Although she stays busy with sports, church activities, academics and a part-time job, one local student managed to garner another recent achievement.

Greensburg Community High School senior Taryn Owens, 18, was named as a state finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. To celebrate the announcement, the local restaurant provided Owens, her parents Tony and Laura Owens, principal Phil Chapple and athletic director Bill Edwards with a congratulatory and complimentary lunch on Wednesday.

Created in 1994, the Wendy’s High School Heisman program has honored youth excellence for 14 years. The program consists of six stages, which include the application, school winners, state finalists, state winners, national finalists and finally national winners.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman is awarded in conjunction with the collegiate Heisman and celebrates the achievements of the nation’s top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. The award encourages future leadership by recognizing well-balanced lifestyles at an early age.

While maintaining a high grade point average, Owens participated in cross country, basketball, track and field and softball. She is also active with the Youth Council at St. Mary’s and is part of the Junior Optimist Club, FCA, SADD and the student council at GCHS. According to her parents, she has yet to choose a school but plans to go into the sports medicine/physical therapy field.

“She’s a three-sport athlete,” Edwards said. “And she’s had success in all of them. She does a very nice job for Greensburg.”

He added that her involvement in several organizations and activities as well as her good citizenship made her success in sports even more impressive.

“It’s a lot of commitment and time,” he noted.

Owens expressed her appreciation of GCHS counselor Sue Auffenberg for the nomination, and admitted she was surprised to realize how important the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award truly was. The award opened her eyes to the reality of scholarship, she said, and encouraged others to not hesitate when filling out scholarship applications.

Owens will next be traveling to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for a banquet where she will be recognized during the Colts and Houston Texans football game on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Twelve national finalists will be invited to participate in Heisman weekend festivities during an all-expense paid trip to New York City on Dec. 12. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy’s High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which will air Dec. 14.