An Alliance graduate, Meghan Frazier wanted to compete in women’s athletics at the college level and the proximity to Mount Union was a logical choice due to family ties.

John Frazier, his father, is vice president of student affairs and dean of students at the university. Howard Frazier, his brother, attended Mount Union after starting his football career with John Carroll.

The university campus itself is located close to his Alliance home.

While these were good reasons to choose Mount Union, Meghan Frazier opted for another Ohio-based Division III college, choosing Wittenberg University in Springfield.

“I know that Mount Union is [literally] located just down the street from my house, it has a great [academic] reputation and personal connection to my father and brother, but I wanted to leave my comfort zone and make a fresh start, ”Frazier said.

Frazier, who faced a blazing pitch in inclement weather in late May in what turned out to be her last high school track and field event, admitted she was impressed by the recruiting interest shown by the coach of Wittenberg, Paris Hilliard.

“Coach Hilliard has contacted me several times and has been to several of our meetings this season, although Alliance is located several kilometers from Wittenberg,” she said. “It indicated that they wanted me to join their team.”

Wittenberg, who hosts his home meets on the newly renovated Earl F. Morris track, has also left a favorable and lasting impression on Frazier with the kind of facilities he has to help track athletes reach their full potential.

“They have excellent facilities with [machines] like sprint treadmills, which can really help me improve my form, ”she said.

With only a few days out of high school, where Frazier finished with a GPA of over 4.0, she turned the page on her college program.

“I am majoring in biology,” added Frazier. “I am considering going to optometry school after I graduate, but that could change.”

Frazier wouldn’t change a thing about his senior track and field season. Although she didn’t earn a state spot in Division I in the 100 or 200-meter, Frazier gave her a strong run at the regional Austintown Fitch, overcoming windy, rainy, and over 40-degree temperatures for to maintain.

“I’m happy with what I raced in this competition, even though the weather wasn’t very good,” she said. “I managed to achieve personal bests in both cases.

Frazier, who placed sixth in the 100 regional finals, clocked a personal best 12.47 seconds in the event. She moved closer to qualifying in the 200m, finishing fifth. She also recorded a personal best of 25.74 in this sprint.

Those two sprints were dominated by a senior-dominated field led by Mentor star and North Carolina rookie Paige Florea, and also included Kaira Granger of Bedford and Jaime Orsini of Chardon. Florea won both sprints at the regional and national meet at Hilliard Darby High, while Granger was second in both events. Orsini placed third in the 100 and 200 at the regional and fourth in the 200 state, indicating how loaded Austintown Fitch was in those two events.

Frazier preferred to look at the overall experience and was grateful for the chance to show off her skills against top competitors.

“It was the regional, but I knew we had a lot of great sprinters and I considered it a mini state reunion,” she said. “I preferred to compete against all these girls and be part of a big field than to compete in an easier region.”

Frazier has not only excelled in individual sprints during her four-year career with Alliance, but she has also been part of exceptional sprint relays. She wants to continue participating in both in Wittenberg.

“I know they have struggled the last few years, but I’ve also heard that they’ve recruited a really good group of sprinters and I can’t wait to meet them,” she said. “I want to help [Wittenberg] do well as a team and do well myself. “

The Wittenberg Women’s Team is made up of female athletes from the Columbus and Cincinnati areas. While admitting that she’s not the most outgoing person around, Frazier intends to forge a solid bond with her new teammates.

“I don’t personally know anyone on the squad at the moment so I’m a little nervous, but that’s what’s good about the track,” she said. “You have the chance to meet people, develop good relationships and grow.”

It’s part of his plan to leave his comfort zone at Alliance and start a new chapter in his life in Springfield.