“Kurt Gostel coached my coach, Andy Parker, so that made it special,” Sacks said.
Parker has seen the development of Sacks’ game over the years.
“Drew has quickly become one of the brightest stars from the Greater Dayton area, not only on the lanes but off the lanes,” Parker said. “He is someone Kurt would be proud to have represent his name and our city.”
The Butler High School graduate is the third member of his family to earn the prestigious award as both his brother Eric (‘12) and sister Jessica (‘18) are former recipients. The 18-year-old’s bowling resume is lengthy including back-to-back OHSAA Division I state singles titles, four Aviators High School Bowling MVP awards and the Ohio High School Bowling Coaches Association Senior Bowler of the Year award.
Sacks has posted four 300 games and a career high series of 840. He has won local, state and national titles.
“This scholarship is obviously the biggest accomplishment because it’s not just about bowling,” he said.
Off the lanes, the honor roll student maintained a 3.3 GPA and participated in a variety of community service projects. From youth coaching to participating in service projects to working on local political campaigns, Sacks was active in the Vandalia community.
He is continuing his bowling career at Lindenwood University where he is majoring in marketing.
While Sacks is moving on to the collegiate bowling ranks, Renner is putting bowling on the back burner for now, as she is a first-year student at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute studying livestock production and management.
“I will miss it, but I’ll definitely be busy,” she said.
Renner, 18, was a four-year starter at Fairborn High School, earning All-GWOC honors and qualifying to the district tournament every season. She earned MVP recognition for her final three seasons. But Renner’s success on the lanes began long before high school as she started winning youth tournaments almost a decade ago. She has a 300 game to her credit and a 709 high series.
Renner – who had a 4.0 GPA her senior year – was an honor student and an inductee in the National Technical Honor Society. She became involved in 4-H shortly before she entered high school, participating in a variety of projects. It was her involvement in the organization that sparked her career interest working with animals.
While her accomplishments checked all the boxes, Renner was still a bit surprised to win the scholarship.
“I was definitely excited but not expecting it,” she said. “There are so many talented bowlers out there.”
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