| DyeStat Foot Locker Favorites
2007 Preseason Individual XC Rankings
By SteveU
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The annual Foot Locker Favorites series are national and regional rankings of cross-country runners based on distance-running accomplishments to date, with an emphasis on XC and 3200/2M track results, rather than a projection of how the Foot Locker Finals will turn out (predictions run later in the season). While the rankings are named as such in acknowledgement of the Foot Locker Finals as the historic individual championship, they are intended more as national and regional individual rankings per se, since some top runners will choose to participate only in NTN Regional and National Events.
Thanks to Rob Monroe for research assistance on this year's rankings.
Incredible Talent, But Who Will Be Ready?
The Girls Preseason National Rankings
While the 2006 1-2 finishers Kathy Kroeger and Aurora Scott skipped spring track, Jordan Hasay reestablished herself as the best distance girl in the country. Who will be ready in San Diego?
Girls cross-country is a rolling, ongoing saga with runners often reaching an ultra-elite level during 9th or 10th grade, or sooner. Then it’s a matter of waiting to see if and how maturation will affect their progress or if the next wave of young guns will overtake them. It’s different with boys; they tend toward linear improvement, with athletes almost always reaching their peak in their junior and senior years.
So it was in December of 2005 when Jordan Hasay rocked the harrier world with her dominating Foot Locker victory as a freshman. Could she keep improving from that level, beginning four years of dominance, or would she go the route of many before her, struggling to maintain that level? Well, let’s just say this: What’s happened in the last 12 months has been nothing short of fascinating. But for the third straight year, Jordan – now a junior at Mission College Prep in San Luis Obispo CA – is the national favorite.
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| Jordan Hasay CA
| Kathy Kroeger TN
| Aurora Scott VA
| Neely Spence PA
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Jordan did nothing as a freshman in track to suggest that she wouldn’t make it two Foot Locker titles in a row in 2006 and, indeed, she was ranked #1 going into that fall. But she was also pointing beyond Foot Locker for the USATF Junior meet in mid-winter, hoping to qualify for the Worlds trip to Kenya. Although she kept winning through November, she didn’t have that edge.
Meanwhile, in the South, Aurora Scott VA and Kathy Kroeger TN were improving dramatically and building momentum toward a Foot Locker South showdown. Both wound up smashing the course record at McAlpine, with Scott winning. Emily Sisson NE and Kaitie Vanatta CO were nearly as impressive at Foot Locker Midwest. Suddenly, Aurora Scott became a popular pick to win the Finals.
Indeed, the South pulled a 1-2 finish, but it wasn’t Scott. With a devastating final mile, Kroeger, the Franklin TN (Independence HS) soph took over and ripped to a 17:29 victory. Scott was seven seconds back, and Sisson and Vanatta more than 20. But what about Hasay? After Kroeger and Scott broke the pack, she faded to 10th. Was the Jordan Hasay era already over after one year?
No, it certainly appears it wasn’t.
The plan of Jordan’s coach Armando Siqueiros appeared to pay off in the end, as she dominated the field at the USATF Juniors race in February. She joined many others in not making that Kenyan trip because of safety concerns, but parlayed her fitness into a series of 10:04-10:06 3200s and a 4:39 1600. If her season had ended at CIF, it would have been a good, solid campaign that showed modest improvement.
But it didn’t end there. In Indianapolis, Jordan proved she was able to still wow the running world. She sped away from a strong USATF Junior 1500 field for a huge PR victory in 4:16.98, becoming #4 all-time just when fans were wondering if she would improve her “speed.” She backed it up with a super silver medal at the World Youth 1500.
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The Foot Locker Girls Favorites TopList - 20 Deep
Athlete
| Last Year: Finals/Reg.
| Returning Finals/Region
| Comments
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1. Jordan Hasay, 2009
Mission Prep HS, CA
| 10th / 1st
| 8th / 1st | With her resounding victories at USATF Junior XC and 1500, along with 4 3200s between 10:04-10:06, Jordan is back atop the distance running queendom. Regaining her FL Finals title is a top priority.
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2. Neely Spence, 2008
Shippensburg HS, PA
| 8th / 1st
| 6th / 1st
| There's a lot of fast talent ranked behind her, but Neely's FL Northeast title and NON 2-mile 2nd says a lot. Few girls have had a more consistent improvement curve in their career than her.
