2009 Inductee Larran Meador, 1967
W. Larran Meador, a 1967 graduate of Bellevue Senior High, is one of the few athletes to have earned eight varsity letters during his tenure at BSHS, during a time the high school was only grades 10 through 12. He joins the Hall of Fame after a career as an athlete, teacher and coach.
Meador was a very determined athlete earning three varsity letters in football and wrestling and two in varsity track. In football, Meador during his junior football season of 1965 earned All-Northern Ohio league honorable mention on offense. In his senior season he followed up with an honorable mention defense, and a first team All-NOL selection on offense. He was also named Most Valuable Lineman his senior season. He was also selected to the All-Northwest District team. As a co-captain Meador helped to lead his team to a perfect 9-0 overall mark and an NOL title (points scored, 238; points allowed, 44) and his team was the last team to play on Harmon Field. The last game was played on a field that had to be plowed out with tractors because the snow was so deep.
As a wrestler, Meador, a heavyweight in his junior season placed in the sectional and was a district qualifier. In his senior season as a co-captain he was the champion of two wrestling tournaments, Milan and Perkins. He turned in a record of 18-3 overall and was a sectional champion and district qualifier. He finished with a 39-10 record for his career.
In track and field Larran in his senior season won the Bucyrus Relays and was selected All-NOL and finished first in the shot put with a toss of 50 ft, 2 1/2 in.
Also during high school Larran was involved in choir, intramurals and was also on the homecoming committee. He was also named the Gazette Award Winner in both 1966 and 1967 as the top male athlete, the first-ever two time winner of this prestigious award.
Larran continued his football career after high school, joining the Bowling Green Falcons football team. He earned letters in 1969, 1970 and 1971and was also one of the Falcons tri-captains. He was All-Mid American Conference honorable mention as a junior, and All-Mac second team as a senior.
After graduation from college he returned to Bellevue Senior High School as a teacher. His first few years he taught Driver Education but he soon went to Health and Physical Education and during those years taught several of the Hall of Fame Inductees. In addition to his teaching career, he was assistant wrestling coach under a fellow Hall of Fame member Robert Bailey as well as head wrestling coach for five years. He also was assistant football coach under two head coaches Terry Adams for 15 seasons and fellow Hall of Fame member Ed Nasonti for five seasons. He coached five of the current Hall of Fame members, including Ed Haynes, Ed Nasonti, Brian Schubert, Brad Schubert, and Chad Kuhns.
Larran has one daughter Dana. She is married to Paul Ciccarello and is a pharmacist living and working in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. They just welcomed their first son, Larran's first grandson, Joseph Larran, this summer. His father is deceased and his mother, Betty Meador, resides in Bellevue. Larran retired from teaching after 30 years and still resides in Bellevue.