GENEVA, Ohio — President Trump’s been known to attend professional sporting events, Super Bowls, Title Fights, the Daytona 500 and the like, but while Tuesday night’s finale of the Patriot Games at Spire Academy was at the high school level, it had all the feel of a championship.
The President watched the obstacle course semi-finals and finals with ESPN’s Pat McAfee and Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno. It was a made-for-TV spectacular, wrapping up three days of competition featuring student-athletes from around the country vying for a $250,000 prize, split between the top male and female athletes.
The competition left Donald Sloan of Ashtabula in awe.
"It was amazing, it really was. I tell you what those kids are just amazing. There’s no losers, they’re all winners and it's an honor to be in the same building," he said. "I'm proud to be an Ohioan and an American."
A winner in all of this, too, is Northeast Ohio, says Marge Nenno of Painesville.
"It’s not Los Angeles or New York City, it’s Geneva, Ohio," she said of the choice of locations.
Logistics played a key role in the selection of Spire Academy, the sprawling sports institute off Interstate 90 that opened in 2009, but Trump himself has a special connection to the place, having campaigned at Spire during his 2016 election bid.
In so doing, he was able to do what no Republican presidential candidate had done since Ronald Reagan: carry this county that had voted Democrat for president in every election from Michael Dukakis in 1988 to Barack Obama in 2012, who won the county by 13 points that year. Trump's margin in the county in 2024 was more than 28%.
Still, too many people see Spire as a place they often drive past without ever thinking to visit.
“This is such an amazing facility, I’ve actually never been here," said Alicia Osinski of Aurora, who marveled at its size.
“Spire is amazing for our county. I mean they’ve brought a lot of famous athletes in; it’s (done) wonders for the county," said Patty Varckette of Ashtabula. "It’s beautiful, very beautiful. I saw it when it was first going up, and it’s amazing to see it finished."
It's an Ashtabula County secret she’s happy to share.
“People should be coming here from all over the world," Varckette said.
The rest of the world will get to see for itself Thursday at 9 p.m. on News 5 in an ABC/ESPN special.