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3. Emily Sisson, 2010
Millard North HS, NE
| 3rd / 1st
| 3rd / 1st
| It took Emily a while to get going last spring, but she followed her FL Midwest win and 3rd at FL Finals with a 7th at NON (10:29.97y) and a USATF Jr. 5k triumph (16:48.67).
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4. Aurora Scott, 2008
Homeschooled, Chesapeake VA
| 2nd / 1st
| 2nd / 1st
| Aurora's been off the radar, as the FL South champ and Finals runner-up has not raced since NIN (5k title). But she has been known to come from nowhere for fast times before.
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5. Ashley Brasovan, 2009
Wellington HS, FL
| DNQ / 19th | DNQ / 11th | After a 2nd FL South disappointment, Ashley was super in track, winning NIN 2M, hitting US#2 10:13.45 3200, and 4th at NON 2M. Her regular-season XC record is great, but must conquer McAlpine Park.
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6. Kathy Kroeger, 2009
Independence HS, TN
| 1st / 2nd
| 1st / 2nd
| Tough not to rank the defending champ higher, but after bypassing track season to improve weight and health, she started training in summer only to suffer stress fracture. Has catching up to do.
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7. Christine Babcock, 2008
Woodbridge HS, CA
| DNQ / DNC
| DNQ / DNC
| Will she finally compete in the post-season? If not, then you'll have to go to Cali to see Christine. Only Jordan was better in CA last fall and she backed it up with 10:15.54 3200/4:38.85 1600 times.
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8. Kaitie Vanatta, 2009
Dakota Ridge HS, CO
| 4th / 2nd
| 4th / 2nd
| After a super XC season that saw her take 2nd and 4th at FL Midwest and Finals, Kaitie strugged with a virus that short-circuited her track season. Now at Colorado power Dakota Ridge.
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9. Kauren Tarver, 2008
Serrano HS, CA
| 7th / 8th
| 5th / 5th
| Kauren ran 4:48 1600 this past spring, but still dipped down under the radar with all the sub-4:40s in CA. But each fall, she comes up big in XC. Looking for 4th FL Finals appearance and 3rd top ten.
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10. Carly Seymour, 2008
Central Cambria HS, PA
| 9th / 3rd
| 7th / 3rd
| Carly's 3rd place finish at FL Northeast last fall was even more of a jaw-dropper than fellow Pennsylvanian Neely Spence's win. She finished right with Neely in finals, too. 10:38.33 3200 in track. |
11. Emilie Amaro, 2008
Cypress Bay HS, FL
| 13th / 3rd
| 9th / 3rd | One of the country's more consistent runners - 3rd at FL South and 13th at Finals last fall, then followed in the spring with 10:32.29 2M at NON.
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12. Cory McGee, 2010
Pass Christian HS, MS
| 15th / 5th
| 10th / 4th
| Best known as a miler, Cory nonetheless was 5th at FL South, then 15th at FL Finals (2nd freshman). Made strong efforts to win mile titles at Millrose, NIN, and NON. It's probably just a matter of time.
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13. Emily Reese, 2008
Chamblee HS, GA
| DNQ / 71st
| DNQ / 42nd
| Bid for 2nd FL Finals fizzled in NC last fall, but Emily would bounce back from health issues to run 10:16 for 3200 twice in the spring. Skipped NON, but ran well at USATF JOs.
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14. Emily Infeld, 2008
Cleveland Hts. Beaumont HS, OH
| 20th / 3rd
| 14th / 3rd
| Great range, but becoming more of a distance runner after starting in 800. Didn't do quite as well at FL Finals (20th) as FL Midwest (3rd). Last spring her 4:41.37 1600 was best outside CA.
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15. Laurynne Chetelat, 2008
Davis HS, CA
| DNQ / DNC
| DNQ / DNC
| As fast-improving junior, didn't run FL series, but was 15th at USATF Jrs. In track, she jumped to 10:23.31 in handing Hasay only 3200 loss at Sacramento.
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16. Nadya Bishton, 2008
Mountain Ridge HS, AZ
| 16th / 4th
| 11th / 3rd
| Half of a great twin sister combo in AZ, she burst onto national scene with 4th at FL West and 16th at Finals. Sister Nastia turned the tables a bit in track, so either or both could end up here. |
17. Alex Banfich, 2008
Culver Academy, IN
| 17th / 10th
| 12th / 4th
| Just squeaked in from FL Midwest, then improved considerably in 2nd Finals outing with 17th after getting 35th as soph. Hit 10:39.40 for 2M in at NON.
