NXN SW Regionals - Highlights

 Nike SW Regionals

 
 
 
A new location, perfect weather (by Arizona standards) and a spectator friendly flat and fast course, made for a great day at the Nike SW Regionals in Gilbert Arizona.
 
 
At the start of the girls championship race Julia Foster (Albuquerque Academy, NM), Erin Hooker (Fort Collins, Co) and Sarah Fakler (Xavier College Prep, AZ) eased to the front and ran together through most of the race.  Somewhere near the 2 mile mark Foster started putting some distance between herself and the rest of the group.  
 
"I stayed at the top and tested the waters at the beginning of the race," said Foster.
 
Foster enjoyed the fast course and the competition finishing the race in 17:39 followed by Hooker (17:45) and Fakler (17:49).
 
"It always helps to have compeition……like really faster runners around me….it definitely helps me run faster," she continued.
 
 
(Photo left by Margot Kelly:  Julie Foster at the finish line in 17:39)
 
 
Billy Orman (Tuba City, AZ) used a similar game plan to the Desert Twilight Meet (held on the same course).
 
"I kind of wanted to run this race like I did at the twilight invite which was to stay behind someone until around the 2 mile mark and then start pushing it."
 
That's exactly what he did.  
 
As the race took off no one really took the lead like Jonathan Yazzie (Chinle) did at the Twilight meet last month.  Instead the race stayed in a tight pack up until the 2 mile mark when Orman started to make his move.  As Orman separated from the pack he went alone and finished the race in 15:05.61, 14 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Spencer Wenck from Monument, Colorado.  Danny Carney (Dakota Ridge, Co) finished 3rd in 15:25.51.
 
 
Both Billy Orman and Julie Foster opted out of Nike Cross Nationals to participate in the Footlocker West Regionals held on the same day.  The 3 other Footlocker regionals are held the week before Nike Nationals and runners can chose to compete in both but because California has their state meet on the same day as the regional events, the Footlocker West Regional race was moved a week later.
 
 
US#2 American Fork (UT) won the team championship with 44 points and a total team time of 1:18.14.  Fort Collins (CO) finished 2nd with 88 points and a total time of 1:19.12.  Davis, UT (93 pts) and Albuquerque, NM (172) placed 3rd and 4th respectively and will wait to see if they get an at large bid.
 
The girls team race was much closer with the top 2 teams being only 1 point apart.  Fort Collins (CO) won the title with 134 points followed by Monach (CO) with 135 points.  Xavier College Prep finished 3rd with 141 points and Ogden took 4th with 185 points.
 
 
The following individuals will be heading to the Nike Cross Nationals.
 
 

 

 
 
Girls:
 

 


Sarah Fakler - Xavier College Prep, AZ

 

Shea Martinez - Davis, UT
Hannah Everson - Liberty, CO
Kailie Hartman - Loveland, CO
Kristen Kientz - Highland Ranch, CO
 
 
Girls 1st Team
 
 
 
 
 
 
Boys:
 
Spencer Wenck - Monument, CO
Danny Carney - Dakota Ridge, CO
Alejandro Valencia - Rio Rico, AZ
Austin Neuner - Davis, UT
Bernie Montoya - Ciboa, AZ
 
 
Boys 1st Team