Hood among best in Midwest

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Neighbors | Submitted.Valerie Hood, Boradman High School senior and track star, represented Team Ohio at the Midwest Meet of Champions in Fort Wayne, Ind., June 11 and 12. .She received a plaque for placing sixth in the discus after throwing 128-2.

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Neighbors | Submitted.Boardman High School senior Valerie Hood and Canfield High School senior Dustin Brode represented Team Ohio at the Midwest Meet of Champions in Fort Wayne, Ind., June 11 and 12..The track stars have broken records around the area. Brode is headed to Harvard, while Hood is off to the University of Akron this fall.

Boardman track and field standout Valerie Hood was selected to represent Team Ohio at the Midwest Meet of Champions held in Fort Wayne, Ind., June 11 and 12. The Midwest Meet has been in existence since 1974 and pits the best senior track and field athletes from Ohio, Michigan and Indiana against each other in the only, interstate all-star meet of its kind in the United States.

Hood was selected to throw the shot and discus for Team Ohio based on her All-Ohio performances at the state outdoor meet. The top six at the Midwest Meet were honored on the podium with a plaque.

She threw 128-2 in the discus to reach the podium in sixth place and finished eighth in the shot put with a toss of 39-11 º.

The meet scores both men’s and women’s competitions, but also has a combined coed total and Ohio won all three.

The women’s team won with 195 points, followed by Indiana with 148 and Michigan with 129 points. In the men’s scoring, Team Ohio won with 201 points, followed by Michigan with 139 and Indiana with 132 points.

Team Ohio won the combined coed meet with 397 points with Indiana in second with 280 points.

“It’s always an honor and a privilege to be selected for this team. They only pick three girls and three boys in the individual events from across the entire state,” said Boardman head track coach Denise Gorski.

“This was a great experience for Valerie and it allowed her to get the feel of what it will be like in college traveling to meets as she has received a scholarship from the University of Akron to throw in their program next year.”