{
  "id": 11568925,
  "title": "Athlete of the Week: Makenna Long, Northmont",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/athlete-of-the-week-makenna-long-northmont",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T01:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/athlete-week-makenna-long-northmont-010300384.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Northmont senior cross country runner Makenna Long has been named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for September 21-27. Long won the blue race at the Neal Charske Fairmont Firebird Invitational with a time of 18 minutes, 35.8 seconds. This was her personal best in competition and her second PR of the month, ranking in the top 10 in the state in D-I. Long has earned all-GWOC honors three times, and her performance at the Invitational was made even more special given her history of injuries and setbacks. After recovering from surgery to remove two extra bones and repair a torn tendon, she faced a stress fracture in her foot that threatened her junior year. Despite these challenges, Long has consistently raced faster and better than before, achieving her goal of beating the 19-minute mark twice and aiming for All-Ohio honors and making it back to state. Long credits her coach for believing in her and emphasizes the importance of enjoying the process and having fun with her teammates, as they help make her running journey enjoyable.",
  "summary": "Tell us who should be up for the title of Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week, presented by Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton, in our contest this fall. Readers can nominate and vote each week for their favorite athletes throughout the season. Nominations are due by Monday morning for competitions that took place the previous week. The nominees will be selected through fan nominations, as well ...",
  "key_points": [
    "Makenna Long wins blue race at Neal Charske Fairmont Firebird Invitational",
    "Sets personal best of 18:35.8, ranks top 10 in state in D-I",
    "Overcomes injuries and setbacks to achieve personal bests and goals"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Makenna Long's recognition as Athlete of the Week underscores her remarkable comeback from injuries and setbacks, solidifying her position as a top-ranked runner in the state.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Steven Wright: Athlete of the Week: Makenna Long, Northmont",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/steven-wright-athlete-of-the-week-makenna-long-northmont",
        "published": "2026-10-03T01:02:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}