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Foot
Locker Western Regional Hasay shoots for 3-peat, sans Babcock by SteveU THE PICKS LOOK OUT FOR THE RETURNEES WHO’S MISSING THE BREAKDOWN 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.
By SteveU THE PICKS LOOK OUT FOR: THE RETURNEES WHO’S MISSING THE BREAKDOWN 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.” |
