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GALLERY OF FINALISTS |
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Foot Locker finalists - champions all. by Leo CollinsSan Diego is a gorgeous city located on the shimmering waters of the Pacific Ocean , which is blessed with a benign climate. The goal for months, and in many cases years, has been to reach San Diego & the Footlocker headquarters, which for the race, is located at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado with its glistening white beach. In spite of what he sang Paul Simon must really have been thinking � San Diego seems like a dream to me now.' as it's an inspiring city. Amidst this ambience & opulence have come the best high school distance runners in the nation to challenge themselves & each other to dig deep just one more time this year & race for the national championship in cross country. Every runner in the race has qualified to compete in the Footlocker National Championship and it was not easy. A combination of determination, perseverance, hard training amidst pain & ability stamp this group as something special. Consider that there are loads of state champions, not to mention excellent & gifted athletes, who were unable to qualify. Each runner has achieved a great deal in his own right, yet there is one more mountain to climb: one more goal to achieve. The dream is to be �The' National Champion. Assessing the field is difficult at best given the quality of the field but especially so this year as it seems that so few of the athletes have faced each other in comparison to other years. Even, when there have been points to compare, it is of course a challenge as the moment can be so important. Training to a peak and then maintaining it is difficult enough yet there are days when all systems are not go despite all effort & planning. Of course there are also those days when everything just seems to click.. Each runner here is a champion and has every right to believe that they have a reasonable hope to be on the winner's stand. Still the goal here is round up the most likely suspects. The field for the young ladies is an interesting one with two competitors, who have already laid claim to the title, Zoe Nelson & Katelyn Kaltenbach.. If they have their day they have proved that they are capable of winning again. Katelyn has struggled due to an injury, which even forced her to miss her State meet. To ask her to repeat is asking a bit much given her loss of training, although she can still be expected to be in the midst of the fray. Zoe was a distant 2 nd in the Western Regional. With her State meet being held so much earlier than others she has a handicap that most do not have to face: a long wait to remain sharp. Still, as one of the few four time national qualifiers, she has to be a real threat to win. That leaves last year's supporting cast of Marie Lawrence, who not only placed 2 nd last year but is the Western champion as well as the Nevada State champ this year. Ramsey Kavan won the Midwest Regional & was the individual champion in the Nike Team Nationals last weekend. Last year she placed 6 th & is undefeated this year so she will be hard to beat. Jennifer Barringer of Florida won her State title & the South Regional championship. She placed 3 rd her last year - thus her credentials are solid too. Nicole Blood of Saratoga is the N Y State champion & the Eastern Regional winner this year (7 th last year) & literally stumbled last week in the Nike Team race and still finished third. She also has the best time in the nation this year. All four are very imposing candidates, yet there are others who deserve consideration: Alma Escobar of California, who placed 3 rd in her regional, Whitney Anderson, State champion of Colorado & 2 nd in the Midwest, Aislinn Ryan, who was 2 nd in the East, & Jillian Skinner of Tennessee who took the runner-up in the South also deserve consideration. Last but hardly least is Brie Felnagle, who defeated Blood and Kaltenbach at Nike to take 2 nd and won both the Washington State title plus the Oregon - Washington Border Clash. Felnagle handed Zoe Nelson her only regular season loss this year at the Sunfair Invitational in Yakima WA in October. The fast closing Brie ran an intelligent race at Nike as well as at the Border Clash &, I suspect, will have something to say at Balboa. It would not be a surprise to see her break the tape. Given the quality of the runners just placing in the top five will be a great accomplishment. But, if the course stays dry, this could be Blood's year. The third time really could be the charm. for the personable yet competitive runner. Marie Lawrence on the other hand is yet to be challenged much less defeated and is impressive in her own right, while Kavan is accomplished &, as evidenced by Kenosha , is not daunted by the hills. Brie Felnagle, one who is not likely to be caught off guard & continues to improve, could be