The 2008 cross country season will go down as one of the historic seasons in US history. With individuals and team vying for individual and team glory we were privilaged to many heartfelt and memorable moments. While it is impossible to chronicle all of the signature moments of this years cross season we have chosen a few that lifted and inspired many.
Milesplit XCNATION Signature Moments
#1. Fayetteville-Manlius cruises to 3rd consecutive National Championship: The Best of 2008 #6; In arguably one of the most
dominant seasons for teams in US history, the girls from Manlius, New York faced their most difficult challenge, F-M overcame reigning supreme. Entering the season it was anticipated that Manlius would be much improved from the National Championship team of 07'. However, it was not anticipated that Saugus, CA and Tatnall, DE would present such a formidable obstacle. Entering the NXN Championship race prognosticators presented a unique scenerio in which possibly the top three girls prep teams in US history would be facing off. We had Tatnall, of Delaware who had run an mid season 90:09 total team time at the Bellvue Invitational over 5000 meters (#2 all-time) and then dominated the NXN Southwest Region Championship with a 90:30 total team time. From the sunshine state of California we had Saugus, the returning national runner-up, blister through the heralded Woodward Park course in an All-time US total team time performance 90:06. Not to be outdone it was the defending national champions who cruised to a 12 second spread at the NXN Northeast Region Championship and an impressive all scorers in the top five. Rising to the challenge the Hornets never backed down running away in historic fashion and a new national course record to claim a third consecutive championship stamping themselves as possibly the greatest ever. At a school where the motto is "Building on Excellence", the 2008 National Championship Manlius cross country team did just that. Read again: Greatest Team Ever? and NXN Championship: Race for the Ages
#2. Sonnenfeldt perseveres to win state title: Hundreds of state champions were crowned this fall. You had repeaters andfirst-time winners; seasoned cross veterans and precocious freshmen; pre race favorites and upset specialists. They came in all makes and models. To ascend to the top of their craft, no doubt, these runners
all had to overcome obstacles. But none faced that daunting tasked that stared down Tennessee star Matt Sonnenfeldt. For it was only six days earlier that Sonnenfeldt awoke to learn that his best friend - a fellow cross country competitor and recently minted district champion in her own right - had lost her life in a single vehicle accident. Sonnenfeldt had been chasing an individual state championship since he surprised everyone with a second-place state finish as a sophomore. He settled for runner-up status again as a junior. Now a senior, this was going to be the year that he celebrated at the finish line. He had made the necessary sacrifices, hammering the workouts and running the miles. Victories at the Tennessee Classic and Region 2 Championship coupled with top finishes at the Great American XC Festival and the McDonald’s XC festival at Maymont were the result. With just one meet to go, seemingly, everything was in order and on schedule. The grave news not only changed preparations, it gave new meaning to the term priorities. With the recent passing of his best friend weighing heavily on his mind, Sonnenfeldt persevered to capture the most meaningful of state titles, winning the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association AAA title in 15:42. Read again: Heart-Feldt victory: Sonnenfeldt honors fallen friend with state championship run
#3. Hasay wins bookend titles in showdown of three former champions: In an unprecedented event the three previous Foot Locker National Champions converged on Balboa Park in Fresno, CA with one goal in mind, to repeat as champion. Among those in contention
the Queen of California Jordan Hasay seeking to cap a historic prep career entered the meet undefeated on the season and the pre-race favorite. Hasay needs little introduction as she has stormed through her prep career setting numerous national records and competing on the international scene. Entering the race Hasay had capped her in-season legacy with a 4th consecutive CIF Div V California State Championship and completed the four-peat at the Foot Locker West Region Championship a week later. The Foot Locker final shaped up to be the greatest collection of finalist is recent history with defending champion and US#1 16:47 5k runner Ashley Brasovan of Virginia and 2006 champion Kathy Kroeger of Tennessee looking for the repeat victory as well. On the grandest stage against the top competition Hasay failed to disappoint with a late surge and victory. Winning the Foot Locker Championship as a freshman was historic, bookending her career as a senior with a repeat performance will go down as a signature moment in the prep career of the Queen of California, the unparallelled Jordan Hasay. Read again: Bookend Titles For Hasay
#4. North Central wire-to-wire #1 with thrilling final k run at Nike to stay on top: Since the 1993 cross country season boys prep teams have come and gone with none challenging the status quo as possibly the greatest team ever. That 93' season the Mead, WA panthers rolled through the season undefeated leaving a wake in the aftermath of the sheer 
domination including a 77:22 total team time over the Woodward Park, CA 5000m course. Entering the 08' season ranked #1 Nationally the North Central Indians began a tear through national competition with one quest, to become NXN National Champions. After an early season thumping of regional competition at the Bob Firman Invitational North Central opened eyes with a superb total team performance at the Washington State Championships. Over the difficult and legitimate 5000 meter Pasco, WA course the men from Spokane, WA averaged 15:36 per varsity scorer and a meet record 24 team points. After a NXN Northwest Region Championship North Central entered Portland Meadows as the team favorite however, Naperville, IL and perennial powerhouse York, IL would bring all they had in their quest to have Illinois repeat as NXN National Champions. After the first 4000 meters it was evident by team scoring that North Central was out of the picture as they trailed by an astounding 200 points. Over the final 1K North Central produced the one of the greatest come from behind victory's in US history. Unbelievable as it seems North Central runners passed dozens of competitors to claim the NXN National Championship over US#2 York, IL and Naperville, IL. A meet record for total team time and possibly three of the top five all-time team performances by North Central, York, and Naperville will go down as possibly the greatest team race in US history and forever remembered as a prep cross country signature moment. Read again: Greatest Team Ever? and Top Ranked North Central Wins a Shocker
#5. Saugus running all-time team time: Following a very cloudy morning the Nationally Ranked #1 Saugus girls swept through the 5000m Woodward Park Course in the fastest team time in U.S. history. Recording a mind-boggling 90:06 on the backs of individual state championship of Kaylin Mahoney and an historic team performance. The Saugus girls placed all five scorers in the top 20 , and all 7 in the top 27.
