Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Francks played three sports at Fort Smith Southside
Meredith (Farrell) Francks played three sports at Fort Smith Southside and would’ve played more, had more been available.
“I would’ve played softball if they had it back then,” Francks said. “I love sports. Fortunately, I had helpful parents who helped me get from place to place and coaches who supported me in my decisions.”
Francks played basketball, soccer, and tennis at Southside and later basketball and tennis at Southern Methodist University, where she graduated with a master’s degree in accounting. Francks was a point guard who helped the Lady Rebels to a pair of state championships in 1996 and 1998.
As a senior, she was selected tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 27 points in a 54-31 victory over Russellville in the Class AAAA state championship game at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Francks was 5-of-6 on three-point attempts for Southside, who finished 25-7 that season.
“We had a team that played together for a long time and not just in high school,” Francks said. “Coach (Merrill) Mankin was also our AAU coach. He was awesome to play for, and we had a lot of fun.”
Southside advanced to the championship game by defeating Mountain Home 52-46 in a semifinal game at Jonesboro. She had 18 points and seven rebounds after being injured in a midcourt collision the previous game.
“When it’s crunch time, there’s no one better,” Mankin said after the Lady Rebels were eliminated the Lady Bombers. “There may be better shooters or better ball handlers, but overall, there’s not a better girl around.”
Francks was recognized for her athletic and academic achievements when she was voted into the Southside Hall of Fame in 2016.
“I was very surprised and kind of shocked, really,” Francks said. “It’s really a great honor.”
Francks met her husband, Michael, in college at SMU, and the couple lived in Texas and Colorado
before moving to Rogers two years ago. She remains busy while working two jobs and raising their son, Walker, who is 3½ years old.
Francks is the controller for Zero Mountain Logistics, Blockchain Transport and Zero Mountain Leasing and also works as a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Bentonville.
With all that, Francks and her husband still find time for sports, and the two attended the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., to watch the Razorbacks play.
“We’re all Razorback fans, including
my son,” Francks said. “He wore his Razorback clothes to (day care) the day after Arkansas clinched going to the World Series.”