by Larry EderThe 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….
December 8, 2007
Morley Field – Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
5.00 Kilometers
Scoring Teams and Points:
1. Midwest 29 (1 2 7 9 10 18 21)
2. Northeast 59 (6 8 13 15 17 25 26)
3. West 62 (3 5 12 20 22 24 27)
4. South 64 (4 11 14 16 19 23 28)
The crazy weather on the west coast mellowed out for a few days, leaving the course windy with a little mud. Luke Pukesdra, a senior from Judge Memorial
High School, took the lead and made the pace hard. Following him were
Christopher Derrick, Colby Lower, Brandon Jarrett, Kevin Havel, and Micheal Fout.
German Fernandez, the winner of the West, had some rough luck. Apparently sick over the weekend, German may have fell at the start. Fernandez caught up with the chasing pack, but fell back after two miles.
Pukesdra hit two miles in 9:28, and he was really out of gas. The chasing pack, with Derrick, Lower, Jarrett, Fout and Derrick. As the pack passed Pukesdra, Michael Fout, who had stayed focus throughout the race, made a huge move to take the lead, and ran to the fastest time since Chris Solinksy’s 2002 run of 14:41. Michael Fout, the senior from LaPorte High School, ran a fine 14:50 to take the 2007 Foot Locker Championships.
The end of the race was not without its challenges as Midwestern runner Christopher Derrick, another senior, from Neuqua Valley HIgh School, made a strong run for the finish, taking second in 14:57. German Fernandez made a gallant move after falling back as far as sixth, to take third place in 15:09.
Colby Lowe , a senior from the South, took fourth in 15:12, with Luke Puskedra, who had taken the lead for the first two miles, held on for fifth place in 15:15.
The Midwest team won big in the race in 29 points, with the Northeast in 59 points.
1 Michael Fout (12) Midwest LaPorte H.S. LaPorte IN 14:50
2 Christopher Derrick (12) Midwest Neuqua Valley H.S. Naperville IL 14:57
3 German Fernandez (12) West Riverbank H.S. Riverbank CA 15:09
4 Colby Lowe (12) South Carroll Senior H.S. Southlake TX 15:12
5 Luke Puskedra (12) West Judge Memorial H.S. Ogden UT 15:15
6 Brandon Jarrett (12) Northeast St. Benedict’s Prep Hillsborough NJ 15:16
7 Kevin Havel (12) Midwest John Hersey H.S. Arlington Heights IL 15:18
8 Donn Cabral (12) Northeast Glastonbury H.S. Glastonbury CT 15:19
9 Rob Finnerty (12) Midwest Burnsville H.S. Burnsville MN 15:21
10 Maverick Darling (12) Midwest Ovid-Elsie H.S. Ovid MI 15:23
11 Ryan Hill (12) South Hickory H.S. Hickory NC 15:32
12 Stephen Clark (12) West Skyline H.S. Salt Lake City UT 15:34
13 Mark Dennin (12) Northeast Boyertown H.S. Gilbertsville PA 15:36
14 Patrick Campbell (12) South Mooresville H.S. Mooresville NC 15:38
15 Brian Leung (12) Northeast West Windsor-South Plainsboro H.S.West Windsor NJ 15:41
16 Jason Witt (12) South Midlothian H.S. Midlothian VA 15:43
17 Pat Dupont (12) Northeast Fairport H.S. Fairport NY 15:43
18 Bobby Nicolls (11) Midwest Regis Jesuit H.S. Parker CO 15:44
19 Rory Tunningley (12) South Lockhart H.S. Lockhart TX 15:45
20 Riley Sullivan (12) West Trabuco Hills H.S. Rancho Santa Margarita CA 15:46
21 Evan Appel (11) Midwest Dakota Ridge H.S. Littleton CO 15:48
22 Joseph Manilafasha (11) Midwest Denver North H.S. Denver CO 15:49
23 Jim Walmsley (12) West Horizon H.S. Scottsdale AZ 15:50
24 CJ Brown (11) South Carroll Senior H.S. Southlake TX 15:51
25 James Attarian (12) West Dublin H.S. Dublin CA 15:51
26 Kevin Williams (12) Midwest Develyn H.S. Lakewood CO 15:52
27 Vince McNally (12) Northeast Conestoga Valley Senior High Brownstown PA 15:53
28 Zach Rivers (12) Northeast Victor Senior H.S. Victor NY 15:55
29 Brett Walters (12) West Sultana H.S. Victorville CA 15:58
30 Francisco (Tito) Medrano (12) Midwest Jefferson H.S. Lafayette IN 15:59
31 Chris Aldrich (12) Northeast Henderson H.S. West Chestor PA 16:02
32 Miles Unterreiner (12) West Gig Harbor H.S. Gig Harbor WA 16:03
33 Griff Graves (12) South Abingdon H.S. Abingdon VA 16:05
34 Luke Lovelace (12) South Chapin H.S. Chapin SC 16:07
35 Andrew Judd (12) Northeast Conard H.S. West Hartford CT 16:09
36 Jonathan Lafler (12) West Tahoma Senior H.S. Maple Valley WA 16:09
37 Chris Schwartz (11) West Foothill H.S. Bakersfield CA 16:15
38 Andrew Brodeur (12) Northeast Brick Memorial H.S. Brick NJ 16:17
39 Michael Hammond (12) South Midlothian H.S. Midlothian VA 16:20
40 Thomas Porter (11) South Mountain View H.S. Fredericksburg VA 16:22
December 8, 2007
Morley Field – Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
5.00 Kilometers
Scoring Teams and Points:
1. Northeast 42 (4 6 9 11 12 18 24)
2. South 42 (1 2 7 15 17 19 25)
3. West 63 (3 10 14 16 20 22 28)
4. Midwest 70 (5 8 13 21 23 26 27)
The Foot Locker Girl’s race, was as always, a real race to the finish. The quality of prep girl distance running in the U.S. continues to improve and this year, the race was not over until the last hill.
