With many of the top runners in the region graduating, the Northeast boys field is wide open. A few experienced seniors lead the charge, such as: Sintayehu Taye, Brandon Jarrett and Donn Cabral. After those three, there are no less than a dozen others that could finish as high up as fourth at Foot Locker Regionals in November. It's a new year in the Northeast, so let the fun begin!
The South will not only be strong on the boys side this year, but on the girls side, on paper, they look to be the strongest region up top. Foot Locker defending champion Kathy Kroeger is back and running strong, while runner-up Aurora Scott has one last year to earn a national championship. With those two leading the way, the South will be very tough to beat, especially since they return six of their top ten from 2006.
Youth is served as the South boys line it up again for another fall. Last year, the South Region had six boys that were non-seniors, the most out of any region. With those six all returning (no transfers), and a lot of other distancemen stepping it up during the spring, this year's Foot Locker South Regional should be might competitive.
With nearly half of the Foot Locker West National Team returning from '06, the expectations are high in '07. Jordan Hasay is the number one ranked harrier of course, after her however, the rankings get a little more complex. Every year the West seems to have a lot of young ladies who put up some very impressive numbers, and this year should be no different.
The West boys were dominated by senior talent last fall at Foot Locker Regionals. With 17 of the top 19 regional racers now graduated, a new era can rise up and take hold of the dominant West reign. With a nice mix of talent, from a variety of states, this year's West squad could be the most diverse in some time.
Last December, the Midwest girls won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships team title. They completed the task with amazing precision, placing their top five scorers in the top twelve spots. This year, the Midwest girls are looking just as strong, as four returnees will be duking it on for a team spot again, and a slew of young talent tires to break through.
"Bulldog was a big wake-up call for us as a team." When Christina Faust – one of the increasingly well known Faust triplets of Emmaus High School – recently made that observation, she was referring to her team's reaction to a surprising 37-second compression and 19 points at the 2006 Bulldog Invitational at Northern Lehigh. The revelation? "Wow, we're really good!" But while Christina and her teammates were realizing they had a potential state medalist team, observers of the sport were coming to the same realization. 'Wow, they're good.'
The Midwest boys look strong this year, despite their last place finish at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships last fall. Led by a quartet of seniors, who have run nine-flat or under for two miles, and a couple of juniors who have Foot Locker Nationals experience, the Midwest is ready to show their strength in cross country once again.
Nothing is more prestigious for a distance runner than qualifying for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. The best of the best have annually competed in this event, making it the showcase of post-season competition. This year, MileSplit.us will be ranking the top individuals in each region!
In Tuesday's semis (9:40 pm Osaka time - 8:40 am Philly), Nicole Leach finished 6th in the 2nd of three heats in 56.10 and did not advance to the finals of her first 400 hurdles on the world stage. In the first round on Monday morning (Osaka time - Sunday evening Philly time) Nicole Leach had run 55.95 for 4th in the 1st of five heats of the 400 hurdle, an auto advance. No one doubted that under the guidance of Jeanette Bolden, Bob Kersee and Jackie Jorner Kersey, that 2005 West Catholic grad Nicole Leach would some day reach the world stage. Some were surprised by the speed with which she accomplished the goal. But not Leach... Don Rich talked with Nicole between USATF and Pan-Am, and asked about her college choice decision process, rapid development, and expectations for Osaka. We have all the links you'll need to follow Nicole's journey, including TV schedule, event calendar, webcast schedule, and Nicole's Diary on the UCLA web site... 2007 NCAA Champs photo courtesy of Victor Sailer, PhotoRun.net
One of the top teams in the country, Neuqua Valley High School boys cross country team, is ready to roll as the season kicks off in Illinois this coming week. Coach Paul Vandersteen gives us the inside scoop on his team.
Second-year University of Tennessee assistant coach John Frazier and former Lady Vol NCAA champions Dee Dee Trotter and Tianna Madision will be among the United States contingent, Aug. 25 through Sept. 2, as the Americans join a host of nations at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan.
Entries for Maymont to Close Sept. 9th As of 8/22/07, schools from 11 different states have entered the McDonald’s X-C Festival at Maymont Park in Richmond, VA. The September 29th event expects to draw 3000 athletes. The event is a true festival with a carnival like atmosphere and many attractions for all. Heading the competition will be the Elite Invitational Divisions. In the girls division an astounding 7 out of 10 NTN Southeast Region ranked teams have committed to compete. At least 3 other bubble teams are entered. U.S. #2 Midlothian and #13 Eleanor Roosevelt are featured. In the boys field, 5 of 10 NTN Southeast teams are joined by Midwest #8 Medina, Ohio and 3 bubble teams. U.S. #10 Midlothian is featured. The individual races will be intense with at least 3 Footlocker Finalists in the boys race. More information on individuals will be released next week. Teams from VA, NC, SC, GA, TN, MD, DE, WVa, OH, PA, and D.C. are already entered.
