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West Region
Mt. SAC, Walnut CA
Dec. 1, 2007

It's Jordan and German - on the Roads!
Mt. SAC clay-surfaced hills too slick from recent rains, so runners hit the streets

Videos from Team Leetch and DyeStatCal
Rain upsets schedule, but favorites still win - story by Ronnie Flores

Winners Table (results & pix)
SteveU's Picks Boys - Girls
Schedule
Prior Years
2006
1999-2005
the meet's own web site
Threepeat for Hasay; Fernandez tops Puskedra
Girls - Seeded Results
Boys - Seeded Results
1. Jordan Hasay CA 17:17
2. Lauren Chetelat CA 17:28
3. Jessica Tonn AZ 17:35
4. Kauren Tarver CA 17:36
5. Meghan Marvin CA 17:37
6. Nadya Bishton AZ 17:37
7. Taylor Wallace OR 17:39
8. Nastia Bishton AZ 17:40
9. Sarah Sumpter CA 17:44
10. Nicole Nielsen ID 17:51
1. German Fernandez CA 14:53
2. Luke Puskedra UT 15:08
3. Stephen Clark UT 15:14
4. James Attarian CA 15:17
5. Miles Unterreiner WA 15:17
6. Jim Walmsley AZ 15:19
7. Chris Schwartz CA 15:20
8. Brett Walters CA 15:21
9. Riley Sullivan CA 15:22
10. Jonathan Lafler WA 15:22

Jordan and German at the tape. Photos by Scott Kurtz


FSN will air Foot Locker Finals Monday, Dec. 17. Check your local listings.**

Winners Table - click on event for results, stories and photos
EventWinners
Girls Seeded Race
Jordan Hasay CA threepeats in 17:17, leads Laurynne Chetelat, Jessica Tonn
Boys Seeded Race
German Fernandez CA tops Utah's Luke Puskedra and Stephen Clark
Fernandez vs. Puskedra Battle - CA and UT stars highlight boys race - SteveU's Picks, Preview

Hasay Goes for 3-Peat - No Christine Babcock, but girls field still deep - SteveU's Picks, Preview
Hasay shoots for 3-peat, sans Babcock

by SteveU

THE PICKS
1. Jordan Hasay CA
2. Nadya Bishton AZ
3. Nastia Bishton AZ
4. Laurynne Chetelat CA
5. Sarah Sumpter CA
6. Leah Francis AK
7. Jessica Tonn AZ
8. Nicole Nielsen ID
9. Kauren Tarver CA
10. Andrea Nelson WA


LOOK OUT FOR
Heidi Turner MT, Taylor Wallace OR, Hailey Knettles UT, Claire Collison CA, Kinsey Gomez ID, Lindsey Prescott AZ, Ruby Roberts WA, Rachel Velarde NM, Nicole Cochran WA

THE RETURNEES
Jordan Hasay CA, 1st
Jessica Tonn AZ, 3rd
Nadya Bishton AZ, 4th
Elizabeth Coe CA, 6th
Kauren Tarver CA, 8th

WHO’S MISSING

Christine Babcock CA (ended season, fastest CA champ)
Katie Dunn CA (running NTN)
Kaylin Mahoney CA (running NTN)
Nicole Cochran WA (Border Clash champ, not registered)

THE BREAKDOWN
One of the biggest stories on the girls side of the Foot Locker West Regional at Mt. SAC Saturday will be who’s NOT running. And it isn’t because of an NTN / Foot Locker conflict. Christine Babcock, the Woodbridge CA senior whose 17:04 time at state in D2 was a second faster than Jordan Hasay’s in D5 and appears to be healthy and fit, is again electing not to participate in Foot Locker.

Babcock would have been a strong national title contender and may go down as the best female prep runner ever not to participate in the series. Her coach is reported to have said that she is just ready to stop for the season and in track she may focus on improving to a level of qualifying for the Olympic Trials 1500 meters.

Meanwhile, the Mission Prep junior Hasay will go on to attempt to make history of her own. She is shooting for her third straight win here, with a possibility of four since she started a freshman. After a slight drop off last year, Jordan has been running as well or better than ever, including a 16:42 win at Mt. SAC. If she can win in San Diego, she can join Erin Sullivan, Erin Keogh and Melody Fairchild as the only 2-time national champs, with an opportunity to stand alone as a 3-time winner by next year.

Hasay will no longer have the competition here of the graduated Mel Lawrence, but her top foes will again likely come from outside the dominant state of California. Twins Nadya and Nastia Bishton of Mountain Ridge AZ are unbeaten this season, including a sweep at the Stanford Invitational and the NTN Southwest meet. Nadya will be going for her 2nd bid, and her sister her first. Look for the Bishtons to go out with Hasay, but for Jordan’s mid-race move to be decisive.

A bit down the prediction list, Jessica Tonn of Xavier Prep will be trying to repeat as well and make it three Arizonians in the field. She was 2nd to Hasay at Mt. SAC, but has not beaten the Bishtons this year.

A typically strong group of California challengers is led by Laurynne Chetelat and Kauren Tarver. Chetelat, a Davis senior, won the CA D1 race in 17:18, the third best time of the day behind Babcock and Hasay, and has been regarded as the No. 3 Californian most of the year. She owns a rare victory over Hasay from track last year. Tarver was just fourth in the D1 race, but comes on in this race every year. She is a 3-time finalist looking to become the 18th girl to make it four. The Serrano senior has been in the top ten nationally each of the past three years and always runs a smart race.

