Seneca East's Stars, Stripes, & Lights

A patriotic cross country meet featuring memorials, military displays, flyovers, and fireworks.

A long story short, this is a high school/middle school cross country meet located at Seneca East Schools in Seneca County (NW Ohio). We are a small farming community, but display an extraordinary sense of patriotism and pride in country year round, but most definitely each September with the cross country meet we host, titled the "Stars, Stripes, & Lights." Throughout the years we have developed a cross country meet that is focused on education and pride in country. We have hosted the Remembering our Fallen National Memorial, The 9/11 World Memorial, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, and the Wreaths Across America Mobile Exhibit as part of our event each year while attracting thousands and thousands of people on our school grounds over the years. In addition to the memorials we host military recruiters from many branches, have conducted flyovers, landed skydivers with USA flags, and had fireworks shows each year. Our school, community, hometown businesses, and our local American Legion comes together to fundraise for this event and help make all of these events a reality. We have hosted several local leaders and national heroes throughout the years as well. We have consistently played host to hundreds of schools from all corners of the Buckeye state having hosted teams from Toledo, Youngstown, Cincinnati, and Columbus, as well as drawing over 8,000-10,000 people in attendance on a yearly basis. Our community takes great pride in this event and it has turned what is usually an overlooked athletic contest into a spectacle that people from all over the state come to see each September. September 12, 2026 will be a time of recognition for the 250th Anniversary of America. We are working diligently to line up reenactors, a revolutionary war educational experience, and much more for all of those in attendance.