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18. Shelby Greany, 2009
Suffern HS, NY
| 19th / 6th
| 13th / 4th
| Shelby improved as a soph both at FL Northeast (6th) and FL Finals (19th). In track, she used her strength to focus on the steeple, where she was 2nd at NON.
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18. Emily Jones, 2009
Bromfield HS, MA
| 25th / 9th
| 17th / 5th | After concluding a fine soph campaign in XC with 9th at FL Northeast and 25th at FL Finals, she improved her 3200 time in track to 10:25.20 to take New Englands.
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20. Hannah Davidson, 2008
Saratoga Springs HS, NY
| 33rd / 2nd
| 18th / 2nd | Hannah's never shown them her best in 3 trips to FL Finals, including 33rd last year. But she was 2nd at FL Northeast, the Eastern States champ at Vanny, then the NON steeple champ this past spring.
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(continued from above chart)
But Jordan’s 2007 winter and spring is only half the story here. The other half is what has happened with Kathy Kroeger and Aurora Scott.
The Road Back for Kroeger, Scott
Kathy had a very strong freshman year, making FL Finals and finishing 16th. During her sophomore year, however, her improvement became apparent when she routed a field of national class runners at Great American. On a challenging course at her state meet, where no boys broke 16:00, she ran an eye-popping 16:59. At that point, while the rest of the nation was still catching up, Tennessee fans knew they had a potential national champion in their midst.
Meanwhile, Aurora was also a Foot Locker Finalist in 2005, taking 9th. But the homeschooled standout skipped most of the track season and no one really knew if she was going to reemerge last fall. Well, with a startling series of road race and college/open XC performances, including a 1:18 half-marathon, she made it obviously that she was better than ever.
The Kroeger-Scott showdown at Foot Locker South was everything fans hoped it would be, with both crushing Erin Keogh’s 20-year-old course record of 16:45 with times of 16:26 and 16:32. The success for both in San Diego followed.
Since Foot Locker, however, not only has the course for Hasay changed, but also that of Kroeger and Scott. Instead of participating in indoor or outdoor track, Kathy was reportedly led by her coaches and family to a doctor who advised her to gain 20 pounds before continuing competitive running. She did so, but then when she began summer training, she developed a stress fracture. She reportedly began tentative training again in mid-August.
Meanwhile, like with Hasay, Aurora had an eye on USATF Jr. XC and Kenya. She also made the team with a 4th, then didn’t travel to Kenya. Her fitness was reflected at NIN, where she took the 5k in 16:53.55 and was 4th in the 2-mile. But then she took a planned break. Now sources say that the homeschooled standout is likely to train for another shot at the Foot Locker title this fall, after taking the spring and summer off from racing. She is also reportedly in the process of deciding whether or not to enroll at and possibly compete for a Virginia high school as she prepares for the college recruiting process.
Bottom line: Kathy Kroeger and Aurora Scott are both back this fall, but fitness-wise and racing-wise, they have a ways to go before getting back to where they were last December.
More Top Contenders
Are Hasay, Kroeger and Scott the only contenders for the national title? Far from it. An amazing eight of the top 10 from Foot Locker Finals return from last year, also including the aforementioned Sisson and Vanatta, plus Kauren Tarver CA, Neely Spence PA, and Carly Seymour PA. But the top ten (and beyond) of our Foot Locker Favorites also includes girls who have made their most distinctive marks on the track and should be primed to break through to the ultra-elite in XC. Let’s take a closer look at five more athletes who have the best national title aspirations.
The Top Returnees
- Emily Sisson – Emily first attracted serious national attention as an 8th-grader when she ripped a 9:46 3k to beat college/open athletes at the Kansas Relays. Then she put together a freshman season at Marian NE that suggested she could finish high at Foot Locker Midwest, but she stunned most fans when she pulled away from Kaitie Vanatta for the victory. She backed it up well with a third at the Finals. Sisson didn’t put up any huge marks in the winter or early spring, but she ran a solid 10:29.97 for 7th at the NON 2-mile, then ran even better for a 16:48 for a USATF Junior 5k triumph. That earned her a trip to Pan Am Juniors, where she was the youngest participant in the whole meet and took 3rd. She has now transferred, for logistical reasons, to Millard North HS in NE.
