Preview - by Marc Davis
I
still remember the first US Junior Team I made way back in 1986.
It was the 1st World Junior Track and Field Championships in
Athens, Greece. It was a scary time in the world around then.
Most of your younger athletes won't remember the first wave of
terrorist attacks we delt with during the mid-1980's. Sure they
weren't hitting us here on American soil, but they were bombing
just about every major international airport. So that made for
a very nerve-racking situation at the meet. Luckily nothing happened,
and we were all able to compete unharmed.
But
it wasn't until the following March at the World Junior Cross
Country Champs in Warsaw, Poland that I was comfortable racing
abroad. It was still a dismal situation for the most part. The
"wall" was about to come down, and things were tough around Eastern
Europe. But I was at the top of my high school game, so I went
in determined and ready to go.
This
weekend, some of the finest Under-20 harriers across the country
gather in New York City at the famed Van Cortland Park to hopefully
qualify for the 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships,
being held April 1st and 2nd in Fukuoka, Japan. The Junior Men
will be competing at the distance of 8000m, while the Junior
Women will be running about 6000m. The top 6 junior men and women
in each race will earn a bid to the World Championships. Here's
a breakdown of the show:
Obviously,
many eyes will be on the newly crowned High School National XC
Champion, AJ Acosta. AJ Nation rolls into NYC
off not only an impressive victory in San Diego last December,
but also with the second fastest mile time of the indoor season.
As of February 1st, second place finisher at Foot Locker and
the fastest miler of the indoor season so far, Michael
Coe, was
not entered in the event. However, other contenders for the top
6 include: Isaac Stoutenburgh of Crater, OR
(14:53 recently at the Gerry Lindgren 5000m); 2005 Mt Sac XC
Champion
Ben Sitler of St Francis, CA; and Michael
Eaton, US#1 2-miler
from Greenwood, KY. Among the Juniors that are in college; Andrew
Bumbalough of Georgetown University; Jordan
McDougal of Liberty University; and Andrew
Biladeau of the University
of Virginia should all give the high schoolers a run for their
money.
On
the girls side: the new US#1 miler Nicole Blood will
have to be one to watch. She has raced on this course almost
more times than there are competitors entered. Foot Locker runner-up
Marie Lawrence has got to be a very strong contender
for the top 6, though we haven't seen much of her so far this
indoor season. And there's also Bria Wetsch who
has the #2 mile time so far this indoor year, and Briana
Jackucewicz with the #2 3200m in the US so far this
year. Coming from the college ranks, you have
to look at Erin
Bedell of Baylor as
a potential team member, along with Zoe Nelson, Whitney
Anderson of Duke, and Amy
Fowler of
BYU.
As
mentioned back on the meet page, the weather is going to play
a MAJOR factor this weekend. Many of the west coast runners haven't
seen this kind of snow fall yet, and neither have the east coast
runners for the most part. But the runners coming off of strong
indoor seasons should have the advantage of being more sharp
for this level of competition. The course has apparently been
changed from the typical VCP map, to a faster and flatter course.
So the milers should have an easier time near the end of the
race.
Stay
tuned here for updates from Rich Gonzales and video by......well,
ME! :)