With an 18:01.5 average and a 60 second 1-5 spread Saugus dominated all other teams for a blowout victory scoring 32 points (meet record) and winning by over 3 minutes in total team time. Previous to the CIF California State Championship event the the fastest total team time over a recognized 5000 meter course was 90:15 set by the 2004 NTN National Champion Saratoga, NY girls team. Saugus would go onto finish second to US#1 Fayeteville-Manlius, NY at the NXN National Championships slightly ahead of Tatnall, DE who had run an impressive US#2 90:09 total team time earlier in the year at the Bellevue Invitational. Read again: Saugus 90:06: Greatest Team Ever? and NXN Championship: Race for the Ages and Greatest Team Ever?
#6. Solomon Haile breaks course record at Van Cortlandt Park during Manhattan Invitational: Competing in his first cross country season Solomon Haile out 
of Sherwood high school in Maryland ran from start to finish undefeated with eight meet records in nine competitions. At the 36th annual Manhattan Invitational Haile produced a signature moment that defined his season. With a vigorous early pace Haile ran uncontested to a 12:06.6 meet record breaking the previous record by 3 seconds held by Tommy Gruenewald. On a course that has featured historic names including previous record holders Marty Liquori and Brad Hudson the 2.5 mile Van Cortlandt Park course has been the standard of excellence for the northeast for the past 30 years. Haile would go on to victory in the Foot Locker Northeast Region Championship and Foot Locker National Championship. Having a tenacity and seemingly running ease Haile has stepped to the forefront as one of the great prep American distance running stories. Battling through individual strife as a US immigrant and struggling to gain acceptance as a prep athlete Solomon Haile has risen tot he top as a winner on and off the cross country course. pic by Pat Montferat Read again: Hail-e to the Foot Locker King
#7. Tatnall establishes itself after upsetting Collins Hill on a sixth runner tiebreaker: Tatnall
girls cross country team have experienced a monumental season. A season which included the US#2 All-time total team time performance 90:09 at the Bellevue Invitational, an impressive State Championship victory in which the Hornets hung a perfect 15 points on the field, a dominating NXN Southeast Region Championship 90:30 total team time, and a 3rd place finish at NXN National Championships. Tatnall of Delaware have stamped themselves as arguably the US#3 All-time team. However, it was an early season matchup with Collins Hill, GA at the McDonald’s X-Country Festival at Maymont Park in Richmond, Va that was the turning point in a defining season for the team from the Liberty and Independence state. (read: interview with coach Patrick Castagno) Tatnall stepped into the forefront of US distance programs with a signature moment 6th runner tie breaker over the top 5 nationally ranked Collin Hills program..the rest, as they say, is history. Read again: Tatnall Strengthens Hold as Southeast's Top Team and NXN Championship: Race for the Ages and Greatest Team Ever? and the milesplit interview with Coach Patrick Castagno
Other signature moments:
#8. Jeff Thode upsets Steve Sulkin to win the Illinois state meet only four weeks after being hospitalized for a collapsed lung: Hoffman Estates Conant senior Jeff Thode, who was hospitalized two weeks before the state meet with a collapsed lung, finished with the fastest time 14:18 over the 3-mile course to claim victory over pre-race favorite and member of US#2 York HS, Steve Sulkin. Less than a month ago Thode was hospitalized with a collapsed lung losing any hope of competing in the state championship. However, champions find a way to overcome obstacles as Thode was a pre-race topic of discussion. The inspirational Jeff Thode immediately moved to the front pack and the only question that remained and did he have the stamina after nearly a week in the hospital and taking several weeks off to recover but Thode failed to disappoint in one of the years most memorable and impressive stories. Read the Story
#9. The Woodlands Reed Connor runs three sub-15 5ks in a season that ends with a Nike Individual championship: Reed Conner of the Woodlands claimed the NXN Individual National Championship with a course record 15:13 5K performance. Running 14:47 at the UIL Texas State Championships, 14:57 at the Chile Pepper Festival. Read the Story
#10. Dana Hills boys run #2 all-time total team time over heralded Woodlands Park course: Averaging 15:32 per varsity scorer over the 5000 meter course Dana Hills etched their names in the US history books producing one of the top five team performances all-time. The total team time 77:38 is #2 all-time. Read again: Dana Hills runs #2 all-time 77:38 and Greatest Team Ever?
MileSplit's National Editor Fran McLaughlin and Aron Taylor contributed to this article