The Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association (OHHA) is awarding 13 scholarships, totalling $25,000 USD, to college students for the 2026-27 academic year.

This year’s recipients are Sydney Ater, Garrett Bateson, Andrew Collins, Hannah Dingledine, Ryan King, Mason Konesky, Sarah Martin, Samantha Mayhugh, Sylvia Mayhugh, Alexa Nisonger, Kyra Suleski, Parker Twaddle and Kamden Wolfe.

Sydney Ater of Williamsport, Ohio is a graduate of Adena High School and will attend Ohio University Chillicothe in the fall after two years at Glenville State University, where she was a member of the golf team. She has grown up in the harness racing industry working alongside her dad, Brad Ater, and uncle, Bret Ater. She plans to graduate a year early with a degree in Business Management with the goal of pursuing a career as a real estate agent.

Garrett Bateson of Rudolph, Ohio is the son of Steve and Terri Bateson. A graduate of Bowling Green High School, he is entering his third year at Ohio University majoring in Sports Management. During his time at OU, he has been a member of the Ohio Sports Business Association, Professional Selling Program and the Schey Sales Centre, and has worked as a football recruiting assistant and sports journalism intern. His family has been involved in harness racing his entire life. His dad has owned, trained and driven horses and is a past president of the OHHA, and his brother, Case, drives and has a small stable. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in the sports industry.

Andrew Collins of Washington, Pennsylvania will begin his senior year at Grove City College in the fall majoring in Marketing and Management. The graduate of Trinity Area High School was a two-year member of the Grove City College men’s basketball team and has served as social chair and president of Nu Delta Epsilon fraternity. He has completed internships with the Washington County Tax Revenue Department and Human Resources Department and currently serves as the head coach of a sixth-grade boys AAU team and director of player development for the entire organization. His father, Dean Collins, has been involved in harness racing as an owner, driver and trainer for nearly 50 years and continues to operate a stable of 14 horses. The younger Collins owns a share of a horse with his dad and has spent countless hours assisting with daily responsibilities to keep the stable operating efficiently and for support on race days.

Hannah Dingledine of Mechanicsburg, Ohio is entering her junior year majoring in Biological Sciences with a pre-veterinary concentration at Wright State University. She was also selected as the recipient of the OHHA’s Future Equine Career Scholarship in January. She is the daughter of Randy and Amy Dingledine and a graduate of Mechanicsburg High School. Named the JV individual champion of the Raider Classic in November 2025 as a member of the WSU bowling team, she has also been involved with the WSU Activities Board and served as social media officer of the Bio Club and director of the Pre-Veterinary Chapter of the Pre-Health Society. She was introduced to harness racing through her family and her passion for the industry grew through her involvement as one of the founding members of the first active Champaign County 4-H project for Standardbred horses in 2020. With support from her aunt, Kim Dailey, and Dailey Stables, the program has continued to grow each year. She has also supported the OHHA at several community outreach events and will serve as the chairperson for the first annual dachshund races at this year’s Champaign County Fair. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a career as an equine veterinarian.

Ryan King of Troy, Ohio is majoring in Animal Science at Ohio State University and will enter his senior year in the fall. A graduate of Troy High School, he is the son of Zachary and Connie King. At Ohio State, he is a member of the Pre-Vet Club and has played recreational football and basketball. His uncle owns multiple harness racing horses and his dad is an equine veterinarian, who focuses on track medicine. “Whenever I am home from college, I always make it a priority to go to work with my dad to watch him and gain as much knowledge of horses as I can,” he said. Upon graduation, he hopes to further his education at the Ohio State School of Veterinary Medicine with the goal of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming an equine veterinarian focusing on track medicine.

Mason Konesky of Bowling Green, Ohio is the daughter of Patrick and Wesley Konesky and a graduate of Bowling Green High School. She will be a sophomore at Purdue University in the fall and is majoring in Biochemistry. “Biochemistry is a major where I can combine my lifelong passions and pursuits in the fields of science and math to meaningfully contribute to the problems of humanity,” she said. While at Purdue, she has been a member of the Biochemistry Club and has studied abroad in New Zealand. Her family has been involved in the harness racing industry for three generations as drivers, trainers and owners. Her grandfather, John Konesky III, is a past president and active board member of the OHHA. She has assisted her grandfather with various equine-related tasks at his stable and competes in the non-Standardbred activities of dressage, stadium jumping and cross country. She has also been involved in the United States Pony Club for eight years and is a nationally rated H-B member in horse management as well as vice chair on two national committees with the USPC National Youth Leadership Board.

