SPIRE Academy recently hosted the OATCCC (Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches) Championships in Geneva, OH. With SPIRE’s extensive facilities, staff, resources, and equipment, it proved to be the perfect location for hosting this event.

The OATCCC Championship is Ohio’s indoor track & field state championship for Division 1, 2, and 3 schools. Tim Mack and Kibwé Johnson, two of SPIRE’s track & field coaches, recently sat down and discussed the event and SPIRE’s participation. 

During the championships, thousands of athletes stepped through the doors at SPIRE for the opportunity to prove they were the best in Ohio, and both Mack and Johnson expressed that the event was a huge success for the students athletes who were competing.

Mack noted, “This event was even bigger than some of the track and field events that take place at some colleges and universities, including The Big 10 Championship game!”

SPIRE’s facilities give coaches and athletes attending events such as the OATCCC Championship a unique opportunity due to the large-scale and scope of the space. Everything at SPIRE is well laid out, and with purpose.

At SPIRE, Coaches are even allowed to be on the field instead of being stuck in the stands. As Coach Mack says, “Everything’s just bigger here.”

Within the 240,000 square foot indoor arena is a large, 300-meter track with the same radius used on outdoor tracks. It features a separate field event area with plenty of room for jump, vault, and throws competitions, making it perfect for an event such as the OATCCC Championships.

Coach Johnson was attending the event as Director of Track & Field at SPIRE, and expressed how SPIRE staff had a lot of fun to hosting the championship. He mentioned that it was especially exciting because some current state records were broken in multiple events.

The sports and training facilities at SPIRE, which are about 45 minutes away from Cleveland Ohio, are second to none among high schools and sports academies in the United States. With the facilities and resources available, there truly is no other place like SPIRE.