Both boys and girls' cross country teams for Midlothian High School received high national rankings the pre-season high school cross country rankings by The Harrier. Marc Bloom's annual high school rankings feature the Midlothian girls as the #2 ranked team in the country behind defending Nike Team Nationals champs from Fayetteville-Manlius, while the Midlothian boys are the first team in the Southeast region to appear on the national list in the #10 spot. The nationally ranked Midlothian squads will open their season on September 8th at the Great Meadow Invitational.
On August 19, 2007, the MileSplit Network becomes MileSplit.us and welcomes an important new partner, Runner's World... and it's first national editor, Scott Bush. As a growing 25-state network of distinct, yet united web sites dedicated to the pursuit of our passion – providing in-depth, state-focused coverage of youth and high school track & field and cross country 24/7/365 – we have found a partner to help us achieve our dream of not only growing the network, but of making it into a sustainable resource for the sport. The whole story...
Leading up to the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, MileSplit US will be releasing daily segments of a video interview with Alan Webb up until the day before of his first round of the 1500 meter run at Worlds (Saturday, August 25th). Remember to catch the entire action in Osaka live online at WCSN.com or on television on the Versus aka VS. channel. Saturday, August 18thPart 1 - "The Culmination"Part 2 - The American Mile Record: It was just meant to beSunday, August 19thPart 3 - Summer in EuropePart 4 - The benefit of Coach Raczko for the long term Monday, August 20thPart 5 - "If you are not newsworthy, you are not newsworthy"Part 6 - The impact of the Internet on RunningTuesday, August 21stPart 7 - Learning from Athens & Helsinki Part 8 - "My goal since I was a little kid was the gold medal"Wednesday, August 22ndPart 9 - The Potential of a USA 1-2-3Part 10 - "People don't give us enough credit"Thursday, August 23rd Part 11 - "I'm not even thinking about next year right now"Part 12 - American kids can become the best runners in the WorldFriday, August 24thPart 13 - "I wake up everyday with a mission"
Four-time Villanova all- American, former PA state champion and Foot Locker all- American Frances Koons will be training again before the 2007 cross country season concludes. But she won't be a part of this year's campaign after being diagnosed earlier this summer with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, followed by surgery to remove a tumor on her left kidney. The tumor − the size of a ping pong ball − was removed with the least invasive type of surgery (laparoscopy) at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, New York. Her surgeon is a pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Kidney cancer develops most often in people over 40, but no one knows the exact causes of this disease. While there are several risk factors associated with the disease, like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure, Koons did not fit the typical patient profile. Photo: Koons dominated the Mid-Atlantic Division I Championships in XC in 2006 - photo by Don Rich
Four-time Villanova all- American, former PA state champion and Foot Locker all- American Frances Koons will be training again before the 2007 cross country season concludes. But she won't be a part of this year's campaign after being diagnosed earlier this summer with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, followed by surgery to remove a tumor on her left kidney. The tumor − the size of a ping pong ball − was removed with the least invasive type of surgery (laparoscopy) at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, New York. Her surgeon is a pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Kidney cancer develops most often in people over 40, but no one knows the exact causes of this disease. While there are several risk factors associated with the disease, like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure, Koons did not fit the typical patient profile. Photo: Koons dominated the Mid-Atlantic Division I Championships in XC in 2006 - photo by Don Rich
The cross country pre-season hype starts to begin, with the release of the Nike Team Nationals Pre-Season Rankings.
In a new format this year, two automatic berths per gender will be awarded in the seven newly created NTN Regional Championship meets slated for November. Four national at-large berths per gender will also be awarded via a points system based on success in head-to-head competition.
The preseason regional rankings for the Nike Team Nationals have been released today with the Midlothian program holding the #1 spot for both the boys and girls, while eight other Virginia squads are ranked in the top ten rankings for the Southeast Region. Just initial reaction from the preseason NTN rankings, expect to see the pecking order to be different in the MileStat.com preseason state rankings to be released later this month based off of voting by the coaches in the state. Virginia boys teams ranked in the NTN SE Top 10: #1 Midlothian, #4 Mountain View, #8 Jamestown, #9 Oakton, #10 Brentsville Virginia girls teams ranked in the NTN SE Top 10: #1 Midlothian, #4 Lake Braddock, #9 Brentsville, #10 West Springfield. Full rankings
Katherine Dickey, Lauren Droddy, Sinead Haughey, Tyler Head and Chris Pennebaker along with girls coach Ron Sullivan talk about summer training, the season ahead and being a cross country runner.
