Foot Locker Northeast Regional 2013

  MileSplit NY - It's nationals season for the folks of the Northeast.  Perspectives have changed from trying to beat out the best of the state, to competing with the best of the best. Teams and athletes have two options for those who wish to extend their season.  To oversimplify, the Nike Cross Regionals are for teams looking to continue, and the Foot Locker Regional is for the individual.  There is some slight variation in these perspectives, but more on that later. Because of scheduling, it is either one or the other.  Both events have some of NY's top talent, and our full Foot Locker preview will be out on tomorrow. Also of note, teams are not allowed to use their school names, so club names are required.  Below are some highlights.  

Abington Heights senior Tessa Barrett qualified for states in XC as a freshman and sophomore, and after an eye-opening 17:58 at the 2012 Tennett Invitatonal, she looked destined to challange for a state AAA title. But a mud-fest at the District 2 meet led to an injury, and the opportunity was lost. She bounced back in indoor with a solo 10:02 3k in February. Her 3000 at PTFCA champs was an epic battle with Courtney Smith and Regan Rome - one she ultimately won in a state record 9:47.73. She would go on to take 4th at the Penn Relays 3000 in 9:40, and then 2nd (to Smith) in another battle at outdoor states, going 10:25 for 3200 meters. This year she opened with a stunning 17:26 at Cliff Robbins, and then not only won the Gold Race at PIAA Foundation, but set the course record for the Poop-Out Hill layout in 17:48. And then she followed in the recent spike-prints of Neely Spence and Angel Piccirillo, winning the Foot Locker Northeast Regional... then trumping all of the past Foot Locker finalists from PA by winning the championship at storied Balboa Park.

Barrett won in a time of 17:32

Burke won with a fast time of 15:19.

Anoush ran 17:38 to finish 2nd.

The boys race was a very quick race with a crazy dash for the line and the final spots.

Council Rock senior delivers. 4th from his high school to quality!

Brianna had a big race to get in the top-10.

The frosh from Jersey kept her dream season alive!

Christian ran 15:22 and is loaded with confidence now.

A great race for Dan punches his ticket to Cali!

Hannah followed up a great state and New England meet with a 3rd place showing today.

This NY frosh took Feds by storm and now is off to FL nationals!

A great season from this Mainer continues at nationals!

Katie will be making a return trip to nationals after coming on strong when it counted.

Kirsten had a breakthrough day after Oct injuries hampered her season.

A great end to the season for this Jersey star.

Louis qualified in a mad dash 5 other harriers. Madness!

Megan makes a return trip as a sophomore!!

Regan struggled this year but you can't hold her down! Return qualifier!!

From 11th in NJ MOC to 7th and San Diego! Killer!

Tai kicked hard to grab a spot in the madness of the final yards!

Dallas senior Regan Rome has had a remarkable career at Dallas in her first three years. Rome has been a medalist each of her first three years in XC, twice in AAA and in 2012 taking 3rd - leading her team to the podium in 2nd by just three points in AA. She is a three-time defending champ in Distirct 2 (2x AAA,1x AA); and capped off 2012 with a 4th place finish at Foot Locker Northeast, finishing 19th in San Diego, just seven seconds from all-American. And Rome is a three time medalist in AAA in the 3200 in the PIAA champs, plus a two time medalist in the 3k at the PTFCA Indoor Champs, taking 3rd in 2013 in 9:53.59 as Tessa Barrett and Courtney Smith both bettered the state record.

Abington Heights senior Tessa Barrett qualified for states in XC as a freshman and sophomore, and after an eye-opening 17:58 at the 2012 Tennett Invitatonal, she looked destined to challange for a state AAA title. But a mud-fest at the District 2 meet led to an injury, and the opportunity was lost. She bounced back in indoor with a solo 10:02 3k in February. Her 3000 at PTFCA champs was an epic battle with Courtney Smith and Regan Rome - one she ultimately won in a state record 9:47.73. She would go on to take 4th at the Penn Relays 3000 in 9:40, and then 2nd (to Smith) in another battle at outdoor states, going 10:25 for 3200 meters. This year she opened with a stunning 17:26 at Cliff Robbins, and then not only won the Gold Race at PIAA Foundation, but set the course record for the Poop-Out Hill layout in 17:48. And then she followed in the recent spike-prints of Neely Spence and Angel Piccirillo, winning the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

Elk County Catholic senior Kennedy Weisner enters her final year of XC with a champion's resume. Her best year to date was last year as a junior when she won her first state cross country title - this one in the inaugural Class A Championship. Weisner also qualified for her first Foot Locker Nationals. During indoor, she was invited to her first Millrose Mile, and also to the Brooks PR meet, an elite gathering in the Northwest. She came back in outdoor to capture two state AA titles, winning the 800 and the 1600 - a very tough double. She began her final XC season at PTXC-5, setting a course record of 17:49.

