Angel Piccirillo enters her senior season as one of the top distance runners in Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Bursting on the scene as a sophomore - Piccirillo won her first of two indoor state mile titles, first of two outdoor 1600 meter titles and first of two Penn Relays COA titles. So far in her senior year, she has added a second state title in AA cross country, and a Northeast Region title and 2nd Foot Locker Finalist qualifier.

The Irish will be out in force at the Millrose Games at the Armory in Manhattan this coming Saturday, Feb. 11, and none among the Irish contingent will have a greater right to be trackside than Cork’s Marcus O’Sullivan. (via Irish Echo)

On Nov. 27, 2010, a rainy, unseasonably cold Saturday in Fresno, Calif., Holland Reynolds pulsed through the 3.1-mile course upright, trailing only the race’s leader. (via NY Daily News)

The Millrose Games, held for the first time at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory, is one of the most prestigious meets of the Winter season.  It regularly compiles some of the East Coast's best high school middle distance talent to compete in the iconic Millrose Mile.   In anticipation of the event, Milesplit NY decided to ask each qualifier two specific questions:  What does qualifying for this event mean to you, and what are you doing to prepare?

Prince Harry hopes to line up on the starting blocks next to sprinter Usain Bolt during his diamond jubilee tour of the Caribbean and Central America, it was announced today. (via mirror.co.uk)

Geoff Hollister, one of the "Men of Oregon" while running for University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and one of Nike's first employees, died today.

The energy was palpable Saturday night at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts as a handpicked field of elite athletes from all levels of the sport thrilled the capacity crowd with photo finishes and mid-race drama.  But, you are bound to get some amazing races when you take a group of high school athletes, put them in a room with their idols, pack a building full of over 4,000 fans, and then turn on the TV cameras.

Quick recovery as CBA goes 10:08.8 in the DMR just two days after a 7:41.52 4x8! Baird and Baisden US#7/9 All-Time for 300 meters! North Shore 9:04.99 4x800! Fri: Malone, Cain win fast 1000's. Boys & Girls, Wakefield take fast 4x400 titles! 

On a recent trip to Texas for the Olympic Marathon Trials, our friend at FloTrack asked me to stop by their headquarters in Austin for a couple of days. In addition to just getting to know them better and seeing their place, they were excited to show me the new project they are working on called Flocoach. I was so impressed with the idea that we signed a partnership right then and there.

Runners usually don’t develop into sprinters. Speed is often a gift that comes unwrapped at a young age.  Aldrich Bailey, a senior at Mansfield Timberview in Arlington, Texas, has that gift. He made that known the summer after finishing the fifth grade when the young speedster blazed through 200 meters in about 25 seconds.

  Today is February 1st, national signing day! Athletes around the country (and world) can now make their college commitments official. Many of the top stars around the country will have official signing ceremonies today, while others may do so in the coming days in weeks. We want to applaud all of our college-bound seniors and celebrate their decisions of where they will spend the next four years.

Samantha Nadel wins the girls Mile in the fastest time ever at MSG! Zavon Watkins won the boys Mile and Ajee Wilson went 2:09 for 2nd in the Pro 800.  

Gunnar Nixon scored 6,022 points to win the heptathlon and set a world junior record at the Razorback Invitational. (via ArkansasRazorbacks.com)

Manhattan NY - Track and field was back at the Madison Square Garden as usual this weekend. But for the first time, the action was held under a new name, with a slimmed down schedule, and in a renovated venue.

Track and field was back at the Madison Square Garden as usual this weekend. But for the first time, the action was held under a new name, with a slimmed down schedule, and in a renovated venue.  (Photos by Victah Sailer, PhotoRun.net)

Popular runner Andrew Kuebrich, alumni of Plano High School and Monmouth College, was killed in a biking accident in Taiwan on Wednesday. 

David Oliver trains at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World in Orlando with famed coach Brooks Johnson. He focuses on the fundamentals while looking toward the London Olympic Games.

New  York NY - The mile is a classic distance.  About 8 meters longer than the now standard 1600m, the mile recently has seen a movement encouraging its' return.  There is even a website dedicated to this very thing, petitioning high school sports to return to the classic distance.  And if there ever was any indication that the mile was still alive, the fields for the mile at the upcoming US Open, New Balance Grand Prix, and Millrose would be it.  See if your favorite made the cut.

