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Firestone senior Sarah Meek earned All-Ohio recognition with her 24th-place showing at the OHSAA cross country championships.
Firestone’s Sarah Meek had a big advantage in last Saturday’s girls Division I cross country meet at Goodyear Metro Park. The course is where Firestone runs its City Series meets and the City Series cross country championship.
Meek used that familiarity to her advantage and won the district meet in a time of 19:30:69. At the City Series championship, Meek ran a 19:53.
This week, it’s the Division I regional at Boardman High School. Firestone coach Malia Tschantz said, “Sarah ran the Boardman Invitational course earlier this year so she is familiar with it.” Tschantz described the double-loop course as “basically flat.”
Tschantz believes that Meek may be the first female cross country champion at Firestone.
“Firestone had some strong female cross country teams in the early 90s, but I don’t think there was a district champion in that time,” she said.
Even though no other members of the Firestone team qualified for the regional meet, Tschantz said, ”Other members of the team are helping Sarah train for the regional meet. Even though Sarah is competing as an individual, she’s getting help from her teammates.”
For Meek, the district race unfolded the same way as the City Series championship.
“Sarah took the lead early in the race, and when she came to the hill, she extended the lead,” said Tschantz.
After Saturday’s regional race, the state cross country race will be held in Columbus on Nov. 5.
COACHES OF THE YEAR:
A tip of the hat to Firestone boys cross country coach Tim Carroll and Ellet girls cross country coach Matt Cochran for being named Coaches of the Year in the City Series.
Carroll led Firestone to its ninth straight boys championship. Cochran led the Ellet team (Kristi Kester, Cayce Pasko, Mikhayla Callahan, Kennedy Soyk and Alexis Bonner) to a second-place finish in the girls championship.
FIRESTONE HOOPS UP IN THE AIR:
Who will be on the sideline coaching the Firestone boys varsity basketball team is still up in the air. Akron Public Schools is still waiting for an arbitrator’s ruling on the future of last year’s head coach Joe Wojcik.
Interim head coach Dave Milo hopes to know “sooner rather than later” if he will lead the team for the 2011-2012 season or not. Milo says he has “attended all the local and state meetings concerning high school basketball,” but knows the situation is out of his hands.
Milo says the Falcons “will have a lot of talent this year.”
FOOTBALL FINALE:
The football regular season comes to a close this weekend. On Thursday night, East will play North at InfoCision Stadium. On Friday night, Ellet hosts Youngstown East. The game for the City Series championship, Buchtel vs. Firestone, will take place at InfoCision Stadium. On Saturday at noon, Garfield will play Kenmore at Kenmore Stadium.