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This past summer, we worked with our friends at ASICS America to develop a training log for cross country, http://www.flipseekllc.com/TrainingLog.html, the ASICS Cross Country training log was inserted into all seven Shooting Star Media, Inc. http://shootingstarmediainc.com publications. That totalled over 350,000 training logs being given out for Fall 2007. For anyone who missed it, we have attached it at the top of this column, again, here are a few points on how to use it!

Cross Country season is here! The meeting place of the best distance runners on the planet, cross country is a fall sport in the U.S. and a winter and spring sport around the rest of the world. In this column, the blogger takes aim at his favorite season, cross country and what it means to him....

This weekend is the NCAA Division 2, 3, NAIA cross country championships. And on Monday, in Terra Haute, the NCAA Division one championships. I will be heading out for one of my favorite events this weekend, the Nike Border Clash....

Cross country participation at the high school level, in 2007, will be it's best year ever.
With nearly 190,000 boys and 170,000 girls, and programs in 13,000 boys' high schools and 11,500 girls, the sport is thriving....

After nine years, the weather has decided to show who was boss. Seven years of superb weather have now given way to two years of rain. This year was cold, bone soaking, but the 40 high school boys and 160 high school boys and girls, the top runners from Washington and Oregon made it a memorable day....

The NCAA Division 1 Cross country was a race to end the season! I watched it in the Nike offices, as I was visiting to write about the Nike Border Clash. ATF's intrepid writer, John Nepolitan covered the race in great fashion. I have published his comments below.

First, though a couple of mine-Oregon is obviously a threat in XC again, for the first time since 1978, on both men and women's. That is Vinn Lananna and his team. Peter Tegen, the women's coach at Stanford, formerly the founding women's coach at Univeristy of Wisconsin, continues to show his talent in developing fine women distance runners!

All in all, a great year for cross country, a super year for Oregon and their very young team! And congrats to Josh McDougal, who continues to develop into a fine distance runner.

The rise of Oregon back to the top of the heap in both Men's and women's cross country mirrors the rise of Stanford a decade ago under Vinn Lananna...

Foot Locker Cross Country is one of the many reasons that American distance runners have continued to develop over the past three decades. From Rueben Reina, to Bob Kennedy, to Charles Alexander, to Ceci St. Geme, to Dathan Ritzenhein, prep American distance runners had the four regional races to dream of, where they could square off with the best prep runners from their region, run a hard 5k, and IF they were in the top ten boys or top ten girls, move on to....

It is Saturday morning, December 1, 2007. My trip to the Nike Team Nationals this year was canceled yesterday. The cold I picked up, standing in the rain at Nike Border Clash, has got the best of me. I will watch the NTN off the broadband broadcast and catch up on the Western Foot Locker regional from friends...but winter has come.

Saturday, December 1, 2007 was a very special day of cross country across the U.S. In Portland, Oregon, the fourth annual Nike Team Nationals went off, under the threat of a winter storm. In Southern California, mother nature played a hand as there were torrential rains forced changes for the Foot Locker Western Regional. The tough Mt. SAC course became a quagmire, according to photographer Victah Sailer. The course was changed to a two loop nearly road course as the race directors did not want the prepsters carried away in the Global flooding that is hitting Southern California right now...

The 29th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships were full of surprises. Both the men's winner and the women's winner are great stories. The Midwest's Michael Fout, taking the lead after two miles, ran to victory in 14:50. On the girl's side, the SouthEast's Ashley Brasovan, caught Jordan Hasay, the 2005 champ, on the last hill and pushed the downhill to victory, running 17:20. Brasovan was a big surprise, as she was only the sixth qualifier at her Foot Locker regional.

In its' twenty nine years, Foot Locker has always kept us guessing, because, in the end, it has always been two good footraces....

******

12-20-07

Thirty years ago, I was living in Montecito, California, studying at the College of the Queen of Peace on Ladera Lane. Many mornings, I would head out from the driveway and take the six mile run down to the beach, and then return, running up the hills back
to my new home.

I had two pairs of running shoes, both resoled. My NB 305w and Waffle Racers were resoled and kept me in good company as I hit the long hilly run back up to Montecito. The weather was always nice, and the beaches were great.

My back ground is pretty straight forward-a high school, college and club athlete, who got into coaching, first at Bellarmine, then Santa Clara University, then Foothill college. The week of Thanksgiving, I was given the best gift I could have dreamed of--a few hours with three of my former athletes...

The San Diego XC Trials will be a huge success this coming weekend! Ryan Hall and Dan Browne will be part of the fields this coming weekend. Sign ups are over 600 runners for the weekend! The release that came in this morning shows the details that Hunt and Geer are going to make this event a success!

Last night, at dinner with Glenn Latimer and friends, we were speaking of the cross country championships this coming weekend. The numbers are over 715 as we speak and should hit 800!
Congrats to organizers, sponsor ASICS and USATF for putting on such a super event. My only wish was to stay, but I had prior commitment to Norwich United meet in Birmingham, England on Saturday. We will have coverage of both events for you on runblogrun.com and runningnetwork.com.