Samantha Nadel and Zavon Watkins highlight the Millrose Mile fields.

At the Armory on Saturday Strymar Livingston set the 500m NR with a time of 1:01.68 with Najee Glass under the record as well with a 1:02.16! Edward Cheserek scored a US#2 All-Time clocking of 4:02.21. (Photo by Kyle Brazeil)

Boone senior Marvin Bracy is regarded as one of the top sprinters in the nation. The FSU commit won back to back 100 and 200 meter state championships in Florida and also was victorious in the inaugural Dream 100. He concluded his junior campaign by posting a blazing 10.05 at USATF Nationals which is a All-Conditions US#2 All-Time. Bracy also won the Pan Am Junior Championships 100 meter dash with a time of 10.09. Recently he joined us in our MileSplit Headquarters for an interview to talk about his plans for 2012 and beyond.  

 

XC's not over! Former HS star and current Stanford runner Aisling Cuffe finished 2nd in the womens 4km junior race with a time of 15:09 while Foot Locker champion Molly Seidel was 3rd with a time of 15:16.

The 2012 FACA Track & Field Clinic is loaded with great speakers and presentations. Here is a look at what people can expect to see and hear for years to come.  

While school may have been on break, New York's high school athletes were certainly not.  The week has seen some of the best early season times ever, as well as hosted some major meets in and around the state.

Wow, I can’t believe that Cross-Country season is over! It has been such a long journey and I could not imagine a better way to end it.             This past month I have been struggling and trying to fight off sickness; at CIF finals I caught a cold which then turned into bronchitis by Thanksgiving and was at it’s worst right before the State Meet. Unfortunately I got sick at the absolute worst time, but I can’t do anything about it; it happens.

Neely Spence to Begin Quest For Olympic Dream. Spence was an eight-time NCAA Division II national champion at Shippensburg. (2011 USATF 5K Champs - Photo by Don Rich)

In this second episode of The Fit Runner our host is Tara Gidus, aka the "Diet Diva" and nutritionist to the Orlando Magic. She gives us some solid meal and hydration ideas for before, after, and during a run. This is the latest episode in our series on being a fit runner.

Check out Matt McClintock's blog from Footlocker Nationals. Matt recaps his 4 day experience.

North Shore (NY) girls blasted an 18:50.91 clocking for 4x1500 meters to set the National Record for that relay.  A big early season WOW! (Photo by Kyle Brazeil)

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting any of the track and field greats you will notice that they all exhibit one common trait; a compulsive desire to be successful.  The same can be said about the greats of any industry, but in sports it plays-out in the public eye. 

Grace Tinkey, a 3-time Foot Locker finalist from GA, blogs about the amazing 3-day experience known as the Foot Locker XC Championships.  Follow along as she gives an inside look as to what these athletes experience over the course of the weekend.  (Photo by Victah Sailer, PhotoRun.net)

Cheserek held off a late charge by Zeinasellassie after a back and forth battle nearly the whole way.  Seidel was able to make a break with 300 to go after Finn led the race for close to 2.5 miles.  Great races all around from all the athletes!  (Photo by Don Rich)

It's a good thing that the athletes have so much to distract them on beautiful Coronado Island or else their nerves would surely eat them to bits. Although they will have many great races yet in their potential-packed running careers, to them this seems like the most important race of their lives. And in many ways it is.

Predictions below are made for fun and entertainment purposes.  Enjoy and feel free to add comments with your own predictions and words of encouragement for the athletes competing this weekend!

One of Connecticuts' top distance runners Connor Rog talks about his high school career, preparation for Foot Locker Nationals this weekend, and his plans to run collegiately at the University of North Carolina.

The girls race at Foot Locker Nationals is a little more wide open than the boys race, but there are still a handful of girls at the top who will be difficult to beat.  The top 3 returners from last year have all had great seasons and have proven they can race well under the pressure at Balboa Park. 

The boys race at Foot Locker Nationals has the potential to be a very special event.  The course record of 14:36 at Balboa Park has been held by Reuben Reina since 1985.  This record is in serious jeopardy as both Edward Cheserek (NJ) and Futsum Zenasellassie (IN) have been consistently under 15 minutes this year.  Photos by Victah Sailor/Photorun.net.  Center Photo by Don Rich.