CA D4 champ Sarah Sumpter of Healdsburg probably has the next best chance of the Californians, but Claire Collison, Meghan Marvin, Jacque Taylor, Alex Dunne, Nicole Hood, and Sierra Vega are some other strong contenders.

Outside the Golden State, the best runner after the Bishtons could be Alaska champ Leah Francis of Juneau. She won the NTN Northwest meet over a number of other top regional runners. The runner-up in that race, Nicole Nielsen of Borah, ID, should get another spot. The Firman Invite champ was unbeaten other than the NTN race and an upset state meet loss to Kinsey Gomez, who could also make the top ten.

Andrea Nelson, the Shadle Park WA soph who was best overall in that state, is the best bet for the final spot. But also look for Heidi Turner MT and Taylor Wallace OR, the best from those two states, to put up a big fight to get a San Diego ticket.


Fernandez vs. Puskedra battle highlights boys race

By SteveU

THE PICKS
1. German Fernandez CA
2. Luke Puskedra UT
3. Riley Sullivan CA
4. Jim Walmsley AZ
5. Miles Unterreiner WA
6. Chris Schwartz CA
7. Bryce Burgess OR
8. Bryan Tibaduiza NV
9. Stephen Clark UT
10. Trevor Dunbar AK


LOOK OUT FOR:
James Attarian CA, Elliott Jantzer OR, Kevin Rosaaen WA, Ryan Prentice WA, Mohamed Abdalla CA, Matt Boughton AZ, Brett Walters CA, Patrick Casey MT,

THE RETURNEES
None (all national qualifiers last year, except Ben Johnson were seniors)

WHO’S MISSING
Ben Johnson NM (top returning national finisher, running NTN)
Jonathan Lafler WA (ended season)
Tyler Valdes CA (running NTN)

THE BREAKDOWN
After his record-smashing state meet victory in California, where he took down the 21-year old mark of former Foot Locker National Champion Marc Davis by 14 seconds, it is almost unfathomable to imagine anyone besides German Fernandez leading the way for the boys on the Mt. SAC 5k course Saturday in the Foot Locker West Regional.

Equally amazing is that such a statement can even be made, considering that Luke Puskedra, the Utah champion that seems nearly as untouchable by the rest of the field, is in the race. If ever there would seem a rock-solid 1-2, it’s this pair.

Of course, this is still a regional qualifier, where it can be argued that 10th place means as much as first. That type of thinking was certainly in evidence two years ago when once a lead group of eight was established (8 qualified to the Finals from Mt. SAC back then), they ran almost as a cooperative pack until the end.

But Fernandez and Puskedra may not be that type of runner and it’s hard to see such a pack forming in this field. Neither are really practiced at the hold-back-and-kick style of racing, so expect the course/meet record of 15:21 (Seth Watkins) to be challenged by at least the Riverbank CA senior if not both. One advantage Puskedra, the Judge Memorial sr, will have is an extra week of rest.

After that, it should be a pretty tight race for the remaining eight spots, with the rest of the qualifiers being divided between California and the rest of the region. The late-season surge of Trabuco Hills CA sr Riley Sullivan puts him in good stead to take the next spot. He ran 14:48 on the Mt. SAC 2.91 course in the Southern Section Final. Although he was 2nd at CA D1 state, his experience should pay off. CA D1 champ and Foothill HS jr Chris Schwartz may have the most talent, and if he runs another smart race, then he could finish higher than his predicted 6th. Several others from the Golden State, including Brett Walters, Mohamed Abdalla, and Jeremy Acosta (if he can recover from pre-state illness), could break into the top ten.

The 4th-place nod goes to Jim Walmsley, the Horizon AZ sr and state champ who won Mt. SAC in the best time of the day and was 3rd in the NTN SW race to Puskedra and Ben Johnson. Gig Harbor WA sr Miles Unterreiner, the 4A state champ who also won the Nike Border Clash, has been exceedingly consistent all year and should nab the 5th spot. Bryce Burgess, a Franklin OR sr, was 4th at Border Clash and the 6A state champ. His experience may help him place above the top OR runner in those two meets, Elliott Jantzer, but don’t be surprised if the Phoenix HS jr comes through, either.

A good darkhorse pick is Nevada state champ Bryan Tibaduiza, who smashed the state meet/course record in victory and could break a nearly 20-year gap since the last national qualifier from that state. Stephen Clark, the Skyline UT sr who won the state 5A race (2nd best of day behind Puskedra) is the 9th choice to make it, and Kodiak AK sr and state champ Trevor Dunbar the 10th.”


Schedule

Tentative 2007 Race Schedule
Runners may participate in only one race.
Number of participants may necessitate minor schedule changes.
Race #
Click Race # to view entrants
Time Level Gender
1 7:05am 7th and 8th Grade Boys/Girls
2 7:20am Open Race - Coach/Parent/Supporter
3 7:35am Freshman Girls
4 7:50am Freshman Boys
5 8:05am Sophomore Girls
6 8:20am Sophomore Boys
7 8:35am Sophomore (if required) Boys
8 8:50am Junior Girls
9 9:05am Junior Boys
10 9:20am Junior (if required) Boys
11 9:35am Senior Girls
12 9:50am Senior Boys
13 10:30am SEEDED Girls
14 11:15am SEEDED Boys
  11:45am Girls Award Ceremony
  12:15pm Boys Award Ceremony

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