Jordan Hasay, the 2005 winner, took the lead early and lead at 800 meters in 2:31 with a pack of Kathy Kroeger, last years’ winner, Claire Durkin, Ashley Brasovan and Katie Flood, among others.
Hasay apparently decided, early in the race, that she would try to dissuade her fellow competitors from chasing her down at the finish by breaking their spirits way before they hit the final stretch. Hasay lead through 1 1/2 miles in 8:08, and two miles in 11:05.
Hasay’s tactics were not working. Ashley Brasovan, a junior from Wellington High School in West Palm Beach, Florida, was feeling strong. Brasovan had overcome a superb field at the Great American Distance Festival in September, and after two years of near qualifying for this final, finished sixth in the SouthEast and made the move.
Brasovan, Kroeger, Durkin and Flood were running together behind Hasay at two miles. Feeling strong, Ashley Brasovan , who is not known for her hill running, ran well when it counted, and caught Jordan Hasay going up the final hill on the second loop. Brasovan made her move, pushing hard downhill and striding away.
After that, Ashley Brasovan ran to the finish, taking the tile for 2007. Winning the 29th Girl’s Foot Locker Cross Country in 17:20, Brasovan was follwed by Kathy Kroeger, who had won last year. Kroeger passed Hasay, finishing in second in 17:28, with Jordan Hasay in 17:31, holding on for third.
Neely Spencer of the Northeast , who is home schooled, finished fourth in 17:35 in fourth place. Claire Durkin finished fifth in 17:44.
The team race was close, with North and South tied at 42 points. The North won, based on their sixth runner.
For true running geeks, watch for the race next year, as if, the top three, all juniors, qualify again, then the winners from 2005, 2006 and 2007, will duel in San Diego for 2008.
1 Ashley Brasovan (11) South Wellington H.S. West Palm Beach FL 17:20
2 Kathy Kroeger (11) South Independence H.S. Franklin TN 17:28
3 Jordan Hasay (11) West Mission College Prep. Arroyo Grande CA 17:31
4 Neely Spence (12) Northeast Home-schooled Shippensburg PA 17:35
5 Claire Durkin (12) Midwest Worthington Kilbourne H.S. Columbus OH 17:44
6 Emily Lipari (10) Northeast Roslyn H.S. Greenvale NY 17:46
7 Aurora Scott (12) South Oaktree Academy Portsmouth VA 17:46
8 Katie Flood (10) Midwest Dowling Catholic H.S. Des Moines IA 17:47
9 Carly Seymour (12) Northeast Central Cambria H.S. Ebensburg PA 17:48
10 Kauren Tarver (12) West Serrano H.S. Wrightwood CA 17:53
11 Emily Jones (11) Northeast Bromfield H.S. Harvard MA 17:54
12 Kacey Gibson (12) Northeast Neshannock H.S. New Castle PA 17:55
13 Emily Infeld (12) Midwest Beaumont H.S. University Heights OH 17:55
14 Anastacia Bishton (12) West Mountain Ridge H.S. Glendale AZ 17:56
15 Chelsey Sveinsson (9) South Greenhill School Dallas TX 17:58
16 Laurynne Chetelat (12) West Davis Senior H.S. Davis CA 18:00
17 Lauren Smith (11) South Brazoswood H.S. Lake Jackson TX 18:01
18 Chelsea Ley (10) Northeast Kingsway Regioinal H.S. Clarksboro NJ 18:04
19 Kayla Hale (11) South Holy Trinity Episcopal AcademyIndialantic FL 18:05
20 Jessica Tonn (10) West Xavier College Prep. Paradise Valley AZ 18:07
21 Alexandra Banfich (12) Midwest The Culver Academies Plymouth IN 18:07
22 Sarah Sumpter (12) West Healdsburg H.S. Cloverdale CA 18:12
23 Emily Sisson (10) Midwest Millard North H.S. Omaha NE 18:12
24 Shelby Greany (11) Northeast Suffern H.S. Suffern NY 18:25
25 Emilie Amaro (12) South Cypress Bay H.S. Fort Lauderdale FL 18:31
26 Katie Haines (12) Midwest Rockford H.S. Rockford MI 18:35
27 Cory McGee (10) South Pass Christian H.S. Pass Christian MS 18:36
28 Kathleen McCafferty (12) Northeast Oak Knoll School Morristown NJ 18:36
29 Brittany Koziara (11) South Boone H.S. Orlando FL 18:36
30 Mary Kate Champagne (12) Northeast Seton Catholic Central H.S. Plattsburgh NY 18:40
31 Chelsea Oswald (11) Midwest Walsh Jesuit H.S. Medina OH 18:44
32 Meggan Freeland (11) Midwest Western H.S. Albion MI 18:47
33 Taylor Wallace (11) West Henley H.S. Klamath Falls OR 18:56
34 Lindsay Anderson (12) Midwest Leeds H.S. Leeds ND 18:58
35 Stephanie Morgan (11) Midwest Barnesville H.S. Barnesville OH 19:02
36 Kathleen Lautzenheiser (10South Midlothian H.S. Midlothian VA 19:02
37 Nicole Nielsen (11) West Borah H.S. Boise ID 19:06
38 Meghan Marvin (10) West Clovis H.S. Clovis CA 20:26
For race videos, try :
http://www.footlockercc.com
For more on the world of athletics, click: http://www.american-trackandfield.com