Out of nowhere. It's a phrase used on occasion in sports to describe an athlete who puts on a performance that virtually no one expects. And not just a good performance. An extraordinary one. (Photo by Marleen Van den Neste)

The field separated quickly after the “cannon” went off to start the 2011 NXN Championship, with the strong favorites, surging ahead from the crowd of runners behind them.  Led by Sam Nadel of North Shore, the pack would include Sarah Baxter (Simi Valley), Haley Pierce (Tatnall), Katie Knight (Northwest), and Jillian Fanning (FM).  Nadel took an early lead, reminiscent of Nick Ryan's race strategy from an hour earlier, and ran alone with a 20 meter lead.  That lead soon diminished, as a strong group quickly caught up.  

All eyes were meant to be on Futsum Zeinaselassie.  Previews had Zeinaselassie as the odds on favorite to win by a wide margin.  That all changed once the gun went off.  Nick Ryan of Fayetteville-Manlius took off quickly, as he tends to do during his races in his home state of New York.  Ryan's speed found him in the first position after the pack had converged, with about a 50 meter lead ahead of other national caliber athletes; Futsum included.

Sarah Baxter (CA) won the individual title with a time of 17:38, 3rd fastest on the course.  Haley Pierce (DE) was 2nd, Katie Knight (WA) was 3rd and Jillian Fanning (NY) was 4th. Fayetteville-Manlius (NY) set history once again with their 6th straight team victory at NXN.  This years squad faced quite a bit of adversity, losing two of their top-5 but still retained their position atop the podium.  Saratoga Springs (NY) made them work for it, finishing 2nd by just 24 points with a score of 60 to 84.  Tatnall (DE) finished an impressive 3rd with 186 points.

Athletes competing in the Nike Cross Nationals Championship were given the royal treatment at Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Most athletes flew in Wednesday night or Thursday morning, and have since been ushered into a life centered around cross country. The athletes were first picked up at the airport by their own private Nike van. They were taken to the Nike Campus, home of numerous professional athletes sponsored by Nike. The lavish campus pays tribute to past Nike running greats such as Michael Johnson and Steve Prefontaine.

The Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) brings together the best teams in the country and pits them against each other on the most unique course available.  Portland Meadows will once again play host to the championship battle and the manufactured course that traverses the interior of a horse racing track will have all the traditional features of European style cross country racing; including plenty of mud.

Twenty-two of the nations' top teams and forty-five of the best individuals will make the trek to Portland, Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals. The teams are comprised of two winners from nine different regions and four “At-Large” berths, decided on by a team of Nike consultants. 

The state's top high school distance runner of all-time, Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunk has made her college decision, Leonardi will be wearing the green & yellow jersey of the Univeristy of Oregon

Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep, NJ set course record in 15:20.  Foot Locker Regionals take place in the North, Southeast and Midwest.  NXN Regionals in the Northeast, New York and Southeast. (Photo by Don Rich)

  The National High School Coaches Association would like to announce Calvin Christian, Michigan and Tatnall, Delaware as the boys and girls XCNATION Small School National Team Champions. Having a total student body enrollment less than 400 students these two programs have excelled to unparalleled heights in 2011.

Jonathon Riley is one of the most highly decorated high school athletes in the history of the state. While a senior at Brookline, he won the 1996 Division 1 State Championship to cap-off a prep career that included 16 All-American honors and the fastest 1500m in 20 years (3:43.16).  But his high school days were just the beginning of an illustrious career.

Luis Martinez, Erin Hooker, American Fork, Fort Collins win NXN SW; Daniel Vertiz, Madi McLellan, South Lake Carroll win NXN S.  Much more inside!

Inset photo by Errol Anderdon.  NEW YORK - Track & Field will return to the country's premier sports and entertainment venue for the 99th year on Saturday, January 28, when the U.S. Open Track & Field at Madison Square Garden kicks off USA Track & Field's 2012 Visa Championship Series, USATF announced Thursday. 

  Cami returns this season as one of the top distance runners in California.  In 2010 Cami finished the Cross Country season with a Division 4 State Title and a PR of 17:45 over the difficult 5k course.  Her success didn't end there as she made her mark in the mile during the 2011 outdoor season.  With another state title in the 1600 and a PR of 4:40.88 Cami moved into the US#1 spot.  One week later she hit the oval again against the countries best milers -  taking home the gold in the dream mile and cementing her US#1 spot.  Keep checking back as we follow Cami during her final high school cross country season.

