Neighbors
BY RUSS GUERRA III
Sports Editor
The just concluded 1995-96 school year is one that lack Lintz may never forget.
Lintz, a longtime teacher and coach at Northmont High School, had one emotional highlight after another, crowned by his participation last week in the 1996 Olympics.
A cross country and track coach at Northmont as well as an accomplished distance runner, Lintz made one of his shortest but most prestigious runs on Friday when he carried an Olympic Torch for one kilometer on its path from Cincinnati to Columbus. Lintz was one of 10,000 nationwide participants in the Olympic Torch relay that began April 27 in Los Angeles and will end in Atlanta on July 19..
Lintz was nominated by staff and students at Northmont through the Coca-Cola Co.'s Share the Spirit campaign to find 2,500 torchbearers.
In terms of distance, the one kilometer was like a run around the block for Lintz but he said that he exhausted when he went to bed Friday night.
"I kind of crashed Friday night, I think that the whole year caught up with me," he said.
Lintz's school year had an exciting start when his boys cross country team won Northmont's first ever state championship. In the spring, the boys track team won its second consecutive league championship, won Northmont's first-ever district championship, and finished second in the regional for the first time in school history.
In addition, Lintz was named Career Coach of the Year by the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches.
Lintz said that carrying the Olympic Torch could be one of the biggest thrills of his life.
"I'm thankful to have been chosen to do that , it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I'll always treasure," he said. "The only thing greater would be to be an Olympian in the stadium."
Lintz's Olympic day began when he arrived at Wilmington and found the shuttle bus that would transport him to his exchange location. After a discussion about the history of the torch and flame, relay participants were taken to their spots. Lintz waited at his location for-a few minutes with his unlit, silver and gold 3-pound torch, which was filled with a 30-minute supply of gas.
At that point he became a center of attention. "Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with me, I've never had my picture taken so many times," said Lintz.
Then Lintz saw the flame coming his way.
"I got chills, it was one of those indescribable feelings," be said.
At the end of his run, Lintz lit the torch of the next bearer, then extinguished his flame.
He will be able to keep his torch as a gift from cross country team members who raised the money to cover the $275 cost.
Mike Heinke, a Northmont health teacher, organized the nomination effort for Lintz.
"I would like to thank everyone who helped get me nominated, all of the teachers and students," said Lintz. "Especially Mike Heinke because he's the one who organized the whole thing, and Rita Ling, whose nomination form was actually drawn."