is heating up frozen food or throwing things in the microwave. If you count ordering food online, then that might be my specialty.

Favorite restaurant: Hudson 29 is a go-to restaurant for me and my family. I like their cheeseburger.

Proudest sports moment: Qualifying for the state championship in golf my sophomore year. Our team was an

underdog of sorts heading into that season and I am proud of the way we all came together to have a great year. Not bad for a tennis player.

Sport I’d like to try: I would love to try to hit a major-league pitch in baseball. People say that it is the hardest thing to do in sports; I just want one crack at it.

Favorite athlete: The golfer Dustin Johnson. His on-course demeanor and his ability to forget about the past is something I strive for.

Inspiration: My older brothers have shown me what it means to work hard and what success really looks like. I always try to be just a little bit better than them, which is tough.

I’d sell this in my store: Probably designer clothes or shoes. I'm not as interested in those things as some of my friends are, but I know that there is a large market out there for buying and selling those items.

Place I’d like to travel: I’ve never been to Europe, and I feel like a perfect starting place would be Paris.

Least-favorite household chore: Doing the dishes. For whatever reason, it is just such a drag to wash off the dishes at the end of a meal. I can never get over it.

True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: Defi nitely not. I am not a very good singer and not very willing to let people know that.

Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: A left-handed forehand in tennis. Given my righthanded forehand capabilities, I would think that I would pick up left-handed relatively easy, but that is far from the case.

Words to leave by: “Make it happen” is a favorite saying of St. Charles principal James Lower and athletic director Dave Lawler. I always try to make them proud.

42S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 43S

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Unity pushed New Albany girls swimming to fi rst state title Bailey Johnson Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

Dave Wharton’s main goal was to keep his swimmers in good spirits.

The New Albany swimming coach knew that merely being in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic would be hard enough without added stress and pressure coming from him.

Even as Wharton navigated strict protocols and questions about whether the state meet would even happen at the end of the season, he shielded much of the uncertainty from his team.

“They had enough stress in their life,” Wharton said. “I wanted their time at the pool and in the pool to be an opportunity, while social distancing and staying safe, to be with their friends, to get exercise in so they could clear their head for that hour or whatever time they had, so they could continue to be functioning as best they can.”

Dealing with the eff ects of the pandemic wasn’t easy, but the Eagles’ girls

New Albany’s Olivia Hovorka, right, hugs Carly Meeting after the Eagles won the 400-yard freestyle relay, and its fi rst state team title on Feb. 26.

SHANE FLANIGAN/THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

swim and dive team managed to put together a strong season and win the school’s fi rst Division I team state championship. For their eff orts, they were named The Dispatch’s high school team of the year for 2020-21, an award sponsored by Abercrombie & Fitch.

After fi nishing as state runner-up by just nine points in 2020, Wharton

thought his team had a good chance to improve upon that fi nish in 2021. But with so much unpredictability throughout the season, he didn’t know what to expect when his team hit the pool in late February in Canton.

Then the Eagles won the fi rst race of the day, the 200 medley relay, to open on a high note and didn’t look back. Though swimming is mostly an individual sport, Wharton and the Eagles fi rmly believe that high fi nishes build momentum throughout the meet.

“The relays winning, that made a huge diff erence,” Wharton said. “As much as it is a points thing, it’s a team pride and motivation thing, too. To start the meet off winning the relay and to fi nish the meet winning the relay, it was nice on both ends.”

New Albany held an eight-point lead over Mason heading into the meet-closing 400 free relay. A win in the event would secure the team title, and the relay team of Carly Meeting, Olivia Hovorka, Ashlyn Morr and Ava Lachey delivered.

With a time of 3 minutes, 24.65 sec-

onds, more than two seconds faster than the second-place team, the Eagles got the points they needed to win their fi rst state championship.

“It was a great feeling,” Morr said. “We feel honored to have won for the fi rst time in school history, and it was great to do it with this team.”

Meeting, a sophomore, experienced fi rsthand the legendary atmosphere of the state swim meet in 2020. The 2021 edition was much more subdued, with only one spectator allowed per competitor. Without the usual thousands of screaming fans, it was up to each team to create energy internally.

Morr and Meeting said dealing with the pandemic throughout the season made the team uniquely close, which was required to cheer each other to victory in Canton.

