St.

Friday, May 25, 2001

St. Thomas More was the focus of the Academy-Award winning movie "A Man For All Seasons." Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers senior multi-sports talent Sarah Herman has been an award winner who might be dubbed "A Woman For All Sports Seasons."

Herman has earned 13 varsity letters playing volleyball, basketball, track, and cross country. She has earned all-district honors in each sport, and she has advanced to the regional track meet for the second straight year.

It has been an award-winning month for Herman. She not only has signed to run track and cross country at Berea College, but she won the girls Tiger Clan scholarship and John "Baldy" Grounds Hustle Award scholarship.

"I usually favor basketball. Track is the most rewarding personally. I tried cross country this year and it was pretty fun," Herman said. "It’s a lot more fun to achieve success when you have others to share your success with."

Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers coach Tim Thomas not only appreciates Herman’s success, but her work ethic and attitude.

"She gives you 100 percent all the time," said Thomas. "Once during a shoot around with two other girls, she dove after a loose ball. I said, ‘What are you doing?’ She said, ‘It was a loose ball.’ That epitomizes her attitude."

If Herman has a complaint, it’s with herself.

"I have a lot of self-determination. Coach (Tim Thomas) is hard on me, but I’m harder on myself. God has given me an ability to do well and it’s up to me to work hard and do as well as I can."

Herman was asked to switch events in track this season in order to help the team score higher in meets. She not only made the switch and scored points, but became very successful.

She holds the school record in the 1600, is a member of the 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams that now own school records, was on the 4×100 relay that placed eighth in last year’s state meet, and set the 3200 meter record at the Coal Grove Giovanni’s Pizza Invitational earlier this season.

"I was a sprinter for three years and I tried distance running this year and did pretty well. And I’ll be a distance runner in college. I think my times will improve as I go on," Herman said. "Sprinting races are easier. Distance running is a lot harder. It takes the pressure off you when you run as a (relay) team."

Earlier in the school year Herman helped the Ironton basketball team to a winning record and a berth in the sectional tournament finals which resulted in a one-point loss. Herman still finds basketball to be more enjoyable than the others sports.

"Track is a team sport, but you do one thing. I like basketball because it’s a team effort and the pressure is not just on one person. Everyone shares the pressure in basketball," Herman said.

There was a time when Herman had very little interest in track. It wasn’t until junior high school that she began to look at the running sport.

"I played softball from the third to the seventh grade. When I got to high school, I decided to lean toward track," Herman said.

Thomas said Herman has earned everything she has obtained.

"Sarah and Kristen Kavanaugh are girls who have well-rounded ability and worked hard to get the most out of their ability. Sarah’s a prime example of what you can accomplish with hard work," said Thomas.