My pick for the race of races will be Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein. World on the street is that both are quite fit and also word on street is for London, think in that two oh five range for our friend, Mr. Hall!

Dathan Ritzenhein and Ryan Hall should be two of the highlights of this weekend's XC extravaganza. Your favorite blogger is writing this in the Lufthansa lounge in Dusseldorf, Germany, on way to Birmingham, England, to see the Norwich International.

Shalane Flanagan and Colleen De Reuck will also be in the fray at the Winter XC champs in San Diego tomorrow. Yours truly will be in Birmingham, UK, where it is 1.23 am in the morning on Saturday.

At the time I am writing this, the Tyson Invitational is going on. On Saturday, we will provide you with Tyson highlights, World XC Winter Trials and the Norwich Union Birmingham International.

Someone said, Joe Henderson, I believe, that cross country is the meeting place of the marathoner and the miler. How true. There is nothing like a good race in the mud and muck over eight to twelve kilometers with your friends, and then carrying on about it for several hours afterwards, assisted by a few stories, and perhaps, some liquid refreshments.

Well, the cast of characters in Edinburgh this weekend, besides the 70 plus teams, will be a whos-who of distance running. From the sold out Distance Running Summit on Friday night, to the open 5k on Sunday morning, to the World Cross on Sunday afternoon, the city of Edinburgh is celebrating one of the most hallowed traditions in the world's oldest sport-the world of cross country running!

The World Cross Country had two firsts-the first time Ethiopia took all four individual medals and first time Africa gets all individual medals. Kenenisa Bekele, despite coming very close to a disasterous lost of a racing spike, in lap two, managed to keep his wits and shoe one and run to his sixth long course title. On the women's side, two Dibaba's won-you will have read on to find out!

Dathan Ritzenhein is coming into his own. A very capable 10,000 meter runner in college, a fine cross country runner as well in college and high school, Dathan has gotten better as the distance has gotten longer. His ninth place Olympic showing in the marathon showed some guts, and gave him a certain level of confidence, running very close to his best in less than ideal conditions.

Here is Dathan's interview:

Cross Country championships abound, as high school state meets are ending, Nike NXN meets are starting, and NCAA regionals have just happened. Walt Murphy is the publisher of XC XPress and Eastern Track. Walt is a keen observer of the sport, and publishes both publications for the good of the sport. I encourage you to subscribe (WMurphy25@aol.com). Here is his update on the NCAA Div 1 Regionals...

Cross country is upon us, and the Oregon Ducks team did a little video, linked below, to encourage classmates to watch the Terre Haute race from Hayward Field, and also help with a local food drive. The second link is a fun series of short programs on the NXN regionals which come to a climax over the next two weekends!

Thanks again to Ross Krempley from Runnerspace for the nice note on the videos.

Walt Murphy loves cross country and there is no better service to follow the sport than his to follow this hot weekend of college and high school cross !

On such a early winter weekend, cross country championships are being run across the US. Special thanks to Walt Murphy for his amazing work on keeping track of prep and College cross country....

The NAIA is part history, part tradition. The NCAA has done as much as it can to make the NAIA an anachronism, however, the program works for many small, independent colleges. Thanks again to Walt Murphy for providing us the results and story on a meet that was held on the historic cross country course at UW Parkside, home of US national and regional Foot Locker events each year.

Congratulations to Coach Greg Metcalf and his women's team at Washington. Greg is in his twelfth year of coaching Washington, and his team victory was hard fought! Congratulations to Vinn Lananna and his men's team at Oregon, who not only won the individual title, with Galen Rupp's last 400 meter charge, but the second team victory in a row. Rupp's room mate, Andrew Wheating, was a scorer for the Ducks, in 75th. (Think he is moving up to the 1,500 meters? )

In the end, the final Monday before Thanksgiving has given us an end to the US college season for cross country, with some great battles over the past weekend. I have attached Walt Murphy's commentary on the race and his favorite links, please enjoy!

The regionals are done, the teams are in Portland, or on the way, and for the first year, individuals will be joining the fields at the Portland Meadows for a most unique day of cross country!

For a preview of December 6 at Portland Meadows, please click here: http://www.atf-athlete.com/nxn-2008-championship-preview.

In NXN, version 5.0, Chelsey Sveinsson won the girls race in a course record and Reed Connor charged to the win in the boy's race, with Manilus taking the girls team and North Spokane taking the boys team.

The event also showed how our sport can be produced and highlighted. Amy White, the VP of Nike US Running noted that " cross country is part of our DNA at Nike." That was a good observation, as this day was all about becoming, as eight time US champion Lyn Jennings once said, "Become one with the mud."

The national club championships are some of the most popular championships of the entire US schedule. Club championships give post-collegiate athletes who have not made the jump to elite an opportunity to compete. It also gives groups like McMillan Elite a major championship to focus on.

