MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews Footlocker South champion Ryan Hill of Hickory High School in North Carolina as Hill ran the fastest time ever at McAlpine by anyone from North Carolina and tied the four fastest overall with a 14:46 clocking to win as a junior.

Brandon Miles: Ryan, what were your expectations coming in? You ran a pretty good time already earlier this season at the Wendy's meet and also were the state champion in North Carolina. How did you feel today went for you?

Ryan Hill: I knew that they had some predictions like I'd come in fifth or seventh or somewhere in there. You know, I felt like the predictions were accurate, but I wasn't going to sit back and take fifth. Ben, Griff, and myself were reeling in Girma in the last mile there and so I just took advantage of him. It looked like he was kind of falling asleep in the last mile, so I was able to kick by him.

Miles: Were you surprised in being able to run down Girma as coming in, he had beaten Hubers pretty convincingly at the Georgia State Meet? When he had gotten out so far and you were with the rest of the guys, what was your mindset during that point of the race?

Hill: Well I thought Girma was the man. When he got away from us that first time, I thought he was gone. But he just came back to us and we got him.

Miles: What are your expectations two weeks from now in San Diego? You are the regional champion time and ran a pretty good time of 14:46.

Hill: I feel the South is kind of underrated and does not get a lot of respect, but I think we've got a solid team. So I want the South to be competitive and try and win the team competition. For myself, I guess just get the best finish I can.

Miles: Well best of luck in San Diego as well as representing the South region and the state of North Carolina

Hill: Thank you.
 

MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews Ben Hubers of McEachern High School in Georgia as Hubers earned his second trip to Footlocker Nationals by placing second at Footlocker South in Charlotte with a time of 14:51.

Brandon Miles: Ben, how did you feel the race went for you today? You were one of the top returnees from last year and have had some good races this year. Then you had a defeat at the state meet by Girma, but today you came out on top of him.

Ben Hubers: Today went great. I got out fast. Maybe a little faster than I would have liked, but not anything too crazy. After that, we kind of just held pace and kept it strong. After about a mile and a half, I felt fairly relaxed actually. I felt like I had plenty left, so I kept the pace strong still. With 400 left, I saw Girma ahead of me and was like "You know I can catch him." I just went after it.

Miles: Experience is often overlooked how did you feel the experience of last year's race here and also how Foot Locker Nationals helped you today and in two weeks in San Diego?

Hubers: It will be an immense help. Just knowing today, I know the course better and the competition better. It is just great to come out here and now what you are up against as well as what you've done yourself. Then in San Diego, once again you know the competition and raced against most of them. You know the course and know everything they are going to throw at you and dazzle you with when you get out there. It just helps to know what's happening, so you can stay calm and focused on the race.

Miles: When I was talking to some of the Virginia guys earlier, a lot of them were mentioning how they definitely look forward to Balboa because it is a hillier course and do well on them. How do you feel on a hillier course versus a speed track like McAlpine? You've raced on some pretty fair and challenging courses this season.

Hubers: Yeah I've raced on a few fairly hilly courses. For Balboa, I'll be more prepared this year. That is the one thing that killed me last year was I did not have enough hill training later in my season to really get me ready for that. But once again the experience comes into play as my coach knew that this year, so I've been doing everything that I need to do to get ready for that course. I'll be ready.

Miles: Talk about the difference in pressure from last year with your first year qualifying to this year when you had the experience and expected to finish well. What was your mindset? Was it any different from last year?

Hubers: Last year there wasn't a whole lot of pressure on me. I just went out there and expected to do well. This year I think there still wasn't a whole lot of pressure put on me. Just pressure from myself more than anyone else. Hopefully there is going to be a little bit more pressure on me when I get out to San Diego. Hopefully some people will be expecting me to do well. I love it though that scared gut feeling before a race is what helps you do well, so pressure helps.

Miles: How did you view your loss to Girma at the state meet? A lot of people like to have a loss early on in the season and have a reaction to it that is positive. How did you view the loss at the Georgia State Meet?

Hubers: That did play a larger role into today. It made me a little more nervous, but I know a couple of weeks ago there was something wrong with my throat. There was some phlegm and nasty stuff in there. I couldn't really breathe right. I hate to use that as an excuse, but I was not 100 percent ready I don't think. This time I came out here and was ready. I knew if I was 100 percent, it would have been a closer race I think. I would have been even with him and setup to win.

Miles: Well you definitely raced well today and congratulations on making the trip back to San Diego. Good luck in two weeks.

Hubers: Thank you. Its a big honor.

MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews Abingdon junior Griff Graves, who led the way for Team Virginia at Footlocker South Regionals as the first of three Footlocker Nationals qualifiers from the state and also help Virginia to the state team title (top five scorers) with his third place time of 14:55. The two-time 2A state cross country champion Graves will be joined in San Diego on December 9th for Foot Locker Nationals by fellow Virginians in Mike Spooner and Thomas Porter.

Brandon Miles: Griff, what were expectations coming into today and what did you think about your race performance?

Griff Graves: My expectations were just to stay with the leaders and not be caught off in the eighth and tenth spots at the end because I don't have a very good kick. Which actually today, I proved that wrong. I was able to outkick Girma and that was pretty impressive. I was pumped mostly about that. I didn't get a very good start. I was about 30th something at the mile and I had to work to get there. Then going up the hill I kind of got it together and got back up with (Mike) Spooner and the guys. I was little more comfortable then.

Miles: You have had some pretty good races this season that historically one can say would have you looking pretty good coming into here. Your 15:03 at Wendy's on this course and also the time you put up on the Tazewell course (Graves' regional meet) is pretty impressive considering what Fleet (Hower) did on that course. Did that have any affect on you confidence wise coming in? Knowing how you peformed in those races?