“We’re just proud that we could do what we did this year with such a weird season,” Meeting said. “I think the whole experience was something diff erent and especially winning was diff erent, so it was really nice.”

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44S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Opening up

Scholar-athletes refl ect on their high school experiences Grace Royer, Hilliard Davidson

As a way of acknowledging the disruptive eff ects of the coronavirus pandemic on high school students, the 204 seniors being honored by The Dispatch and Encova Insurance for being their school’s top scholar-athletes were asked to participate in a survey, with questions including: • What have you learned about yourself during this stressful time?

• How have your leadership skills evolved?

• What good advice have you received?

• What advice would you off er to a younger student-athlete?

Here is a sampling of their answers.

Other answers can be found at dispatch.com/scholarathletes:

Best advice I received: My lacrosse coach would say to control the controllables and forget about everything else.

He would say we can’t change the weather or our opponent or the refs but we can change our attitude, our intensity, our play. This advice translates to life in many ways.

Jacob Reed, Lancaster

Ethan Laslo, Mount Vernon Advice for younger student-athletes: Love the grind. Whether it is in the classroom or on the fi eld, enjoy the process of bettering yourself on a daily basis to truly appreciate the person you have become.

Grace Jenkins (12) of Watterson SHANE FLANIGAN/THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

somewhat cheesy, my soccer coach would often stop a drill and remind me that after a mistake, I must channel my inner Elsa and “let it go.” He reminded me that I may make a wrong decision but I can’t go back and change it.

Lydia Muldoon, Upper Arlington Best advice I received: My water polo coach told me: Treat people with kindness. In the end, people won’t remember you for what you did, but rather for how you made them feel.

Taylor Rice, Grove City Christian Advice for younger student-athletes: Be kind to everyone. You never know who may need that encouragement during a practice/game. Positivity breeds more positivity and is more effective than negativity will ever be.

Garrett Mielke, Dublin Scioto Advice for younger student-athletes: Spend time cultivating friendships. Be a great listener. Be a great friend. Show up for others. Friendships aren’t built on big acts, but on a million little acts. Meaningful friendships take time, but they will outlast any school record, trophy, accomplishment or award you receive.

Orlando Jones, Independence What I learned: What I will take away from my senior year is that through the ups and downs of being told we could play, then couldn’t, and then

Carley Bryant, Bloom-Carroll Reagan Farmer of Liberty Union SUBMITTED PHOTO

could again is that every team (no matter the sport) showed love and support to one another.

Grace Jenkins, Watterson Best advice I received: Although

Advice for younger student-athletes: Don’t be scared to step into the unknown when looking into your future. Enjoy every day and be a light to the people around you.

Denver Kosch, Liberty Union On leadership: I’ve learned that my value as a leader comes not only from being a voice in my teammate’s ears, but being a good example to watch.

What I learned: The adversities and disappointments we faced during the past year have taught me to focus, regardless of circumstance. I have learned that goals are not short-term and that I need to look beyond the immediate. I have grown and matured and realized that responsible and patient people get results.

Brynn Peddicord, Newark Catholic Lasting memory: This year has been pretty memorable for obvious reasons but I will take away that not just myself and my classmates but also the surrounding schools persevered through so much. The fact that we all got through it together makes everything much more memorable.

Reagan Farmer, Liberty Union What I learned: That I enjoy the tranquility and fl exibility of online school, but also that it is necessary for me to be around others to cultivate friendships. I also learned that my basement gets very hot when I work out down there.

Megan Massmann, Gahanna Best advice I received: “Be where your feet are.” To me this means focus on the moment you are in and give everything you have to this moment. Do not worry about what will happen in the future and do not live in the past.

See OPENING UP, Page 46S

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 45S

TOMORROW’S LEADERS.

TODAY.

The Columbus Dispatch and our affiliate businesses salute these future leaders, the Scholar Athlete Awards class of 2021.

“Well Done.”

46S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Opening up

Luke Twiss, Canal Winchester Advice for younger student-athletes: If you want something, go get it.

No excuses. Period, done.

Continued from Page 44S

Austin Knupp, Olentangy Orange

Cael Shaw, Hamilton Township

What I learned: That life is about fi nding the positives that come out of everything instead of sitting there thinking about what could have been.