Congratulations to all competitors who competed in the USATF Club XC Championships! And thanks to the sponsors and organizers of the Club
championships!

Sergiy Lebid won the SPAR Euro CC for the 8th time! His win, by eight seconds over Mo Farah has put him a rarefied list of the cross country royalty.

Then, on the other side of the world, Patrick Ivuti, 2007 B of A Chicago Marathon winner, took the Honolulu marathon in 2:14 on a typical humid and hot Hawaii day.

The thirtieth Foot Locker Cross Country championships featured Jordan Hasay, who last weekend won her fourth Western regional FootLocker-never before done-and this weekend, won her second FL title, something only done before by one other women athlete. Erin Sullivan of Jericho, VT won back to back titles in 1997 and 1998.

Congrats to Jordan and the other young women and men who ran Foot Locker and who last weekend ran NXN. You all have had wonderful experiences to cap off high school careers. Now, it is important to turn off the running and racing, be teenagers for a few weeks, stay up late, hang out with friends watch gross movies on You Tube or at the movie theatre, and just be human. It is time to recharge.....

Note that in this picture, Jordan Hasay is running with the second pack in the FootLocker XC Champs, held in San Diego on December 13, 2008. She went on to win the race, her second victory and become only the second girl to win two FootLocker titles....how did she do it?

Need Your Help! Track & XC Spike Survey, for Coaches and Athletes

Dear RBR readers,

RunBlogRun was asked to help conduct a survey on track spikes
for a footwear company. The survey will take five to ten minutes, and
can be aquired by emailing atfsurveys@gmail.com. On the return,
you will get a link a, for athlete, and b for coaches. Please fill out
the appropriate survey! If you know a coach or athlete, please pass this along. Thanks again!

Josh Cox broke the American record by over four minutes on Sunday, for the 50 kilometer distance. Running 2:20.32 for the marathon distance, despite six episodes of stomach distress and two bathroom stops, Cox was ninth place at the marathon distance at PF Changs' RNR Arizona, when he headed to a local track for five more miles on the track. Finishing the last lap in 71 seconds, Cox broke a seven year old US record, set in Palo Alto,CA of 2:51.48 by Alex Tilson. Josh's time was 2:47:17.

PF Changs Arizona had 34,800 finishers in the half and full marathon distance, plus they had 3,300 kiddies in the one mile fun run! What a weekend!

Anthony Famiglietti is an athlete who knows the artist within. His web site, http://www.runfam.com, is one of the best that I have ever seen for an athlete/artist.

( Fam is redoing his website, in the past, his paintings have been up. Quite talented painter as well. Check out his photo section, http://www.runfam.com/photos/, which was done by someone possessed with a painters' wiring.

While most people consider the support that brands like Nike, adidas, ASICS, New Balance and Reebok make to the sport, some of the most important suppport for events has come from brands such as Brook and Saucony.

Saucony took over the Foot Locker championships this past year, providing the support to keep the national event up to its standards for the past three decades. Now, Saucony is sponsoring the US National Cross Country Champs, this coming Saturday in Maryland! They are also supporting a national program called Saucony XC 2008!

( A spread of the six page Saucony XC Training program, sent to over 350,000 prep cross country runners in the Summer of 2008).

The picture above is of Jordan Hasay, biding her time, in the second pack at the Foot Locker finals in 2008, before she blasted away to become only the second high school girl to win two Foot Locker nationals. Capping off her senior cross country season with her fourth Foot Locker XC West Regional titles, her fourth state title, Jordan Hasay was also picked as the Gatorade 2008-09 Cross Country Girl Athlete of the Year.

With one season left at Mission Prep for Jordan, her senior track season, and the official window opening on Thursday for athletes to declare their colleges, Jordan Hasay announced her intentions today. But, which would it be?

(Photo courtesy of Photorun.net).

K. Ken Nakamura sent us this update on the Chiba Cross Country, one of the qualifying race for the World Cross Country Championships...

Robbie Andrews, the young prep who won the Millrose prep mile so convincingly, ran a fine 1:49.21 at the NYC Armory this past weekend at the NSSF Meet. Between the NSSF and the Nike Indoor this past weekend, new prep records abound!

Photography by PhotoRun.net

Alfons Juck updates us on the World Cross Country in Amman, Jordan....note that German Fernandez had an injury the last two weeks before the World cross and is taking off the next month....

The Chinese philosopher Lao-Tse was supposed to have said " a journey of one thousand miles begins with one step,". Well, watch the British distance ranks. Ian Stewart, new UK endurance mentor was very straight forward, as is his modus operandi, on the British cross country squad sent to Amman. His comment on the Amman course, " a fast 10,000 meter track race with one uphill," puts the 37th IAAF XC Champs in perspective.

Photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

In my formative years, the World Cross Country was the one, the only real distance running champs of the world. In 1975, when New Zealand won the team title and Ian Stewart won the individual, everyone, from the current world record holder for the mile to soon to be record holders for the marathon (American), were running. Stewart out kicked the likes of Bill Rodgers over the last lap in Morocco to take the title. On the Kiwi team, the likes of John Walker, Rod Dixon, Dick Quax, Euan Robertson ( a steepler). On the US team, Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers, to name drop a bit.