Graves: Yeah it really helped. The state race was not so great this year because the course was a little messy. It really helped that I did that well at Tazewell and Wendy's really pumped me up. It let me know I was in shape and ready to come out here and do it.

Miles: Looking ahead to two weeks at Balboa Park, it is a bit more hillier than this course here. Does that raise your expectations versus what you might have had coming in here considering you come from a pretty hilly area of the state and a good background of racing well on hilly courses?

  Graves: I mean I love it. Bring it on. I love hills. The more hills, the better. Thats basically when I caught back up today in going up the hill. Hopefully not as many downhills, but I can deal with hills.

Miles: How excited to have three fellow Virginians on the boys' side joining you on the trip?

Graves: I am so excited. I could not ask for more. I hope we win today, which I think we are close between Georgia and us. But hopefully we win today and can't wait to have the guys traveling with me. I hope we get to stay in the same room or whatever, but I don't know how that all works. Its cool.

Miles: Well congratulations on your race today in qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals and good luck in two weeks in San Diego.

Graves: Thank you.

MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews West Springfield senior Mike Spooner after earning his first trip to Footlocker Nationals with a fifth place finishing run of 15:06 at Footlocker South in Charlotte, North Carolina. Spooner was the second finisher of three Virginians who qualified for San Diego.

Brandon Miles: Mike, how did you feel the race went for you today? Expectations coming in as a probable top ten finisher, did you feel any pressure knowing that?

Mike Spooner: I knew going into it that it was my last year with my senior year. The past two years, I have not been a veteran runner and went out real hard and died back. I was in it at the mile marker, but after that I just started fading. This year I went out a lot slower and more conservative and put myself in the race at the mile marker and moved ahead from there. This course doesn't really favor me. Its a really flat course and I need hills everywhere, so my main mission was just to get out of here and go onto California and try to be the number one South finisher there.

Miles: As you were saying with the hills, you had to get out fast and how did you feel the race plan went for you?

Spooner: Yeah I did not plan to lead, but I had to toss that in there for pride sake because I love to lead. Leading when I did kept me back in focus because when I would usually fade out and lose ground. I just stayed with those top guys and they carried me to where I needed to go. I could cruise it in and save a little bit of juice for two weeks from now.

Miles: How are you excited to have two fellow Virginians with you? Kind of surprised with Thomas Porter getting the tenth spot. You are the lone senior of the group there. How excited are you to being joined by those two guys in San Diego?

Spooner: The best part is I don't have to be racing against them. I'm racing with them now. Great part about this is I think Griff and I have what it takes to finish really really high. Especially on that kind of course suits us. Its just a tough guy course. Griff and I are going to tag up. I don't want to spill anything yet, but we are starting to work on something to take down the other guys and make the South look really good.

Miles: Well best of luck two weeks in San Diego and congratulations on your race today.

Spooner: Thanks a lot.

 

Q&A Interview: Thomas Porter

MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews Mountain View sophomore Thomas Porter who held off Kevin Schwab of Oklahoma for the final spot to San Diego for Foot Locker Nationals in finishing tenth overall in the seeded race at Foot Locker South with a personal best time of 15:13. Porter is the only underclassmen qualifier among the South region boys and has a sensational finish this fall after being ranked outside of the top ten in the state earlier in the season. Porter helped Virginia have their first trio of boys' qualifiers since 2001 with Bobby Lockhart, Matt Keally, and Fleet Hower.

Brandon Miles: Thomas, how did you feel the race went today? Were you surprised by the finish?

Thomas Porter: Well I got out the way I wanted to. Mike (Spooner) let me in right behind him at the starting line, so I didn't have to go back five rows. That really helped a lot. I got out where I needed to be. I was towards the front and had a good pack ahead of me. The whole race I just kept moving up and moving up. I worked with Jason (Witt) through the middle mile. We kept swinging by each other and picking off more guys. Before I knew it, I found myself in 11th and was right there.

Miles: When you came onto the lake for the second time, what place were you in and what were you thinking as you were going around the lake?

Porter: About two steps before the lake I was 11th. I came around the corner and saw a guy on the ground. I just sprinted by him and was like "This is it! We got to go!" I just took off and started going. I heard from everyone because I guess everyone was waiting for a great race for number ten. People I didn't know. People I knew. "He's right behind you! He's right behind you! He's coming! He's right behind you!" I just kept pushing it and I wasn't going to let anyone squeezing it past me again on the last step.

Miles: Now what was your training like this season because you started off the season kind of slow, but then you really came on at the end at the state meet and then of course your race today beat your state meet race. Kind of talk about how the training went for you this fall.

Porter: I went to Nike Outdoors last year, so I went a little extra than normal. I had a really long break, so I got into the summer training a little late. I did that knowingly that I was going to peak later in the year. So I just moved it up and put on the blinders and not really care about what everyone else was doing. I just did my own thing and knew where I was. I just kept getting better because I was doing better than last year, so I knew I had to be moving up. I got to the end and I had it.

  Miles: Last year you won the freshmen race here and was it in your mind today to stay as the top kid in your class?

Porter: Well we went to the meet headquarters yesterday and got to see my name on the board for the record. When we got here this morning and I think it was the one time I stood up and saw the guy finishing (in the freshmen race). He was at the two mile right where I was (last year) at 10:15. I was just crossing my fingers and saw him finish. He lost time on the straightaway at the end. I think I got four seconds on him. I guess beating my class was nice.

Miles: What are thoughts for Foot Locker Nationals. I'm sure you are excited to go out to San Diego. What are your hopes out there?

Porter: Just to have fun. I'm not looking to take it any differently than what I've been doing all year. Just do my thing, put on the blinders, run my hope, and hope things come out on top.

Miles: Well congratulations on your big race today and good luck in two weeks.

Porter: Thank you.