CATAWISSA Karly Renn is willing to put in the work to be successful.

Whether on the soccer field, fine-tuning her form in the pole vault, or doing schoolwork, the Southern Columbia senior is motivated to perform her best.

"Shehas an unbelievable work rate," Southern Columbia girls soccer coach Derek Stine said of his midfielder."Her work rate is second to none."

Renn said she's always been that way, especially when it came to school.

"I'm just really determined,"Renn said. "Even when I was little, when I would get home from school I wouldn't eat my snack first. I would always do my schoolwork first. I prioritize my schoolwork, even before soccer. School always comes first because it's what you're going to need later in life."

Renn's play on the soccer field, which has helped the Tigers to a five-game winning streak heading into the state playoffs, hersparkling GPA (4.0), anda commitment to community service are why she was selected as The Daily Items Scholar-Athlete of the Week, sponsored by SUN Orthopaedics of Evangelical, as well as PPL Electric Utilities.

The award honors local student-athletes who thrive in the classroom, in the community, and on Valley playing fields.

Renn and her Southern Columbia teammates host Moravian Academy in the Class A quarterfinals tonight at 7.

"I'm a midfielder, so I'm trying to control the middle,"Renn said. "I'm keeping the team calm in stressful situations. We've battled through so many close games. I'm trying to keep up our mentality, and I'm assuring my teammates, like, 'You're good. It's OK.'"

That role has taken on extra importance this season as Renn is the only senior on the Tigers' roster.

"Karly is not the most vocal person,"Stine said. "She leads by example. She's an all-around good player, good person. The younger girls definitely look up to her."

Renn said at the beginning of the season, everyone looked to her to lead as a returning captain, but otherTigers have stepped up as the season has gone on.

"I was behind the scenes, an on-field leader,"Renn said. "I wasn't the one who was leading the stretches; I wasn't the voice of the team. This year, that's changed. I've had to step up and be a vocal leader on and off the field."

Away from the field, Renn is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Columbia Class of 2021.

"It's been different with online schooling,"Renn said. "We're doing a hybrid schedule, so I have a lot more free time at home during the day to get my work done.

"I've been handling it as best as I can.There's so many obstacles that are being thrown at us. We're just forced to adapt to them.

"Soccer is one thing that's kept some normalcy in our lives, and it's been great."

Renn has been handling it well, continuing her streak of final grade As, as getting a B even on a test is something she doesn't take lightly.

"We have this hard biology class, and I've gotten a B in there,"Renn said, "but I get real upset when I don't do well. If I get a bad test grade, someone will be able to tell from the outside that I didn't do well."

Renn is currently enrolled in three honors classes(calculus 2, Spanish 5 and physics), and is taking English composition as a dual-enrollment student with Luzerne County Community College. That ups her total to double-digit honors and Advanced Placement classes with another semester left.

"We're writing a lot of essays,"Renn said of her dual-enrollment class. "It's a lot of on-your-own assignments, but I've been doing well because I'm motivated to complete them."

Renn added that she and some of her classmates are the first to take Honors Spanish 5. Renn's true academic interests lie in maths and sciences.

"Math and scienceare combined for my favorites,"Renn said. "I've always loved math, and science is a close second. Engineering is a combination of the two of those.

"I love problem-solving.I love getting the right answer. In English, there's no right or wrong like in math. It just seems to click for me. I have really good teachers, too, and that helps for sure."

That plays into her future plans. Renn said she is planning to pole vault and study engineering bio or biomedical in college. She is currently looking at Patriot League schools.

Renn said she is taking a fun class, but that fun class still plays into her enjoyment of science ecology.

"I actually have a chameleon that I take care of for a grade,"Renn said. "We have a courtyard, so me and my friend have the job of taking care of a flowerbed. We plant flowers and things like that. That's more of my laid-back, fun-type class."

In addition to school, sports and working two jobs, Renn also finds time to give back to her community.

She helped raise funds for the "Chase Strong" campaign for a local child the cousin of a former teammate who died from brain cancer.

"It's important to help others,"Renn said, "plus it's a nice thing to do, and it makes you feel good."

She has also volunteered at Southern Columbia's girls youth soccer camp, which she said had the dual benefit of helping the youth in her community and building the future of the soccer program.

"I can't say enough good about Karly Renn,"Stine said. "Off the field, she's every bit the person that she is the player on the field."

See more here:
Renn motivated to excel on, off field - Sunbury Daily Item