Security is just a part of modern day sports. Remember, in 1973, Mariano Haro was pushed off the course in the Cross Country by a group of thugs. Photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

For over three decades, Walt Murphy has provided us with the most timely information on major calendar events, Indoor and cross country minutae, plus Eastern Track and XC Xpress. If you would like to get a sub to either publication, email Walt at Wmurphy25@aol.com.

Victah's surprise fiftieth was June 13, 2009. Photo courtesy of Lisa Coniglio/PhotoRun.net.

What a difference 19.58 seconds make. Tyson Gay is playing his cards very close to his vest, as Lance Braumann, his coach, brings Gay into shape for the sprint battle in Berlin! Gay is fit, and so is Usain Bolt--should mean some great matchups this next couple of months!

AT&F has worked with Walt Murphy on the Cross Country Yearbook for a decade. The year book contains all of the major U.S. high school, college and open cross country results plus IAAF World XC results, plus Sean Hartnett's race report on the NCAA 2008 XC champs. This year, for budget reasons, we had to cut the XC Calendar at the very last minute. AT&F's fearless designer, Kristen Cerer, has posted the calendar on www.american-trackandfield.com, and we have provided those links below. We hope that you pass it around and use it often!

We have also linked the digital links for AT&F Fall XC Yearbook as well below! We hope you like it!

Sean Quigley and Jacob Korir at finish of BAA Mayors Cup XC, photo by PhotoRun.net/Lisa Coniglio.

The 20th version of the BAA Mayors Cup had the closest race in its history, on the men's side, with Sean Quigley and Jacob Korir only separated by two seconds!

Photos courtesy of Lisa Coniglio/PhotoRun.net and story from Jack Fleming, BAA.

The battle for ING NYCM, November 1, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Merhawi Keflezighi is Meb's brother and agent. One normally finds him, in the background, after one of Meb's wins, checking on his brother, making sure that Meb's sponsors are managed, and checking in with the media. He is a man of quiet confidence, and I like him. He is a good yin to Meb's yang.

Here is Merhawi putting the day, his brother, and his family in perspective:

So, I am flying back from London, and I get Frankie's email below: an amazing story about the Oregon State meet, and the victory by Central Catholic. It brought tears to my sleep deprived eyes. His writing is relaxed and honest, and his description of the meet has you feeling that you are in the race.

I hope that you enjoy the piece below, presented as Frankie sent it, to his friends around the country. FYI, Frankie does a column like this most weeks of cross country and track season. He is a man for others, as Ignatius de Loyola once said.

The college cross country season is coming to its penultimate weekend, as the Regionals have been held! Walt Murphy's XC XPress provided us with the results of the NCAA Division 1 regionals!

Most of the NCAA Division 2 regionals were last weekend, I just missed them traveling back from across the pond! Here we go on division 2, courtesy of Walt Murphy's XC Xpress!

Here are the regional results from Walt Murphy's XC XPress for NCAA Regionals, Division 3!

Walt Murphy's News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
X-Country X-Press
(c)Copyright 2009-all rights reserved. May not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.

The men's team scores at the Div.III West Regional have been adjusted, with Whitworth dropping from 4th to 3rd, and Colorado College taking over 3rd place. It's a significant change, since this region might get only one at-large bid.

WEST*
Claremont,Ca, 11-14
http://www.d3xc.com/
MEN
1. Claremont-MS* 50 (21)
2. Willamette* 64 (12)
3. Colorado Coll. 93 (nr)
4. Whitworth 95 (34)
5. Pomona-Ptzr 121

For more on our sport, please click http://www.runningnetwork.com

Stephanie Hightower, Chairman/President,
USATF, photo courtesy of USATF

I found this letter on the USATF.org site, dated October 15, 2009. I had not read it and my guess was that many of you had not seen it. I encourage you to not only go to the convention, but also send Stephanie an email noting concerns that you have for the organization.

RBR will provide updates from the convention and also tweet important updates and information.

Phillips Idowu, Gold Medalist, Triple Jump, Berlin WC 09, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Phillips Idowu, the best triple jumper on the planet, will be defending his Sevilla Indoor title at Doha. Idowu wowed the crowds in Berlin with his superb jumping. He is the cover story for the Autumn issue of Spike magazine!

The official Nike Border Clash site, prepared by Runnerspace.com ishttp://www.runnerspace.com/NikeBorderClash

My favorite little big meet is less than 24 hours from fruition. The brainchild of Josh Rowe and John Truax, this meet is all about bragging rights between the states of Washington and Oregon on just who had the best prep cross country runners?

We will provide results and coverage of the races on twitter as well as a full discussion of the race on Runblogrun.com tomorrow night! Until then, check out the videos and features on the official Nike Border Clash site!