a surprise winner. Jen Barringer is also more than capable. On any given day all five could win. Then again, as previously noted, everyone here is a champion in their own right & running has always been about putting it on the line that day: the dream is always possible. Still, when pressed, the inclination is to go with Blood & then Lawrence , Kavan, Barringer & Felnagle. BoysTo say that the young men pose a different situation is an understatement.. To begin with, the guys have a tendency to progress, given proper training, almost along a graphical progression through the years. It is almost written in stone that juniors are expected to bow to their elders & wait their turn. Yes there was a Dathan Ritzenhein & Abdirizak Mohamud but they are unique and backed up their victories with repeat performances. If memory serves they are the only juniors who have turned the trick. Suffice it to say that even Bob Kennedy did not win as a junior. If time were the only factor Andrew Bumbalough of Tennessee would be the man to beat along with fellow Southerner Scott MacPherson of Texas . Andy won both his state & regional and with his middle distance speed is a distinct threat. Jeff See held off fellow Ohioan Levi Fox at the Midwest Regional on the challenging Kenosha course. He also has excellent pure speed & used it running uphill to claim the Midwest . He can be expected to be a major factor. He is capable of winning but a slightly off day for him could see Fox take the bows as he did at the post-season Mid East Meet of Champions. The representatives from the East all faced a noted course and finished within a brief time span. Chris Barnicle of Massachusetts was the clear winner & would appear to be the top threat from the region but Kevin Tschirhart of NY, if fully recovered from injuries, could be formidable as well. Kenneth Cormier of Arizona seems to have risen to a new plateau as a runner and proved it by solidly defeating his Western rivals. He also is a likely suspect to rise to the challenge. The California contingent led by Yosef Ghebray can also be a factor but must handle the hills better at Balboa. Sean McNamara of York ran an impressive race at Nike on a soggy course& solidly defeated his opposition. Matt Dettman, also of York , & Brandon Bethke of California also qualified at NTN and must be taken seriously. There is, however, a junior who needs to be thrown in to the mix. Oregon State champion Kenny Klotz was not peaked at his state meet & has continued to improve, as witnessed by his impressive win at the Oregon - Washington Border Clash. The Western regional did not find him at full strength & probably should be thrown out as a reference. He had been run at high mileage & backed off to do the requisite speed work. The question is: will the underclassman be at his peak on Saturday? Again logic says that the winner will come from the senior class. Anyone, who can handle the Midwest course, has to be taken seriously & Jeff See appears to have all the tools. Cormier of the West is a likely challenger up front as are Barnicle & Tschirhart of the East. McNamara may be able to start a new trend & make the Nike �Regional' Final an on-going factor. He ran a great race at Portland and could win two weeks in a row. Bumbalough of the South might be expected to take the pace out & how he handles the hills of Balboa Park could dictate the results. The problem with the South course is that times that have been run there are rarely in evidence at the Footlocker Final & we shall have to see this year. The guess would be that See trailed by Cormier, Barnicle & McNamara with Bumbalough just behind. The Tennessee runner has on the other hand been labeled the favorite by a number of people who follow the sport. MacPherson, Fox (recall there is precedent for a 1 - 2 finish by Ohio ) & Ghebray should also make things interesting. Still a junior, who can out-kick the speed Laef Barnes of Washington , has to be a legitimate threat. Can an underclassman win this year? Somewhat unlikely. Would it be a complete surprise? No way! Well perhaps?! Time does not allow the inclusion of every one who has qualified but, as noted previously, every one here is a champion. Happily all will be regally treated by the Footlocker people as well as the staff of the Del , as they deserve. In many ways this is the chance of a lifetime. I know of at least one Olympic runner, who still sees missing Footlocker as a distinct loss. When they line up on Saturday all are capable of being in that zone, which can help propel them to a championship. The work has been done and it is now time to reap the benefits. They have all learned to believe in themselves and that alone makes anything possible. Each and every one of these fine athletes deserves to be here and have their �moment'! Have a great race all & good luck in joining that storied list of national champions.
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