US News
AOW 02-03

Week 1 - September 13, 2002


Nef Araia
Lawrence North IN senior
Zoe Nelson
Flathead Kalispell MT sophomore

photo by DyeStat

photo by Brian Myers, PhotoRun

On the starting line at Hilliard OH last Saturday 9/7, Nef Araia and Wesley Smith might have glanced at each other.  They went 1-2 in the inaugural Midwest Meet of Champions last year, with Araia breaking away only in last 400 meters, and the two seniors were favored to do it again.

Araia, of Lawrence North IN, was worried about the 9:03 2-Mile that Smith, of Hudson OH, turned in at the adidas Outdoor Championships in June at Raleigh NC.  That was 15 seconds faster than Araia ran last spring, when he was coming off a bout with mononucleosis. But since then, Araia had "the best summer I ever had."

In the MMOC, Araia's summer base paid off, as the rematch wasn't as close as last year's race.  After some "games" in the third mile, with each runner trading surges and matching each another, Araia gapped Smith with the winning surge.  With 800 meters left, Araia led by 50 meters, and he cruised home from there, 14:48 to 15:03.  Both were much faster than last year on the same course (Araia by 24 seconds, and Smith by 15 seconds), and both are gunning for the Foot Locker championships.

The first MMOC last year was held 4 days after 9/11; this year's meet was held 4 days before the first anniversary of 9/11.    Nef is of Eritrean descent but is a thoroughly American teenager, having lived here all  his life.  His words after last year's race are worth repeating:

"I just wanted to run hard, run proud.  I wanted to show them (the terrorists) that we can still lead normal lives in America."

Zoe Nelson runs the same way she greets the world, with a cherubic grin on her face.  As a freshman last year, the Flathead Kalispell MT runner posted a string of sensational times and won the Montana state championship.  Then she came down from the mountains and proved it was no fluke by placing 7th in the Foot Locker West regional at Mt. SAC to qualify for the national finals, where she finished 20th.  She is the third highest ranking national finalist returning this year. 

Last week Nelson started her sophomore campaign with a bang that served notice she is ready to challenge for national honors again.  She won the Flathead Invitational by 89 seconds on a new 3-mile course which her coach Paul Jorgensen calls "moderately difficult."  Her time of 16:43 is the fastest in the country so far this season by 78 seconds; record setting Foot Locker national champion Amber Trotter was the only girl to run a faster 3-mile last year. 

Zoe easily surpassed her goal for the day, to break 17 minutes. “It felt great,” she told the Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell. “I’m really happy with my performance today.” 

Nelson thought the hills helped her. “Hills are where I have an advantage.  I train on them a lot and that’s where I usually get ahead.”  That's a good sign for the Foot Locker West regional at hilly Mt. SAC, and for the national finals, which are moving this year from the flat golf courses of Disney World in Florida to the slopes of Balboa Park in San Diego. 

Honorable Mention
Alphabetical order - Includes meets through September 7
BOYS
GIRLS
  • Danville IL sr Ricky Alvarez - 14:52 3m, winning at Charleston.
  • Jesuit Tampa FL so Andy Biladeau - 15:03 5k winning Red Mule Inv.
  • St. Xavier Louisville KY sr Bobby Curtis - 15:16 5k winning big Tiger Run. Bobby is racing lightly to be point for Great American and Foot Locker.
  • Mt. Tabor NC sr Matt Debole - 15:03 5k winning UNC-Wilmington meet
  • San Lorenzo Valley CA jr Alex Dunn - 15:44 3m, winner of the Earlybird Inv at North Monterey County CA
  • Reynoldsburg OH jr John Ealy - 15:25 5k, winner of two early invitationals at Westerville and Tiffin.
  • Vanguard Ocala FL sr Steve Hassen - 15:46 5k, winner of the Caples Inv  in Florida.
  • Winona MN jr Garret Heath - 15:27 5k, winner at Faribo MN. 
  • Klamath Falls OR sr Lauren Jespersen - 15:26 5k, breaking meet record at Premier West Inv, Yreka CA
  • Strongsville OH sr Chris Kollar - 15:42 5k, winner of the big Spiked Shoe Inv at Penn State University.
  • Mitchell FL fr Jeff Masterson - 15:09 5k winning Land O' Lakes Inv, 2nd good outing of HS debut.
  • West Knoxville TN sr Dusty Miller - 14:41 3m at Cherokee Boulevard, breaking Andy Baksa's course record.
  • Liberty Christian CA sr Tim Nelson - 15:37 5k, tying the old course finishing 2nd to Jespersen at Yreka. DyeStatCal Athlete of the Week.
  • Edwardsville IL sr Stephen Pifer - 14:56 3m, winning at Granite City. 
  • Oak Glen WV sr Justin Simpson - 15:48 5k, winner of the Autumn Classic.
  • Hudson OH sr Wesley Smith - 15:03 5k, 2nd fastest of  season.  With 5 of top 7 graduated from last year's state championship team, Smith can focus more on individual goals this year. He wants to make amends for 4... showing at Foot Locker Midwest last year.
  • Stevens Point WI sr Chris Solinsky - 15:34  5k winning Neenah Inv. Leading national Foot Locker returnee (3rd last year) gets season off to successful start.
  • Mason Cincinnati OH fr Angela Bizzari - 18:19 5k winning Lakota Classic after strong summer JO action
  • Kelloggsville MI jr Nicole Bush - 18:31 5k winning Benzie Inv, Michigan's big early season mixer.
  • Granite Bay CA jr Caitlyn Chock - 18:19 3m, winner of her school's own invitational.
  • Walton GA sr Kristin Heffelfinger - 18:52 5k winning North Gwinnett Inv
  • Tri-Valley NY jr Heather Iatauro - 18:15 3m, winner at Washingtonville NY
  • Beaumont Cleveland Heights OH jr Maggie Infeld - 18:03 5k, second at Midwest Meet of Champions.
  • Smoky Hill Aurora CO sr Megan Kaltenbach - 18:46 5k at Boulder to get senior campaign started with a win.  She hasn't lost a race since Foot Locker national finals last year.
  • Emily Kruger, Lampeter-Strasburg PA - 18:38 5k winning Gettysburg Inv.
  • Minster OH jr Sunni Olding - 18:06 5k, winner at Columbus Grove and division winner at Tiffin Carnival
  • Turpin Cincinnati OH jr Carolyn Rauen - 17:55 5k, impressive winner of Midwest Meet of Champions.
  • Lakewood OH sr Michelle Sikes - 18:18 5k, best time of day at Tiffin Carnival; also won Cardinal Classic.
  • St. Ignatius San Francisco CA so Ciara Viehweg - 18:03 3m,  DyeStatCal Athlete of the Week for winning big Earlybird Inv at North Monterey County. .

 

Nike Athlete of the Week

 


home | US news | states | rankings | calendar | features | youth | archives | TrackTalk | chat | shop |

DyeStat is published by John Dye, Baltimore MD

�2002 - 2003