For more on the NIke Border Clash, please click on http://www.runnerspace.com/NikeBorderClash

For more on the sport, please click on http://www.runningnetwork.com

Cross Country action on XC Yearbook cover!

Hats off to North Central for winning the Mens Div 3 by largest margin ever! Wisconsin Eau Claire had to dig deep, winning 48-49! Special thanks to Walt Murphy for his excellent coverage. To subscribe to Walt's News Service, try WMurphy25@aol.com

Cross country is a race where middle distance runners can challenge their limits. And, you are only as good as your last race. Oklahoma won with German Fernandez as fifth man! Villanova won the womens and Jenny Barringer collapsed, finished 143rd!

It both cases at the NCAA Div 1, Oklahoma and Villanova had to dig down and fight to the end. That is why cross country is such a team sport!

Jenny Barringer leads the NCAA Division 1 Womens race, Monday, November 23, 2009, Terra Haute, Indiana.....photos by PhotoRun.net.

Angela Bizzari showed her stuff last June in the US Championships, and really showed her stuff on the six thousand meter cross country course that was the NCAA Division 1 meet on Monday, November 22, 2009, where she won the NCAA XC title in the last three hundred meters!

Angela Bizzari, mid race, photo by PhotoRun.net

Shane Moskowitz and Amy-Eloise Neale, 2009 Nike Border Clash Champions, photo courtesy of Runnerspace.com

It was in 1998 that the first Nike Border Clash was held. The idea, profoundly debated over lunch runs, perhaps even an adult beverage, was the following: Who, just who, had better prep cross country runners? Washington or Oregon?

John Truax and Josh Rowe were the first inquiring minds who suggested an event on campus, and in November 1998, the Nike Border Clash became a reality! Now, in 2009, eleven years later, and in Nike Border Clash XI, the dream is a reality...but, be careful, what you wish for.....

All photos courtesy of Runnerspace.com and Nike.

Here is the highlight tape of the Nike Border Clash XI, for Boys, from the November 22, 2009 race. Special thanks to Runnerspace.com and Nike.

For more on the Nike Border Clash XI, please click on http://www.nikeborderclash.com

For more on the sport, please click on http://www.runningnetwork.com

This is the highlight video of the Nike Border Clash XI, which was held on November 22, 2009, in Beaverton, Oregon of the Girls race, between Washington and Oregon. Special thanks to Runnerspace.com and Nike.

For more on the Nike Border Clash, please click on http://www.nikeborderclash.com

For more on the sport of running, please click on http://www.runningnetwork.com

Saturday featured races across the country for the FootLocker Regional Cross Country championships, which featured Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast Regionals. Special thanks to Walt Murphy News Services! Note the Midwest regional where Lukas Verzbicas won the boys and Emily Sisson took second in the girls, becoming one of few athletes who have made four FootLocker National CC Champs!

The start of the FootLocker Northeast Girls regional......

Our observers told us that the move to Long Island this year added about two hours of driving for runners from PA, DE and Maryland. The weather was tough, with very high winds, but Aisling Cuffe looked tough in the Northeast Regional.

Photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

Thanks to the hard work of Runnerspace.com, you will be able to watch the NXN Live, on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Make sure you use the link: f="http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/index.php/news/youth/nxn">http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/index.php/news/youth/nxn

Also note that RBR will be twittering the events LIVE, from Portland, Oregon on Saturday. (You can also watch our twittering on twitter.com/americantf, twitter.com/atfathletesonly, twitter.com/morunandtri, twitter.com/caltrackrn, twitter.com/latinocorriendo, twitter.com/coachathletics or twitter.com/runningnetwork! You can follow us from your fave running mag site, Iphone or blackberry!

Haile photo courtesy of adidas communications...

Haile Gebrselassie will try and run 2:47 a kilometer for 8k road race on New Years Eve...Nike NXN is tomorrow, December 5, 2009...Lynchburg started indoor season on Dec. 2 with first indoor meeting of 2009....Cal International numbers up, Luis Luchinin debuts, Josh Cox should run 2:15-2:16 (Good Luck to John Mansoor, PAUSATF chieften and CIM race director, Las Vegas has strong numbers (good luck to my neice, Tess Henric, who is jogging the half marathon, her first), and an early happy birthday to my three sisters, Mary Lou Henric and Mary Beth Wikle are twins, and Kathy Eder was born on their first birthday! December 5 was a busy day in our house!

Nike, Goddess of Victory statues, which are given out to top teams and individuals at the NXN, photo courtesy of Runnerspace.com.

Okay, get your warm coats on, dry shoes, and be ready to see the top teams and individuals for prep cross country duke it out at the sixth edition of the Nike NXN! Great coverage from Runnerspace.com, and linked to www.runningnetwork. com and Runblogrun.com!

RBR will cover the meet live on twitter, with updates on teams and individuals, and then, on Sunday, our normally, thoughtful and insightful banter will fill up your email....