For the third year in a row US#1 Fayetteville Manlius, NY scored a perfect 15-points over US#2 Saratoga Springs, NY at the New York State Championships.

The scenery at Indian Rifle Park has had many different looks over the years. The 95-acre park, located in Kettering, Ohio, is the site of the town’s ever-changing recreation complex, one that now includes a senior center, an ice arena, three swimming pools and a walking/running track among other things. (Photo by Robert Hollen)

Oviedo High School alumn and 2011 World Champion at 1500 meters, Jenny Barringer Simpson made her first trip home to Orlando since going pro two years ago. She answered questions, signed autographs, and greeted a full house of fans and old friends at a New Balance sponsored event on Saturday at Track Shack of Orlando.

Written by Sam Hurst for MileSplit SD and Inside Dakota Sports With the temperature dropping, and the wind howling, South Dakota high school cross-country champion Tony Smoragiewicz quietly repeated as the Nike Heartland Regional champion Sunday afternoon at the Yankton Trails course in Sioux Falls that he describes as his favorite cross country venue in the country. His time of 15:19 was seven seconds faster than North Dakota prep champion Jake Leingang of Bismarck, and secured Smoragiewicz a place in the Nike X High School National championship in Portland next month, where he will run against the best high school runners for the second time in two years. Last year’s 9th place finish in the Nike X Nationals was Tony’s coming out party as one of the country’s elite high school runners.  more

Futsum Zeinasellassie is in at NXN, now to qualify at Foot Locker before beginning the quest to win both titles. (Photo by Paul Everett)

US#1 Julie Macedo and US#8 Haley Pierce battled each other relentlessly in Delaware this past weekend, with Haley collapsing and Julie finishing 2nd after staggering close to the finish.  US#4 Grace Tinkey is back and won a state title with the only sub-18 time on the day.  US#6 Erin Finn won her state title in MI and looks poised for a great championship season ahead.  US#7 Katie Knight blasted a 17:10 5k in WA to win a state title and run the fastest time in the state by far.  Full updates on each athletes recent accomplishments are below.  Be sure to click on each athletes name to see times, articles, photos and interviews of each athlete if available.  

(Photo by Rich Cruse/richcruse.com)Triathlon’s reigning Junior World Champion Lukas Verzbicas today announced that he will dedicate himself full time to the sport of triathlon in order to pursue his Olympic dream. (via www.usatriathlon.org)

Just as he's done all season long, Mike Marsella made his statement early at the RIIL Cross-Country Championships on Nov. 6.  All photos by Raphael Bieber

Julie Macedo and Haley Pierce duel at the NewCastle County Championships. (Photo by BlueHenPhoto)

Fayetteville Manlius sweeps in Section 3, Green Hope girls win big in NC with 6 in the top-20, Brookwood boys roll in GA (Photo by Jeff George)

US#1 Julie Macedo continues to win, this time taking her conference title with a time of 17:37, as she continues to dominate the national scene.  US#2 Molly Seidel won her 4th straight state title in WI with a time of 13:39.  US#9 Abbey Leonardi won her 4th straight ME crown with a time of 18:27.  US#15 frosh Jordyn Colter won her first CO state title in a dominating way with a time of 18:24.  More state action will heat things up this weekend as we get closer to the championship finals.  Full updates on each athletes recent accomplishments are below.  Be sure to click on each athletes name to see times, articles, photos and interviews of each athlete if available.

Three of the top four girls finishers from last year's NXN-SW championship race are back, and they're each bringing top-tier teams with them to back them up. Photo by Alan Versaw.

One of the nation's top distance runners Julie Macedo has announced she will run collegiately at the University of Florida. On her second visit to the University of Florida in early October the Delaware native fell in love with the Orange and blue.

Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep, the No. 1 XC runner in the nation, ended the season long speculation  about which race he would pick, the Foot Locker or Nike Northeast Regionals. The winner is......Foot Locker! Cheserek, who has broken course records in all five of his races this season, finished second as a sophomore last December at the Nike Nationals. ... (via The Star-Ledger - NJ.com)

Grace Tinkey is back and ready for the GA state meet this weekend.  Check out what has been going on with Grace over the last few weeks!

State Champion. Wow that feels good to say. What an incredible end to a great season. This last week went very well for the Lady Tigers as we built up to our first State showing in twelve years.  Coming off of a solid performance at our Semi-State we headed into our final week of team training before our biggest meet of the year.  

