Freshman sprinter Lacey Cochran was just one of two Falcon track members to finish first place in her respective event at the All-Ohio Championships in Findlay on Saturday.

After finishing third and second in the 400-meter dash her previous two meets, Cochran finally climbed atop the medal stand and brought home her first career title, making her our selection as Athlete of the Week.

On Saturday, Cochran, who is in her first year with the Falcons, broke the finish line ahead of her opponents with a time of just under a minute (58:06 seconds). Though it wasn’t her best time of the season, Cochran continued to show improvement in her strength, consistency and endurance as a competitive runner and proved to be an essential part of the team.

On Jan. 28, Cochran finished third in the Findlay Track and Field Classic with a time of 58:19, and placed ninth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26:57. A week later she jumped up a spot on the stand, placing second in the 400 meters with a personal best of 57:50.

A disappointed, yet determined Cochran was reserved regarding her performance on Saturday, though she is still improving and therefore proud of her achievement.

“I still didn’t get the time I wanted,” said Cochran. “But I was very happy that I took first place.”

A year ago while at Freeport High School in Pennsylvania, Cochran succeeded on and off the track. She is the record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dash, the 4×100-meter relay, long jump, and earned the most points in a single season. She won nine league and six state medals, including the 2004 gold medal for the 400-meter dash, while being a member of the National Honor Society for her academic standards.

Cochran believes she is able to be a force on the track and a valuable member of the team simply through hard work and preparation.

“I believe I have a good work ethic and endurance that helps me to be prepared,” Cochran said.

Cochran has placed in the top three the past three meets and doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. The young sprinter’s accomplishments thus far are what has assistant coach Clive Roberts believing in endless possibilities.

Roberts says that Cochran has the potential to compete nationally sometime in the near future, possibly even as soon as early next season.

“She just started this year and has improved so much in such little time that has the ability to grow even more and compete at an even higher level,” Roberts said.

Roberts believes that Cochran is a key component to the success of the team, and a contributor to what hopes to be a successful season.

“She puts on great individual effort and has such a positive attitude,” Roberts said.

“She just puts herself in position to succeed each time gets out there, and if she keeps improving, she can be hard to beat.”