Schedule:
Nike Cross Nationals - 12.05.09
Portland Meadows - Portland, OR

9:00a: Open Race
10:05a: Boy's Championship Race
11:35a: Girl's Championship Race

Read more: http://www.runnerspace.com/NXN#ixzz0YntbEK2v

To see our multi platform coverage, check out f="http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/index.php/news/youth/nxn">http://runningnetwork.com/RNW/index.php/news/youth/nxn

For more information on our sport, please click on http://www.runningnetwork.com

Doug Logan, courtesy of USATF.org

During my whirlwind tour of the USATF Convention, which took place after a late arrival on Thursday evening, and ended with a flight out Friday evening, I was struck at the price of revolution. Revolution is what is happening in USATF. While I felt that last year's lack of battles surprised me, I had an inkling of a possible floor flight on the by-laws. That was only natural, as groups, and individuals who have concern about their power bases evaporating, or who have a clearer view of the upcoming changes, would be looking for concessions.

Girls in lead pack, 800 meter mark, FootLocker Western Regionals, December 5, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

One week after the CIF state cross country meet, California girls showed that they surely had recovered. On the rough and tumble Mt. SAC cross country course, Molly Grabill of Poway, California prevailed, winning in 17:55.

Grabill lead eight of the top ten from California. Grabill won in 17:55 on the tough Mt. SAC course. Megan Morgan of Del Mar, CA was second in 17:59 and Karlie Garcia of Roseville, CA was third in 18:02. Theresa Devine was fourth in 18:05 (from San Rafael, CA), with Jessica Ton, from Paradise Valley, Arizona, being the first non-Golden Stater in the field, running 18:07 for fifth place!

Craig Lutz takes the hard fought win over Elias Geydon (second) and Joseph Rosa (third), photo by Kirby Lee/Images of Sport for NXN

In the sixth version of the NXN, the individual race was almost as fascinating at the team race! A pack featuring Craig Lutz, Elias Geydon, Joseph Rosa, his twin, James Rosa, Sherod Hardt and Zack Wills took off, hitting the mile in 4:41. Joseph Rosa took off pretty hard, with Lutz, Wills and Geydon in hot pursuit, hitting the three kilometer mark in 8:59 and the two miles in just over 9:33. The leading pack was dropping-first a group of ten, and now down to five and seven following, five seconds back. The fog that held a strong presence over the Portland Meadows Raceway, gave the race an extra aura. The footing was good, soft yet not dripping. This was cross country weather!

Caty Flood, runner up in 2007, is back! photo by Kirby Lee

Cross country is our sport at it's most pure. The day started with fog, and it ended with a nearly clear sky! Cross country is also about dreams dashed and dreams found. Hard work and determination win out, year after year.

Success in athletics is not linear. There are good times, bad times and plateaus. Caty Flood was runner up in 2007. In 2008, she grew four inches in one year! 2008 was not a good year. But in 2009, Caty Flood came back, with an obvious mission.

Caty Flood is Katie Flood, corrected title on Dec. 12, LE

It was less than three weeks ago that Angela Bizzari won the the NCAA Division 1 cross country championships, running a brilliant race over the last half of the 6,000 meter course, capturing her victory in the last four hundred meters! Congrats to Angela on winning the Honda Sports Award!

Angela Bizzari en route to her NCAA Champs Cross Country win, November 23, 2009, photo by Photorun.net.

Jessica Ennis, gold medalist, heptathlon, Berlin 2009 photo by PhotoRun.net.

Jessica Ennis started her race to win the hepathlon in 2012 with her brilliant win in Berlin in August 2009. British sports journalists voted
Ennis as the Sportswomen of the Year for 2009! Congrats to Jessica Ennis!

Wade Meddles is one tough runner. The Garderville, Nevada harrier took the lead early and did not give up the lead until within view of the finish. His plan was simple: Crush the competition, keeping the kickers way behind him and above all else, qualifying for the final. Well, Wade qualified for the final!

Brian Shrader, from Flagstaff, Arizona, had pretty good confidence in his kick. Staying in the wading crowd of early leaders, Shrader worked his way through the top runners, only reaching Meddles with two hundred meters to go, and let it rip on the Mondo track of Mt. San Antonio College, running a fine 15:25 for the victory. Wade was second in 15:29. In thirdy, Cody Helbling of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho was third in 15:32. In fourth, Matthew McElroy of Huntington Beach, California ran 15:34. Shane Moskowitz, the Nike Border Clash winner, was fifth. Moskowitz, who is from Bremerton, WA and was his state champion in cross country, ran 15:37. Conner Peloquin of Gig Harbor, WA finished in sixth, one second behind Moskowitz, in 15:38-just as he had done at the Border Clash! Steve Magnuson of Oro Valley, Arizona was seventh in 15:40.

Wade Meddles charges to lead, FL West, 800 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The growth of the sport of cross country at the prep level is inspirational. What is also inspirational is that, after 31 years, the FootLocker Cross Country series, still has resonance. It is the Horatio Alger story of championships, meaning, no matter what small town or school you are from, if you run well in one of the four regional championships, then, you can run in the Final! And, if you can keep your head during the final, and stay close to the front, and kick like a person possessed, you might have a chance!