Templeton ripped through the McAlpine Park course in 14:36! Alcorta blew the doors off Foot Locker South! So much more inside, come check it all out!!

With a certain runner from Newark, N.J., now competing in (and winning) national collegiate championships, Saturday's Foot Locker Northeast race can be summed up in two words - wide open.

On the race's return to Van Cortlandt Park, seven of the ten qualifiers in 2012 were underclassmen, a theme that is starting to become commonplace at the Northeast Regional Championship. Though six of these seven (more on that in a sec) will be favorites to repeat, these girls know that returning to the Foot Locker finals may be harder this year than in the previous year, as more talent enters the meet and shows no fear in challenging the veterans.

Complete coverage of Foot Locker Regional meets leading up to Foot Locker Nationals on 12/14/13. (Photo by Margot Kelly)

Foot Locker Northeast and Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regionals will have a strong PA presense at the front.

Olivia Lantz finished up her rookie cross country season with an exclamation mark and now she's already looking ahead to next fall on the trails. Lantz finally went up against the rock-solid competition she's yearned for all season and the junior harrier proved once again she backs down from no one. The Div. 2 State champion in her first autumn on the trails, Lantz bulled her way down Broadway over the final 800 meters to finish a strong 12th in 18 minutes, 14.7 seconds on the 3.1-mile layout at yesterday's Foot Locker Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships at frigid Van Cortlandt Park. Lantz, who will be looking to improved on her 4:58 personal best in the mile this winter, was just eight seconds out of 10th place and a trip to the national finals, Dec. 14 at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA. 

On Saturday at Van Cortlandt Park, 10th was as good as first for those in the championship races of the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, with trips to the National Final in San Diego awaiting those finishers.

Nationally ranked heading into the Foot Locker Northeast Regional in New York City, Tessa Barrett had few external forces to move her along during a thus-far undefeated 2013 harrier campaign.

These past four weeks for me and my teammates have been so much fun.  I was able to talk three of my teammates (Ally Rome, Bryanna Dissinger, and Lindsey Oremus) into running the class races at Foot Locker.  

Abington Heights senior Tessa Barrett qualified for states in XC as a freshman and sophomore, and after an eye-opening 17:58 at the 2012 Tennett Invitatonal, she looked destined to challange for a state AAA title. But a mud-fest at the District 2 meet led to an injury, and the opportunity was lost. She bounced back in indoor with a solo 10:02 3k in February. Her 3000 at PTFCA champs was an epic battle with Courtney Smith and Regan Rome - one she ultimately won in a state record 9:47.73. She would go on to take 4th at the Penn Relays 3000 in 9:40, and then 2nd (to Smith) in another battle at outdoor states, going 10:25 for 3200 meters. This year she opened with a stunning 17:26 at Cliff Robbins, and then not only won the Gold Race at PIAA Foundation, but set the course record for the Poop-Out Hill layout in 17:48. And then she followed in the recent spike-prints of Neely Spence and Angel Piccirillo, winning the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

The Foot Locker regional system remains very strong in some states, but shows signs of declining strength in others. Here is a closer look at the numbers.

Photo courtesy of Margot Kelly, MileSplit.com  

The orange crushed, and the blue blazed.

Ross Wilson is the 4th Council Rock North boy to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals. It is no accident, as Wilson gives full credit to long-time coach Dave Marrington.

Commissioner Patrick M. O'Malley issued a proclamation designating December 19 as Tessa Barrett Day in Lackawanna County recognizing her a... (via Times Leader)

Brianna Schwartz has been lighting up western PA since her freshman year. Now the record holder at the championship venue at Cooper's Lake in Slippery Rock, she had much bigger goals in mind this year. But a disappointing 5th place state finish led to a renewed commitment and focus, resulting in a 4th place finish at Foot Locker Northeast, and an 6th place ALL-AMERICAN finish at Foot Locker Nationals. Here, in her own words...