Monarch girls win 5A title over stacked field, Classical Academy girls dominate 3A with strong pack!  US#7 Jacob Burcham wins 2nd WV title!  US#9 Abbey Leonardi gets Class A title in ME for the 4th straight year.  (Photo by Alan Versaw)

When Miguel Lozano started running as a fifth grader he would have never envisioned the road that would take him to where he is today. The Mishawaka senior played numerous sports in middle school including football and wrestling. It was as a grappler that Lozano experienced his first hurdle in life.

Mt. SAC was this past weekend and Sarah Baxter (Simi Valley CA) proved herself in a big way, entering the rankings at #12 after winning the Team Sweeps race with a time of 16:59, the fastest on the day.  Erin Finn (West Bloomfield MI) ran an impressive 17:43 to win by a huge margin at her league meet.  Kelsey Braithwaite (Box Elder UT) moved up to #17 after winning a state title and breaking a 12 year old record with a time of 17:36.4.  Full updates on each athletes recent accomplishments are below.  Mary Cain (Bronxville NY) moved to #19 with her top-10 all-time finish at Bowdoin Park with a 18:05.96 clocking.  And Abbey Leonardi (Kennebunk ME) ran 18:05.59 to set the course record at her Regional meet despite muddy conditions, moving up one spot to #9.  Be sure to click on each athletes name to see times, articles, photos and interviews of each athlete if available.

US#5 Stillwater MN jumps in the power rankings after smashing their 1997 Harrier National Champion Team Conference meet record. US#4 American Fork UT runs past US#11 Davis UT for the 2nd fastest team time in Utah State Meet history. US#7 Rancho Cucamonga CA tops US#8 Arcadia CA to win the Mt. Sac Invitational. US#19 Hamilton Southeastern IN defeats US#26 Carmel IN and almost US#15 Columbus North IN at Semi-State. US#2 Bismarck ND score 17-points to win the North Dakota State Championships. US#6 Belen Jesuit FL is looking more and more like the best team in Florida State History.

Watching the Weymouth program is like taking a step back to a different era.  Not because what they do is archaic, but rather, because the values they display are akin to simpler times.  Weymouth operates as an extended family; where accountability, support, and work-ethic are the defining traits.  These character traits are woven into the fabric of the disciplined and organized system that has been so successful for Coach Mike Miller. 

Mary Cain #10 All-Time at Bowdoin NY | US#3 Bismarck scores 17 pts for 7th straight, US#5 Leingang goes sub-15 in ND.  Simi Valley wins loaded Team Sweeps at Mt. SAC.  (Photo by Kyle Brazeil)

Many athletes were idle, but there were a few big changes in the rankings this week.  US#1 Julie Macedo (DE) continues to assert her dominance as she won the Joe O'Neill Invite by 42 seconds over US#9 Haley Pierce (DE) with a time of 16:55.26.  US#19 Kelsey Braithwaite (UT) moves into the rankings with her course record setting performance to win the 4A title in 17:36.4.  Also in the rankings for the first time is US#20 Amanda Fox (IL) who ran 16:35.8 for 3 miles at her conference meet.  A lot is going on this weekend with 5 state championships taking place and the big Mt. Sac Invite in CA.  Full updates on each athletes recent accomplishments are below.  Be sure to click on each athletes name to see times, articles, photos and interviews of each athlete if available.

Sometimes life can be so busy!  I have definitely discovered this in the past few weeks.  It seems like high school is just a cycle of waking up (too early!), going to school, going to practice (the fun part of the day!), cramming in homework, and trying to get to bed to squeeze in as much sleep as possible.  Now that I finally have a chance to sit down and reflect, I realize that no matter how tired or worn-out I may feel, a fast-paced life is what I love.

Daniel and Pele Maree stood shoulder to shoulder, sharing the weight of the coffee-table book The Wildcats: A History of Villanovans in Professional Sports. Somewhere beneath the aging blue cover, their father is immortalized beside legendary track coach Jumbo Elliot and baseball all-star Mickey Vernon. (via www.philly.com)

North Central School senior Futsum Zeinasellassie is not just one of the top runners in the Hoosier state, but one of the best in the nation. Last year Zeinasellassie finished second at Foot Locker Nationals and with the graduation of Lukas Verzbicas has his eyes set on the title. See what else the star has in mind for 2011 including a goal of going under 14:30!