Lashutka Scholarship Award
Greg Lashutka Scholarship Award
This is the 13th anniversary of the Lashutka Awards. We award scholarships to deserving high school seniors who excel in cross-country running, the classroom and leadership activities.
Each winner will receive $1,000 toward their college tuition.
2011 Scholarship Winners:
Danny Meyung, Lewis Center
Danny Meyung is a senior at Olentangy Orange High School. An avid distance runner, he’s been captain of his school’s crosscountry track team for three years. He was named to the All Central District cross country team for three years, and to the second team of the Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division for two years. In 2011, he won the Pickerington Invitational.
Danny has a grade-point average of 4.17, and was named to the National Honor Society the last two years. He’s served on the cabinet of his student government for three years.
He is co-editor of his school’s newspaper a d is a member of DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship.
He also has donned the costume of his school mascot for four years. In February, Danny conceived of and organized a charity basketball game for all the mascots in the 32-team OCC league, which raised money for the Special Olympics.
Sebastian Matt, New Albany
Sebastian Matt is a senior at New Albany High School, where he maintains a 4.0 grade point average.
In addition to his own classes, he also serves as a biology teaching assistant. He has interned at the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center at OSU, and was selected to participate in Nationwide Children’s Hospital educational program called “Mechanisms of Human Health and Disease.” He is a member of his high school’s technology club, and has participated in his school’s Science Olympiad team and in Ohio Model United Nations.
He volunteers with the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and the New Albany Classic.
In cross country, he was a state championship qualifier in 2009 and 2010, named to Academic All Ohio 2009 and 2010, All Region in 2010. His current 2011 ranking is First Team U.S; his personal best is 15:44.2.
Sebastian wants to continue his career in cross country and indoor and outdoor track in college, and would like to study molecular biology or bio-chemistry at a liberal arts university.
Grant Onken, Dublin
Grant Onken is a senior at Dublin Coffman High School, where he maintains a 3.675 grade point average.
He’s been on his school’s cross country team for four years, and this year is the team’s captain. His personal best is 15:46; he has been a Varsity letter winner all four years of high school. This year, he has been named to the first team, All OCC, All District and All Ohio.
He’s also on the student council and serves as this year’s homecoming chair. In his free team, he participates in Young Life and volunteers at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and the Dublin Food Pantry.
Kayla Scott, Canal Winchester
Kayla Scott is the daughter of Diana and Kevin Scott in Canal Winchester, where she is a senior maintaining a 3.743 grade point average.
She is one of the state’s top runners. She’s captain of her school’s cross country and track and field teams. Her personal best is 18:04, winning the Galion Cross Country Festival in September. In 2009 and 2010, she was named to the All Mid-State League and All-District.
Kayla is also on the Canal Winchester High School basketball team. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and serves on her student council.
As a volunteer, she coached young girls participating in the Girls on the Run program at Capital University, and helped with the Columbus Marathon. With her family, she’s helped cook and serve meals at various homeless shelters and has volunteered with the Adopt a Family program of Canal Winchester Human Services.
Olivia Menden, Columbus
Olivia Menden is a senior at Upper Arlington High School, where she maintains a grade point average of 4.2692.
She is captain of her school’s cross country team, basketball team and track team, and serves on the leadership committee for Student Venture, a high school ministry.
Her personal best in cross country is 18:45.60. This year she has been named to the All League OCC Central Division, All District and All Ohio.
In basketball, she earned a varsity letter in both her sophomore and junior years.
She’s a member of Links Crew Leaders, a group of students who mentor high-school freshmen at Upper Arlington High school. She’s a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a counselor at a youth basketball camp. She also volunteers at Ohio State University Hospital.
Olivia is organizing a 5K run to be held in the spring of 2012 to benefit Solly and Sammy’s Foundation for Peace in Columbus.
Clarissa Bons, Dublin
Clarissa is a senior at Dublin Coffman High School, where she maintains a grade point average of 4.112.
Her personal best in cross country is 19:11.14. She’s the captain of her cross country team. Last year she was named to the All-Ohio Capital Conference as well as All District, All Regional and Academic All Ohio.
Clarissa is a member of the National Honor Society as well as her school’s theater club. She tutors through the Literacy Connection, and for several years she has served as class president of her church’s youth group.
As a volunteer, she’s worked at the Dublin food pantry, restored hiking trails at Firelands Boy Scout Camp near Wakeman, raked leaves for the elderly, and helped clean up city parks.