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MileStat.com's Brandon Miles takes a crack at the top 10 girls cross country teams in the state for this upcoming season. The top 5 of the 10 are revealed on Sunday with the remaining 5 to be posted on Monday. No surprise with Midlothian on top as the Lady Trojans will have one of the country's most fearsome top sevens in the nation. Midlothian pulled off the huge victory last year at Manhattan Invite and gained valuable experience with a top 10 finish at Nike Team Nationals to better prepare for a likely return trip this fall. The Lake Braddock girls, who had a group last year which would have been Virginia's best any other year if it was not for the Midlo girls, return another team with plenty of firepower with four sub 11:30 3200 meter gals including Christine Moore (pictured left by John Herzog). The defending AA state champions of Blacksburg look to firmly establish themselves as the next team after Midlothian. Maggie Walker looks to be one of the squads to move further up the totem pole than others with a very strong front two in Susannah Piersol and Clarissa Schick and possibly give the Central Region a second year in a row of two of the three podium teams in AAA. Brentsville has a solid core of five back from their tough second place finish to Blacksburg in the AA state race and will look to thrive in the new underdog role and take back their title. Complete top 10 teams list posted Monday 7:50 PM.
The best distance runners do not fear pain. They push their limits and are sometimes surprised with how much they can endure. And when they break through their own expectations and perceptions, they often achieve success that at one time may have seemed unattainable. Keith Capecci is one such distance runner. A star at Council Rock North who graduated in 2005 with a Foot Locker finalist berth on his resume, Capecci knows how to endure and how to break through the pain. With stress fractures and sprained ankles on his injury resume, he had experienced much of the physical pain runners face. But during his brief debut in college at the University of Arizona last fall, Capecci confronted a new kind of pain - depression. He came home, and with the help of family, friends, and high school coach Dave Marrington, he is ready to run again, and re-entering his freshman year in college - this time as a walk-on at Villanova. With the help of Marrington, and Bucks County Courier Times sportswriter Jason Haslam, Capecci has shared his story in hopes of helping others who may be going through the same thing. "I thought it was just moods and it would go away. It wasn't, and it didn't" Capeccia says. Since the article appeared in early July, Capecci says the response has been positive. "People on my street see me running and say they saw the article and to 'keep working hard'." The news on the training front is equally as positive. "I'm running injury free, so I'm excited to start this fall." Photo by Don Rich from 11/26/05 Foot Locker Northeast Regionals, Van Cortlandt Park, New York City, NY He's Ready to Run... For the second straight year, Keith Capecci is entering his freshman year of college. True, his graduation from Council Rock-North High School came in 2005. He left as one of the top distance runners in school history, with an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona. He set off immediately to begin his college running career. But after only a few weeks in Tucson, Ariz., four years of pent-up sorrow and frustration came to a head. Capecci was steeped in depression. Click here for the story by Jason Haslam in the Bucks County Courier Times Teen Depression A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS Teenage depression isn't just bad moods and occasional melancholy. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide. As a concerned parent or teacher, there are many things you can do to help a depressed teen. Click here for the complete article
College coaches hoping to regain the right to text message high school recruits did not get their wish yesterday when the NCAA board of directors decided not to take action on a previous ruling that banned the practice. Click here for the story by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pennsylvania distance alumnus Jennifer Malcolm (Villa Maria Academy/Bucknell University) has been researching the menstrual irregularities of female high school cross country runners since 2005 as part of her medical degree pursuit and has found some hard facts on this growing problem.
Chapin cross country senior Luke Lovelace talks with sc.milesplit.com prior to the season about summer training and past and present on Aug. 8, 2007.
MileStat.com's Brandon Miles analyzes the top five teams in the state to look out for this cross country season as part of a series of preview articles leading into this fall. Midlothian is the front runner again after holding strong last fall as a pre-season #1 to the finish and onto a dominating AAA state title and Virginia's first NTN appearance. The Trojans will have the handle the pressure of the bull's eye on them once again in 2007. The Western Albemarle boys have a team that has the talent to match up with Midlo's front three with the trio under 16 minutes in the Footlocker South sophomore race back. Oakton has the power in depth and numbers as last fall with six runners back under 10 minutes in the 3200. Jamestown is the sleeper with a very youthful squad as all of their top five runners will be back in 2008 as well. Mountain View is only three years old, but the road to the state meet podium looks to be paved ahead of schedule.
“The American Cross Country Revival: A Coaching Summit” to be held inAtlanta August 10&11th and featuring two-time US Olympic coach Joe Vigilstill has seats remaining. The event, which qualifies attendees for USATrack & Field Level III credit, will focus on teaching high school andcollege cross country coaches and athletes of any level the secrets ofwinning at long distance running.
Bob Pollock, Clemson University men's track coach for 19 years, is under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division over a "breach of trust."
Chapin rising senior Luke Lovelace, a 2006 Footlocker Nationals qualifier, finished second overall Saturday at the Hot Summer's Night 5,000-meter run in Columbia.
