By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports Report
CORNING — It’s been quite the journey, but Horseheads senior Michael Rennells finally reached his destination on Tuesday as he signed to bowl in college.
It’s been a lifelong dream for the Horseheads star, but there were some major bumps in the row, namely being diagnosed with cancer in the past year.
“I am very glad,” Rennells said of signing with Spring Arbor on Tuesday at Crystal Lanes. “I have been talking to a lot of schools during the year, and when I got ahold of him (the Spring Arbor coach) and we were going through the cancer journey, I told him I wasn’t going to be at nationals to see him, where I met him at first. He was fine with it. He got us some visits at the campus and once I realized he really wanted me still after I went through everything, even if I wasn’t going to bowl as well, he still wanted me. So, I’m proud to at least bowl and have a great coach too.”
For Spring Arbor coach Gerry Lobdell, there was never a doubt he still wanted Rennells to bowl for him.
“Not at all,” he said. “He was battling the whole time. I had a brother that went though the same thing. I could relate to what he was going through and what he was missing out on. But, I knew how hard he was willing to work to get back to where hew as before the chemo and he’s doing that.”
It was that work ethic that first drew Lobdell to Rennells.
“His journey, and his story, for sure,” Lobdell said. “When we first met, his passion and his work ethic go hand-in-hand with what we do at Spring Arbor, so I think he’ll be a good fit for us.”
No matter what he went through, Rennells always believed he would be bowling beyond high school.
“I had a very big attitude that I was going to make it happen,” Rennells said. “I was definitely going to bowl at another level, whether it was college, some amateur tournaments, or something. But, once I got reaching out to colleges and they got to watch me, then the cancer started up, I was definitely very nervous theyw ere going to maybe take a scholarship away, or they were not going to want me anymore, or start looking at other people and be like, oh, we’ll get back ahold of you and maybe they don’t. I was definitely a little nervous about it, but once we got out of the routine and they all started reaching out again, it was good.”
The fact that Spring Arbor never gave up on Rennells put them even higher on his list.
“Once I let them know we were halfway there, we were getting there and he was reaching out, still saying in contact,” Rennells said. “And, once we were riding the ball and all that he was reaching out and I was definitely like this will be at the top.”
The Horseheads standout made a couple visits to the school and knew it was the right fit.
“I did one visit with the coach and we went to admissions in the morning and I went with him the rest of the day,” Rennells said. “Just the way he treats you, he makes you feel wanted. You go around the campus and everyone knows who he is, so you know the bowling program is one of the upper sports and programs they have.
“And, then just meeting with the bowling team, they took me right in. I went in the locker room with them and got to bowl with them. They were all great, and helping me out and everything. I had a great feeling with the campus, it was smaller like I wanted it to be. After being there for about three days I probably could walk on the campus right now and know where I’m going. I visited once in the fall, so before the cancer started, and I did an overnight later with two of the bowlers, one was a junior and one was a senior and I stayed in the dorm room for a night and got to bowl with them.”
Lobdell feels like Rennells will fit right in with the team.
“He’ll fit in with the work ethic side of things,”Lobdell said. “He loves the guys already. He’s connected with a few of them, he buys into the culture and it will be exciting to see how he grows.”
The team is an NAIA school. They took seventh out of 18 at the NAIA BCA Invitaitonal this year and 12th out of 21 at the Intercollegiate team sectionals. They had nine top three finishes in tournaments this year, including three titles and four runner-up finishes.
Rennells is excited to see what he does at the college level.
“I think I’m going to do very well,” he said. “I think I have a good coach who is going to help me out and I think I have good support from this area that will help boost me up. Knowing most of the kids that are going to be in college I have bowled with them before either from the Junior Gold Championships or kids I competed with in N.Y. I know I can bowl with them so having a team behind me that’s already been there a few years is just going to boost me a little more.”
Now that he’s done with the chemo, Rennells feels like he can boost his average even higher.
“Going through eh whole process, and the cancer treatment, I think I did well handling it and then still making state qualifiers and still making states,” Rennells said. “I was happy with how I finished the season. And, now I am definitely going to probably boost my average up probably six pins or more my first year in college.”
Rennells was overwhelmed by the show of support at his signing on Tuesday.
“Coming here and looking around, seeing all the people that are here,” he said. “Most of this is happening because of all the support.”
Rennells plans to major in exercise science and then go into the master’s program for athletic training.
For Lobdell not only did he stay committed to Rennells through everything, he made the drive from campus in Michigan to Corning for the signing. It’s something he does for nearly every signing his program has.
“I try and do all my signings in person,” Lobdell said. “I think over the seven years I’ve missed three, a couple were in Hawaii, and I couldn’t get up there. I set it up for a day that works with me and I set it up with them and I headed out in the morning and I do this and I’ll head back tonight.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SIGNING.
