North Carolina sends two boys and two girls to Foot Locker Nationals, in two weeks at Balboa Park in San Diego.
Congratulations to Maggie Drazba and Eric Graf for placing the highest of all West Virginia runners at the Foot Locker South Reginal held at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC. Drazba competing in the seeded race placed 13th in a personal best and WV#1 time of 17:40. Graf also running in the seeded race placed 14th and ran a personal best and WV#2 time of 15:15.
CHARLOTTE -- Hilton Head junior Jack Manesiotis was the top finisher for the state with a 12th place time of 15 minutes, 13 seconds in the championship boys 5,000-meter run. The top-10 qualify for Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.
Photo by Jeff Adams Both Ahmed Bile of Annandale and Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock are returning to San Diego for the Foot Locker Nationals after their runner-up finishes at the Foot Locker South Regional in Charlotte. Bile was just edged out by Craig Nowak (14:37) of Texas for the win, but his time of 14:38 is the fastest ever run by a Virginian besting the previous time of 14:43 ran by both Alan Webb and Bobby Lockhart. The Georgetown recruit is one of only four runners in meet history to run under 14:40. Meanwhile, Chase clocked an 18 second 5K PR at 17:06 for second place and improved six places from a year ago at Foot Locker South. The Lake Braddock junior Chase's performance is the third fastest All-Time by a Virginian at Foot Locker South as her 17:06 places her behind only course record holder and four-time national qualifier Aurora Scott (16:26, 2006) and former record holder and three-time winner Erin Keogh (16:45, 1986). They will be joined by three others from Virginia including Cosby's Megan Moye (4th, 17:11 in girls' race), Chantilly's Sean McGorty (6th, 14:54 in the boys' race), and Skyline's Thomas Madden (8th, 14:56 in the boys' race). Moye bounced back nicely from her third place finish at the state meet to finish only five seconds behind Chase for fourth place to punch her ticket to San Diego. Chase is not the only 11th grader from Virginia headed to Foot Locker Nationals as both juniors McGorty and Madden have an great opportunity to gain national meet experience in two weeks for next year as well after their sub 15 minute regional race performances. More to come from Charlotte. Seeded Race Results: Boys - Girls
Craig Nowak and Cali Roper won the South Regional Footlocker championships to lead Texas to Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego in a couple of weeks. 1. Cali Roper 17:02 9. Karis Jochen 17:31 1. Craig Nowak 14:37 3. Danile Vertiz 14:40 10. Robert Domanic 15:02 Seeded Race Results: Boys - Girls
Holy Cross Junior Jacob Thomson qualified for Foot Locker Nationals with a 7th place finish today at Foot Locker South in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the first Kentucky boy since Michael Eaton in 2005 to qualify for San Diego. Big congratulations to Jacob!!!!!
Olivia Ortiz (5th), Bridget Blake (7th), and Lily Williams (10th) qualify for Nationals. Davidson battles Williams to line, collapsing over finish, coming up just short in 11th. Chris Godwin top Florida guy in 11th.
Virginia will have two returning Foot Locker finalists from 2010 competing at tomorrow's Foot Locker South Regional in Ahmed Bile of Annandale and Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock. A win on Saturday for the two-time Virginia 3A state cross country champion Bile would snap a current 10 year drought since the last Virginian to take first in seeded boys' race at Foot Locker South when John Handley's Bobby Lockhart won his second straight Foot Locker regional title in 2001. It has only been five years since the last Virginian girl to win individually when the homeschooled Aurora Scott set the current course record in 2005 at McAlpine Greenway Park with her time 16:26, but Chase could add to the rich history of the Lake Braddock program and become the third Lady Bruin to become a Foot Locker South Regional champion. Read more...
Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep, NJ set course record in 15:20. Foot Locker Regionals take place in the North, Southeast and Midwest. NXN Regionals in the Northeast, New York and Southeast. (Photo by Don Rich)
There are three big reasons to make the long journey to Charlotte for Foot Locker South every year. #1 is the possibility of qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego, California. #2 is to gain experience to better you for trying to qualify for nationals next year. #3 the course is super fast and you can run a big time PR. Kentucky has 102 runners competing on Saturday all the way from the Open Race for the former high school runners to the Championship Races to the Youth runs at the end.
Entries for Foot Locker South and Nike Cross Nationals
As of November 25, 2011. Entries from official Foot Locker South Site
A list of Virginians currently entered for this weekend's Foot Locker South Regional in Charlotte, North Carolina. A total of 351 runners currently entered.
Last year Wesley Frazier made it to San Diego; this year, several NC girls will try to make that prestigious race.
Kate Niehaus, All-American athlete, 14-time state running champion, dedicated scholar and valedictorian of her 2006 Spring Valley High class, added another impressive line to her resume this week: Rhodes Scholar. (via www.thestate.com)
Foot Locker South: last year three boys from North Carolina advanced to the national race in San Diego.
US#7 and WVRunners male athlete of the year Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland High School and female WVRunners athlete of the year Maggie Drazba lead the West Virginia contingency competing at the South Regional of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships to be held at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, November 26, 2011. Check here for up to date WV entrants: WV Entrants
NCRunners needs information! Contact me if you are participating in either of the postseason competitions.
CHARLESTON -- Brent Demarest had a good year in cross country, dropping his personal best for the second straight season and winning his second straight SCISA championship, but his coach thinks the sophomore’s best years are still ahead.
GREENVILLE – As a seventh-grader at Christ Church Episcopal, James Quattlebaum and his father were looking for an extra-curricular activity that might interest the younger Quattlebaum.
GREENVILLE – Laura Miller has come a long way in her short career as a high school cross-country runner.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND – Jack Manesiotis says he’s had a "pretty good" cross country season, so far. He’s trimmed a few seconds off his personal record in the 5K, but the Hilton Head High junior knows he can do better.
Hilton Head junior Jack Manesiotis talks about his upcoming season and goals.