We will twitter the races LIVE on Saturday!

Megan Goethals sprints by Chelsea Sveinsson, photo by PhotoRun.net!

When the rains came.....

XC XPress publisher Walt Murphy called it a "very un-San Diego like day." Walt was right. Cross country in chilly weather with rain? Sounds like the Midwest or East Coast.

In the 2009 Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals, the word of the day was perseverance. And that word was used by both the the apparent winner and the suprise winner.

Lukas Verzbicas wins 2009 FL Boys Champs!, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The 5,000 meter cross country course in Balboa Park, San Diego, California has been the host to some of the best distance runners in America for the better part of the past thirty-one years. Elite athletes from Molly Huddle to Meb Keflizighi, our ING NYCM champ and Olympic silver medalist, and Jorge and Eduardo Torres, all FL alums, were there to cheer the current class of athletes. This race has given birth to many top American distance running careers. As the race has faced challenges over the past few years, a groundswell of support has developed. Saucony came in and supported the race the past two years, when a former sponsor pulled out of the event.

Even with the rain, the mud, the hills, the fans, coaches and stars were fetted to two great races. While the crowd was still worshipping Megan Goethals and her surprise win, sophomore Lukas Verzbicas gave them a history making race to watch! And in the end, Verzbicas was the star of the boys race!

Alemayehu Bezabeh won the SPAR European Mens XC title today, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Athletes from 30 countries competed in the SPAR European Cross Country Champs on December 13, 2009. Alemayehu Bezabeh duked it out for seven kilometers with Mo Farah of Great Britian, before Bezabeh broke loose.

Hayley Yelling wins the SPAR European XC Champs, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The SPAR European Cross Country Championships welcomed Hayley Yelling, the 35 year old school, who started training seriously at the beginning of November! Yelling won the champs, with Spain's Rosa Maria Morato in the silver position and Adrienne Herzog taking the bronze from the flagging Jessica Augusto. Augusto lead the Portuguese women to the title, with 25 points, with Great Britian in second with 51 points and Spain in third, with 58 points!

After her surprising last gasp victory, Megan Goethals told the announcer that she had to give it her all. Megan knew that Chelsea was a great runner, and she just had to see how close she could come to her. Well, Megan Goethals is now the poster girl of never giving up until after one crosses the finish line!

Take a few moments and savor the upcoming four pictures from PhotoRun.net, as Megan Goethals makes her gutty dash over the last two hundred meters!

Megan Goethals catches Chelsea Sveinsson, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Congratulations to Galen Rupp for winning the inaugural Bowerman Award, from the USTFCCCA. Galen showed a healthy sense of humor, and some genuine class, thanking his coaches, his family, even his academic advisor during his acceptance speech. Galen had an amazing senior year, leading his team to the NCAA cross, the NCAA indoor, a second at the NCAA outdoor, winning the 10,000 meter at USATF and placing eighth in the World Championships 10,000 meter final in Berlin! A great year! We can not wait to see how he races in 2010! Oh, check out the award, Tinker Hatfield did an fantastic job!

Video courtesy of Flotrack.com, who did a fantastic job at the USTFCCCA convention!

For more coverage of the USTFCCCA convention, please click on http://www.Flotrack.com

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Jenny Barringer won the inaugural Bowerman Award from the USTFCCA. In 2009, Jenny established NCAA records in the mile, 3000 meters and 5,000 meters indoors. On the outdoor scene, Jenny set NCAA records at 1500 meters, 3,000 m steeplechase and 5000 meters. Her run at the Nike Prefontaine Classic, where she ran 3:59.90, the third fastest ever by an American women, opened many fans eyes. But, in my mind, it was her run in Berlin, where she stayed back the first three laps in the women's steeplechase, and then just flew over the last 4.5 laps, breaking her own AR by ten seconds and missing a medal by less than two seconds, running 9:12.50, finishing fifth overall. Her desire to run cross country this fall, probably cost her a few drakmas. A bad race at the NCAA championships just showed that she is human, and we look forward to seeing Jenny Barringer run some exciting races in 2010!

Brett Gotcher, US 20k champ, training in Flagstaff, Arizona,( photo by Marissa Dunston Photography, courtesy of McMillan Elite), Brett is debuting at the marathon at the Chevron Houston Marathon, on January 17, 2010.

Abrehim Cherkos winning 53rd Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano, January 6, 2009, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

In the first real action of the European cross country, after the new year, Abrehim Cherkos and Anita Kalovics took the wins. Story from Alfons Juck, follows....

Starting off a long season, where he hopes to get WR for 5,000m and 3,000m outdoors, plus the 3,000 m indoors, Kenenisa Bekele is not one to take racing lightly. However, Bekele had one of his rare defeats, taking fourth in the Edinburgh XC event. This was his first defeat over XC since his heat induced dnf at the WC in 2007!

Lots of action this weekend and some nice performances on Friday night in US indoor action!