On leadership: I am proud of the fact that I got a large chunk of my classmates to get vaccinated!

Kelly Sapp, Fredericktown

Ronmel Robinson, South

Advice for younger student-athletes: Try new things, inside and outside of school. Go try that food you’ve been wanting to try. Go learn karate. Go learn how to sing, knit, play an instrument, run, play volleyball. Whatever it is that you've always wanted to learn how to do but are scared to do because you may fail or be judged, go do it anyway.

Best advice I received: Don’t let anything steal your shine.

Emily Opfer, East Knox

Kendrick Frempong, Mifflin

Tyler Kindberg of Worthington Christian SHANE FLANIGAN/THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Best advice I received: Don’t let yourself be the one who stops you from being great. My guidance counselor taught me this. As soon as I stopped judging myself harshly and stopped creating unrealistic expectations for myself, I noticed a positive change in my happiness and performance.

letes: I would tell someone approaching their senior year to not rush anything.

Enjoy every little chance that you get.

Take part in activities even if some of your friends don’t want to go.

Autymn Briggs, Westerville North

Best advice I received: Be your own person fi rst and then fi nd those who will make you better. You are the sum of the fi ve people closest to you and that is how you will improve yourself.

Advice for younger student-athletes: Don’t be afraid to try something new. My senior year I decided to try out for cheerleading. I made the varsity team and made many new memories.

Even if you are scared to do something new you can’t let fear hold you back because you never know the outcome until you try.

Monty Lobb, Bloom-Carroll Best advice I received: When things get tough, positivity always wins.

Taylor Hughes, Westerville South What I learned: How to adapt. I learned how to go from online school to in-person school. I learned to adapt to wearing masks and social distancing.

Overall, I’ve learned how to make the most out of what I’m given.

Kyah Mitchell, Mifflin Advice for younger student-ath-

Riley Woods, Jonathan Alder What I learned: That I spent too much time playing video games and looking at my phone and not enough time living in the present and appreciating the world around me. With this realization, I spent more time outside, more time reading, and less time on my phone and truly felt alive and happy.

Jayce Fitzpatrick, Olentangy Liberty

Noel Frye, Olentangy Orange

Tyler Kindberg, Worthington Christian Advice for younger student-athletes: Hold onto your dreams, but loosely. I think it’s important to have dreams, but things don’t always go as you plan, so you have to be willing to adjust to the way things go.

Elaina Winslow, Jonathan Alder Best advice I received: Your worth does not depend on your results. No matter how fast you run or how many goals you score, your family and friends will still be proud of you.

Grace Vega, Pickerington Central On leadership: My coach was unable to attend a junior varsity track meet, so being the only senior on the team, I took

On leadership: Through the pandemic I witnessed a few of my peers slacking in school, so I did all I could to motivate and help them to pass their classes so they could walk the graduation stage with me.

Autymn Briggs of Westerville North PROVIDED PHOTO

it upon myself to step in and help them warm up and motivate them. That day many of the girls ran personal-record times and all were very happy with their races. I am proud of myself for taking part in that.

Best advice I received: When choosing what path I would take next year, I had to think about what I wanted, not what I believed everyone else wanted for me. In a lot of situations, I feel more comfortable letting others choose for me, but this advice forced me to examine what I needed to get out of my college experience as a student and as an athlete.

Ellie Andrews, Dublin Coffman What I learned: I’m a more patient person than I realized. I have also learned the importance of being fl exible and staying focused through unexpected challenges.

Christine Cooke, Wellington

Olivia DiGiovine, Olentangy

What I learned: I am really hopeful for my generation. Even though this year was really tough, I feel like we were all super-resilient and adaptive to the changes made.

Best advice I received: My sophomore-year English teacher told me to never turn away an opportunity even if it is outside my comfort zone. I am forever grateful she told me that.

dispatch.com | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 47S

Congratulations Scholar Athletes!

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48S | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ENCOVA INSURANCE PROUDLY SUPPORTS OUR FUTURE COMMUNITY LEADERS At Encova, we encourage and support members of our community who work to become better leaders every day. We’re proud of all the 2021 Scholar Athlete Award Finalists for their leadership on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.

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