Sarah Martin of Franklin, Ohio is a graduate of Lebanon Christian School. The daughter of Tina Mohr, she will enter her freshman year at Wilmington College in the fall and plans to major in Equine Science and minor in Business. She has been a member of 4-H, horse camp counselor, varsity basketball player, and a participant in county fair horse shows, state fair junior horse shows and the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Licensed as a groom, she paddocks State Of Fear and Illegally Funded for Dr. Scott McQuinn. She also works to help transition retired Standardbreds into riding horses. Upon graduation, she plans to attend veterinary school and earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree with the goal of working in the Standardbred industry. “I want to give back to the harness racing community as a veterinarian dedicated to the health, safety and longevity of racehorses,” she said.

Samantha and Sylvia Mayhugh of Circleville, Ohio are the daughters of Sean and Regina Mayhugh and graduates of Logan Elm High School. Samantha, the recipient of the 2025 Terry Holton Youth Award from the OHHA, is majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics with a minor in Equine Science at Ohio State University and will begin her third year in the fall. She is a member of the Agribusiness Club and Mount Leadership Society at Ohio State, leads the Backstretch Buddies program and assists with outreach events for the OHHA and works for Litt Stables. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career in outreach, broadcasting or media within the harness racing industry.

Sylvia Mayhugh will be a freshman at Columbus State Community College this fall and plans to pursue both an associate and bachelor’s degree in Nursing for a career in neonatal care or as a radiology technician. At Logan Elm, she has been a member of the softball, soccer and bowling teams as well as the marching and concert bands, and she has also been active in FFA and 4-H. Sylvia and Sam are actively involved in their family’s Mayhugh Stables assisting with the daily care of Fear My Grace, Thereheisagain and Really Sam. The family primarily races at Northfield Park along with various county fairs. The sisters also assist with race operations at the Pickaway County Fair.

Alexa Nisonger of Lebanon, Ohio is the daughter of Jeff and Stacey Nisonger and a graduate of Lebanon High School. She will be entering her sophomore year at Otterbein University majoring in Exercise Science while being active in athletics as a member of the women’s basketball team, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament during her freshman campaign. Her family has been actively involved in harness racing and she has helped her dad with various responsibilities around the barn. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in physical therapy. “As someone who has been involved in sports for much of my life, I understand how important recovery and rehabilitation are, and I want to use my education to positively impact others going through similar challenges,” she said.

Kyra Suleski of Mount Laurel, New Jersey is the daughter of Ted and Sherri Suleski. A graduate of Lenape High School, she is going into her junior year at the University of Tampa majoring in International Business. At the University of Tampa, she has been active in the Entrepreneurial Club and has studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain. She is also a certified coach with USA Swimming and coaches the Tampa Bay Aquatics swim team. Her parents are Standardbred owners and her father races at various locations along the East Coast. She plans to pursue a master’s degree and a career in which she creates marketing strategies that help businesses expand ethically and foster cross-cultural connections.

Parker Twaddle of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania is the son of Timothy and Sophia Twaddle and a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School. He will be a freshman at Washington and Jefferson College in the fall and plans to major in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship with the goal of becoming a successful business professional and investor. “I want to build businesses that provide value to communities, create jobs and contribute positively to the economy,” he said. He played football and was an honour roll student all four years of high school. An active member of the Christian Harness Horsemen’s Association’s Youth Foundation program, he has grown up around harness racing. His father has dedicated over 50 years to the sport and is the manager of the Twaddle Racing Stable.

Kamden Wolfe of West Milton, Ohio is the son of Amanda Wolfe and a graduate of Miami East High School, where he was a member of the football and basketball teams. Entering his sophomore year at Ohio Northern University, he is majoring in Sports Management and is a member of the football team. His long-term ambition is to work in elder care, specifically in the administration and oversight of nursing facilities, or as an athletic director. His family has been heavily involved in harness racing and he has assisted with such responsibilities as cleaning stalls and feeding and grooming horses and preparing them for race days. His grandmother, Margie Polhamus, is a breeder and owner in the sport.

The OHHA Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors and students enrolled in a degree or certificate program. Graduate students are eligible if they are enrolled in a harness racing-specific graduate or professional-level program. The scholarships are based on academic merit and must be used towards the cost and expenses related to coursework and a degree being pursued at a college or university. In addition, the applicant or a family member must be an OHHA member.

(Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)