Dear RBR readers,

Please read the following letter from Coach Dave Frank, from Central Catholic in Portland, friend of the sport, state winning cross country coach, concerned coach. The OSAA is looking into eliminating team qualifying for XC into the state meet. Essentially, they are emasculating the sport of cross country and making it a darn road race. Leave the nihilism for others, cross country has a team tradition that is central to its meaning and life lessons! I urge all of our readers to sign the petition below!

Jenny Barringer, Team New Balance, photo courtesy of New Balance communications.

Jenny Barringer has been the most sought after American collegiate distance runner in some time. An NCAA champion times over, a world class runner at 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, and the AR in the steeplechase, Jenny is a rarefied athlete. After she choose New Balance, she called the other companies who bid and thanked their representatives for their interest in her. That response, confirmed by various brands, just showed Barringer as a class act.

Ivan Ukhov, August 2009, photo from PhotoRun.net.

Sergio Sanchez has run a world leading 4:52.90 at 2,000 meters, the new European all time indoor best, and third, world list behind Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie. Ivan Ukhov cleared 2.37m for the high jump, with good attempts at 2.41m! Other big news is the word that Sir Sebastian Coe is considering running for IAAF President in 2011, to replace Lamine Diack.....more to come on that one!

Jenny Barringer in New Balance jacket, New Balance Games, January 23, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net

Jenny Barringer had an excellent week. Probably, an exahusting week as well. After making the decision to sign with New Balance last weekend, Jenny sent notes to the companies that made offers, to thank them for their interest. On Saturday, Jenny visited the New Balance Games, and was introduced to the young athletes, and announcer Ian Brooks invited her to compete next year in the New Balance Games! Ms. Barringer was able to see some great world leading performances at the NB Games on Saturday!

Nike NXC, December 2009, photo by Kirby Lee

It seems that, if the OSAA discussion goes ahead on cross country, a well meaning, but ignorant and damaging form of political correctness could damage the sport of cross country forever. And, 16,000 cross country coaches across the U.S., if this happens in Oregon, it is only a matter of time before it comes up in your state! I believe it was the late Cardinal Fulton Sheen who said, " I do not fear someone who has read many books, I fear someone who has read one book." Well, welcome to our new world. Somehow, someone in OSAA, as Dave Frank says so eloquently below, got into their brain matter that cross country needs to be either a team or an individual sport, in order to be equitable.

Terrance Trammell, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Dwain Chambers runs 6.50, fastest time in the world, at AVIVA UK Trials, after running 6.58 in rounds. Terrance Trammell continues to hurdle well, with his fine 7.43 for the 60m hurdles in Leipzig. Malte Mohr cleared 5.83m in pv there as well for a meeting record. Sergio Sanchez broke ER of Alberto Garcia from 2003 (Sevilla, 7:32.98), with his run in Valencia (2008 home of WIC). With splits of 2.31.62, 5:06.73, Sanchez ran 2.25.68 for his final kilo! Remember, this guy ran 4:54 for 2k
as his first European best of 2010.

Just breaking, Shalane Flanagan and Molly Huddle were 1,2 at the USA XC in Spokane. Shalane took off about 1k, and did not look back! Dathan Ritzenhein caught Patrick Smythe mid race and took over, not challenged on the back of the course!

In the qualifying for the team for the world XC, the US championships were held in Spokane, Washington. The weather was good, and the two elite races were tough up front.
Congrats to Shalane Flanagan and Dathan Ritzenhein, who took the women's and men's wins. More details below (photo galleries tomorrow!)

Shalane Flanagan en route to her brilliant 25:10 over
8 kilometers, USA XC Champs, Spokane, WA, February 13, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Somewhere in an airport in the Pacific Northwest, sits the ever thoughtful Victah Sailer, of PhotoRun.net, who kindly sent us photos of the winners of the USA XC champs, held in Spokane, Washington today! Thanks, Victah!

Dathan Ritzenhein broke the race open, blazing twelve kilometers at the USA XC champs, Spokane, Washington, February 13, 2010 in 34:34. Photo by PhotoRun.net.

The webmaster the Running Network has done it again! The Running Network salute to this past weekend's USA Cross Country Championships has to be experienced. I would suggest the following songs: a)Change, by John Waite, Everything's Zen, by Bush, or a bit of electronica: b) We are all made of Stars, by Moby (18), Also Sprach Zarathustra, by Eumir Deodato (2001 Space Odyssey). Have fun!

For more on the sport of athletics, please click on http://www.runningnetwork.com

Jessica Ennis, WC 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Jessica Ennis, the WC 2009 gold medalist in the heptathlon and Vivian Cheruiyot, the WC 2009 gold medalist at 5,000 meters, are two of the top picks for the World Indoor Champs, in Doha, Qatar from March 10-15, 2010....of Doha's excellent facilities, it was remarked last weekend, in Birmingham, UK that it will be colder around the track in Doha than it surely would be outside!

Vivian Cheruiyot, WC 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.