- Kaitie Vanatta – Running for a small Colorado school (Ralston Valley) and with a wisely limited schedule, Kaitie was a rumor to much of the country until she came to Golden West at the end of her freshman year in 2006 and scorched the track for a 10:16.18 3200. She raced unbeaten through her state season the next fall as a soph, then was a strong 2nd and 4th at Foot Locker Midwest and Finals, respectively. This past spring, her times were off and it was discovered late in the spring that she was struggling with a viral infection. Now she has also transferred for her junior year in a move that greatly improves one of Colorado’s (and the Southwest’s) top programs at Dakota Ridge. If she’s healthy, Kaitie will again be a strong national title contender.
- Neely Spence – With all of the superstars in the Foot Locker Northeast race last fall at Vanny – like Danielle Tauro, Hannah Davidson, Ashley Higginson – not too many fans outside of PA gave Neely Spence a chance to win. But with a smart, controlled race and a strong finish, she did just that, then took 8th at Foot Locker Finals. Having become part of the school program at Shippensburg (she ran as a homeschooled runner before), Neely had a strong spring, including a 4:50 1600 in the PA state meet. But it was in Greensboro, at NON, that Spence really confirmed her standing among the elites. She was 2nd only to Higginson in the 2M, beating the likes of Sisson, Ashley Brasovan and others in a great field with a 10:20.05. Given the way the landscape has changed for girls distance running, consistency deserves recognition. So guess who’s ranked only behind Hasay on the preseason list?
Primed for San Diego
- Ashley Brasovan – McAlpine Park in Charlotte NC isn’t exactly Ashley’s favorite place. As a freshman, she raced unbeaten through the Florida season unbeaten and was considered the favorite at Foot Locker South. She did the same as a soph and it looked like only Kroeger and Scott might be in her way for a regional victory. But in both cases she didn’t execute a strong race plan and wound up in the top 20, but out of the money for a San Diego trip. Both times, however, she bounced back in track, especially this past season. Ashley’s first major title came in the somewhat unlikely (for a Floridian) venue of PG Sportsplex, as she took the NIN 2-mile with a devastating acceleration in the second mile. At her state meet in the spring, she opened eyes with a 10:13.45 3200, US#2 for the whole season on the combined 3200/2M list. While she faded at the end of the NON 2M, she was still a solid 4th in 10:27.09. If the Wellington FL junior can get over the hump at McAlpine, she’ll battle for a title in San Diego.
- Christine Babcock – Unless you live in or have made sojourns to the Golden State, you likely have not had the privilege of watching the outstanding Woodbridge CA runner, now a senior. She was strongly in the distance running mix as a soph until the CIF State track meet where she stunned Annie St. Geme, Nicole Blood and others with a fantastic winning 4:41.29 1600. She carried the momentum into the fall, where she destroyed the course record at the big Woodbridge XC meet and went on to be unbeaten and take the D2 state title, with a time second only to Hasay. In the spring, it was more of the same for Christine. Her only loss was in the Arcadia 2M to Hasay, was twice under 10:20 for 3200, and repeated as CIF 1600 champ with a US#2 4:38.85. But the common denominator in Christine’s last three seasons has been this: She has ended her season after the state meet. No Foot Locker, no NON, no USATF. There have been no injury problems, just an individual/family decision to have state be the ultimate goal. Will she go for national competition, finally, as a senior?
More to watch:
The next two best returnees from last fall look to be Serrano CA sr Kauren Tarver and Central Cambria PA sr Carly Seymour.
Tarver is looking to join the small and elite group of 4-time Foot Locker qualifiers and to make her third top-ten. Last spring she ran 4:48 for 1600 and 10:52 for 3k St. While she hasn’t moved quite to the level to challenge for the win, it’s just a step or two away. She also has international experience both in the 2006 World Junior XC meet and the 2007 Pan American Juniors. Seymour’s 3rd at FL Northeast was even more surprising than what Spence did. At FL Finals, she was even better with a 9th-place finish right behind her PA teammate. In outdoor track, she ran 10:38.33 for 3200.
Also watch for the rest of the 21 returnees from last year’s Finals, including Emilie Amaro FL, Cory McGee MS, Nadya Bishton AZ, Alex Banfich IN, Shelby Greany NY, Emily Infeld OH, Kayla Hale FL, Jessica Tonn AZ, Emily Jones MA, Hannah Davidson NY, Elizabeth Coe CA, Shelby Buckley CA, and Virginia Hine TN.
The top 3200-meter and 2M runners from last spring that are contenders to break into the Foot Locker elite are 2005 Finalist Emily Reese GA (10:16.05m), NON 2M #3 MaryKate Champagne NY (10:25.79y), Laurylynn Chetelat CA (10:23.31m), and 9:42.17 3k runner Katie Flood IA.
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