Jackson Center senior Preston Serr will attend Findlay University in the fall to study Exercise Science. (Press Pros Feature Photo)
A pair of multi-sport impact athletes, Botkins’ Addison Blindauer and Jackson Center’s Preston Serr are the Press Pros/Sponsors Shelby County League scholar-athlete scholarship winners for 2026.
The 2025-’26 school year marked the most diverse group of applicants in the twelve-year history of the Press Pros/Sponsors scholar-athlete awards, but in the end Botkins’ senior Addison Blindauer and Jackson Center’s Preston Serr were selected by our committee as recipients of the Shelby County League’s David Borchers Memorial Scholarship Awards for 2026.
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What makes the 2026 class of applicants so unique is the off-court (or off-field) qualities of those chosen as well as their accomplishment in varsity competition.
The girls recipient for 2026 is Botkins soccer standout Addison Blindauer, who graduates with a 4.0 GPA while grading a 31 on her ACT score…her myriad of community service endeavors…diverse awards as a four-year starter in soccer for Botkins, and Offensive Player of The Year this past fall, as well as First Team All-Ohio honors.
Her post-graduate plans are to attend the Ball State University (in Muncie) come fall, and study architecture.
Personal essays are an important element to the Press Pros scholarship application, and Blindauer had this to write about her leadership experiences as a four-year scholar athlete at Botkins.
“The most meaningful leadership moments did not happen during victories. Rather, they came during hard practices when teammates became discouraged or wanted to quit. Encouraging others taught me the values of servant leadership. I discovered that leaders lift others before themselves. And leadership is not just directing play on the field. It’s standing up for the dignity of those you lead.”
Botkins senior Addison Blindauer will attend Ball State University in the fall to study architecture.
And her off-the-field service to her community includes being a tutor for elementary and middle-school students…and lifeguard at the community pool where she took additional responsibility for the safety and well-being of others.
Obviously detail-oriented, her body of work through four years at Botkins High School is a credit to herself and the example set forth by the faculty and administration.
This year’s boys recipient is no stranger to those who follow Shelby County League basketball.
Senior Preston Serr is known for his three-point shooting ability and averaged double figures for the Tigers in 2025-’26, a team that finished runner-up in the district final.
However, his overall qualities earned him District 9 recognition, Team MVP honors, and honorable mention All-Ohio stature.
He will graduate with a 4.0 GPA and plans on attending the University of Findlay in the fall where his plans are to major in Exercise Science and Physical Therapy.
In his personal essay Serr added: “My dad has been the most influential person in my life. He’s always driven to me to practices, games, and distant AAU events, and he’s a constant supporter in anything that I do. As a 20-year assistant coach at Jackson Center his advice and support has motivated me to always give my best effort and leadership example.”
Athletes In Action is proud to be a presenting sponsor of area basketball on Press Pros Magazine.com. Call now for camp opportunities for your team in summer, 2026.
Recipients’ applications are ranked by panel of independent retired teachers and guidance counselors, based on grade point average, ACT/SAT score, athletic accomplishment, and personal essay.
Blindauer and Serr will each receive the Press Pros David Borchers Memorial Scholarship for Development in the amount of $2,500 to help further their scholastic and athletic pursuits this fall. And 2026 marks $155,000 dollars in scholar-athlete awards through Press Pros since the program began in 2013 – the largest such endowment of any daily media platform in Ohio.
The Press Pros sponsors scholar-athlete awards are made possible by the following area companies and contributing sponsors:
The Minster Bank, Keyhole Pizza (Newport), Allenbaugh Insurance (Jackson Center), Bunny’s Pharmacy (Sidney), Crale Builders (Sidney), Huffer Chiropractic (Jackson Center), Wilson Sports Medicine, 49 Degrees (Coldwater), The Spot Restaurant (Seth Middleton, Sidney), H.A. Dorsten Contractors (Minster), Minster Dental, Logan Services (Amanda Kinsella, Vandalia), and The Bill and Dorothy Davis Foundation in Central Ohio.
Wilson Health/Orthopedics proudly sponsors the best in area sports and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Press Pros.