What a feeling it must have been for Northwestern's Lindsay Kerr last weekend.

To work day after day for years and years in hopes of becoming a state champion and then to have that dream come true is something few athletes can experience.The Tiger senior is just the third runner from the TIMES NEWS area ever to earn a cross country gold medal at states and is the first female to accomplish the honor.Congratulations Lindsay on a job well done.Speaking of state titles, the Lehighton field hockey team is still alive for a PIAA championship.After the Indians survived a 1-0 overtime win in the opening round of the state playoffs, the Lady Indians find themselves three victories away from their ultimate goal.The last time an area team earned gold in field hockey was 1990 when Northwestern, coached by Cathy McCullough, brought home the trophy.Lehighton's next game is Saturday when it faces Crestwood in a quarterfinal contest.The high school football regular season is over and playoffs will be starting this weekend.While most teams in the postseason deserve to be there, this writer feels there are some that should have packed the equipmemt away after last week's games.In particular, programs that had losing records shouldn't be eligible for the playoffs. In District 11, the Class AA field has two teams (Salisbury and Pen Argyl) in the postseason with 4-6 marks. It's beyond me that a team can be 4-6 and call themself playoff-worthy.Speaking of playoffs, I just hope in my lifetime the NCAA will implement a Division I football postseason.Challenges and reviewing controversial calls have been a part of sports for years now, and every year it seems like there are more instances in which plays can be reviewed.Until everything can be challenged or looked at (which will never happen), how about just scrapping it altogether.Checking instant replay is used, they say, to get calls right. But it's silly to use if not everything can be reviewed.In baseball, if there is a question on a solo home run in the first inning it can be looked at. But if the bases are loaded in a close game in the eighth inning and a player hits a ball that hits near the line, that can't be checked. Which of those two scenarios is more crucial to getting right?Likewise in the NFL, coaches throw their red hankies many times only to have the ref come over and say that's not a reviewable situation. And many times when they do look at plays, they get it wrong anyway.Whether you are a Yankees fan or a follower of the Phillies, everyone must admit that it was good for baseball and specifically this area, that those two teams met in the World Series.The Fall Classic created a buzz in these parts that hasn't been seen in a while.Here's hoping that the two teams meet again in 2010 (unless you're a Mets fan).Don't know if there are any Flyers or 76ers fans out there, but it seems like the hockey club will again produce a better season than the Philly NBA squad.The Flyers won their fifth game in a row Thursday night and improved their club during the offseason when they brought in one of the NHL's best defensemen in Chris Pronger.The Sixers, meanwhile, are mediocre at best. Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala aren't enough to build excitement, and the proof is in the attendance during home games.In less than three months, the Winter Olympics will hold its opening ceremony.For those who don't remember, the Games will be held in Vancouver and will run from Feb. 12-28.For four years, many Americans don't care about bobsledding, curling, or speed skating. But when it comes to the Olympics, these sports become front-and-center.While the odds are slim and none that it will happen, it would be a pretty exciting Super Bowl if the Colts and Saints would stay undefeated during the regular season and eventually meet for the championship.