Breakthrough Performances Aplenty at Foot Locker South Regional
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The Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC, showcased incredible performances as athletes vied for a top-10 finish and a ticket to Foot Locker Nationals. The races featured dramatic breakthroughs, steady improvements, and some repeat success stories.
Boys Race Recap
Keegan Smith of Knoxville Catholic extended his postseason dominance, winning his fifth straight race in 14:58.17. This victory adds to his list of accolades, including the NXR Southeast Regional title and the Tennessee state championship this season. He narrowly defeated Jack Bowen in a very vey tight race.
Jack Bowen of McCallie School redeemed himself after a tough outing at NXR Southeast, finishing as the runner-up in 14:59.98. Bowen's improvement from 19th place at this meet last year to second this year marks a significant leap as he heads to his first national meet.
| PLACE | VIDEO | ATHLETE | TEAM | MARK | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Keegan Smith | 12 | Knoxville Catholic High School | 14:58.17 | ||
| 2 |  Jack Bowen | 12 | McCallie School | 14:59.98 | ||
| 3 |  Tristan Yoder | 12 | Broadway | 15:00.46 | ||
| 4 |  Malachi Burnett | 11 | Creekview | 15:01.40 | ||
| 5 |  Asher Oates | 11 | Unattached - TN | 15:02.53 | 1 | |
| 6 |  Riku Sugie | 12 | Thomas Nelson | 15:02.80 | ||
| 7 |  Jackson Hogsed | 12 | Lambert HS | 15:03.10 | ||
| 8 |  Owen Kelley | 12 | Bentonville High School | 15:04.24 | ||
| 9 |  Parker Adams | 12 | Bolles HS | 15:08.81 | ||
| 10 | Matthew Shelly | 12 | Bentonville High School | 15:09.54 |
Broadway's Tristan Yoder and Creekview's Malachi Burnett also delivered breakout performances. Yoder ran four seconds off his personal best to place third in 15:00.46, while Burnett shaved four seconds off his PR to finish fourth in 15:01.40, a vast improvement from his 41st-place finish last year.
Asher Oates improved on his 38th-place finish from 2023, crossing the line fifth in 15:02.53. Right after him, Riku Sugie of Thomas Nelson ran his third-fastest time of the season, finishing sixth in 15:02.80. Sugie qualified for Nationals for the second consecutive year after placing 18th at Nationals in 2023.
Lambert's Jackson Hogsed, who finished 40th last year, made a massive leap to secure seventh place in 15:03.10. Owen Kelley of Bentonville improved from 28th last year to eighth this year, finishing in 15:04.24. Bolles' Parker Adams clinched his first-ever national berth with a gutsy performance, running two seconds off his PR to finish ninth in 15:08.81. Bentonville's Matthew Shelly rounded out the qualifiers, finishing 10th in 15:09.54, joining his teammate, Owen Kelley, at nationals.
Girls Race Recap
Elizabeth Leachman of Boerne Champion, the defending Foot Locker Nationals champion, showed her class once again, winning her second straight South Regional title in 16:55.58. Leachman remains one of the favorites to defend her national crown.
Caroline Barton of Carolina Day School followed with a breakout performance, taking second in 16:59.49. The North Carolina state champion improved from her 17th-place finish last year, cutting her time from 17:38 to 16:59, setting a two-second PR. Rogers' Lilly Beshears finished third in 17:01.24, losing only her second race of the season. Beshears made an incredible jump from 63rd last year, improving her time by 1 minute and 48 seconds.
| PLACE | VIDEO | ATHLETE | TEAM | MARK | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Elizabeth Leachman | 11 | Boerne Champion | 16:55.58 | ||
| 2 |  Caroline Barton | 12 | Carolina Day School | 16:59.49 | ||
| 3 |  Lilly Beshears | 11 | Rogers High School | 17:01.24 | ||
| 4 |  Sophia Bendet | 12 | Celerity Performance | 17:08.06 | ||
| 5 |  Kerrigan Chaney | 12 | North Cross | 17:13.07 | ||
| 6 |  Carolina Areheart | 11 | Webb School of Knoxville | 17:14.55 | 1 | |
| 7 | Jazzlyn Garmer | 11 | Webb School of Knoxville | 17:16.44 | 2 | |
| 8 |  Macy Wingard | 11 | Denton Braswell | 17:16.64 | ||
| 9 |  Kate Loescher | 12 | Colonial Forge | 17:21.97 | ||
| 10 |  Abby Faith Cheeseman | 12 | The Webb School Of Bell Buckle | 17:27.25 |
Sophia Bendet ran a two-second PR to finish fourth in 17:08.06, securing her first Nationals berth after a 19th-place finish last year. North Cross' Kerrigan Chaney made a massive leap from 43rd last year to fifth, running over a minute faster to clock 17:13.07.
Webb School of Knoxville teammates Carolina Areheart and Jazzlyn Garmer finished sixth and seventh, respectively, both qualifying for their first Foot Locker Nationals. Garmer set an eight-second PR with her performance. Denton Braswell's Macy Wingard ran her first Foot Locker Regional, finishing eighth in 17:16.64, qualifying for her third overall national meet.
Colonial Forge's Kate Loescher (17:21.97) and The Webb School of Bell Buckle's Abby Faith Cheeseman (17:27.25) claimed the final two qualifying spots. Cheeseman, who finished second in this meet last year and 13th at Nationals, narrowly earned her return trip.