Jon Davis' closing kick over the final 200m was the difference in breaking the tape first (Itai Epstein)
The boys consortium-
Jon Davis has been as serious and focused as any individual that one has seen in a long time. His inner soul has enjoyed an undefeated season thus far. However, he has said numerous times that he awaits a return to San Diego. So it was no surprise to see him adjust pre-race plans according to the conditions and the competition.
The opening pace wasn't as fast as some wanted going out in 4:50. Davis was controlled in a pack of at least eight or nine strong as the second mile approached. The boys threw in another 4:50 to make it 9:40 at two miles. Things would get interesting in the final mile with Davis separating with Ben Veatch (Sr., Carmel, IN) and Paul Roberts (Colorado).
If you have never been to the Midwest National Course, the sites are hard to see unless you are very fit or have access to a bike or golf chart. As it is many fans usually congregate in one or two areas- one half mile from the start and the finish line. It was at the finish line that things got really interesting. Davis led a tight contingent past the three mile post sign in 14:23. It was here that the jets would come on for Davis who has superior leg strength in that he is a 4:09 miler. He maintained a stride ahead of Veatch and Davis through the finish line. Roberts out leaned Veatch for second. Ironically, Davis thought the race started out fast. It probably did considering there was a huge water puddle that met the runners about a quarter-mile into the race. Roberts was aware of the competition and respected his peers but will race another day. "I let Davis get away there in the end... i will try and get him at nationals."
The return of Matt Pereira (Jr., Lake Zurich IL) was a pleasant sight to see. He rebounded will from a 52nd place finish at the NXN MW race (his worst race as a high schooler). He unveiled an unusual race plan. "I got next to Jon Davis [on the starting line] and tried to stay with him for as long as I could. When I fell out of the top five I didn't worry too much because I knew getting top 10 was the goal."
| M 5,000 Meter Run - Finals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Athlete | Team | Result | Points | ||
| 1 | Davis, Jon | 12 | Oakwood High School | 14:57.00 | -- | |
| 2 | Roberts, Paul | 12 | Lyons High School | 14:57.70 | -- | |
| 3 | Veatch, Ben | 12 | Carmel High School | 14:57.90 | -- | |
| 4 | Jordan, Andrew | 12 | Watkins Memorial | 14:59.10 | -- | |
| 5 | Law, Brayden | 12 | Homestead High School | 15:03.20 | -- | |
| 6 | Hirsch, Seth | 11 | Millard West High School | 15:11.30 | -- | |
| 7 | Pereira, Matthew | 11 | Classical High School | 15:13.60 | -- | |
| 8 | Gessner, Finn | 11 | Madison La Follette | 15:17.10 | -- | |
| 9 | Harding, Isaac | 12 | Rockford | 15:18.10 | -- | |
| 10 | Noble, Christian | 12 | Mt. Vernon High School (Fortville) | 15:20.30 | ||
Footlocker featured a youth 3k race for pre-high school kids (Itai Epstein photo)
Footlocker is here to stay-
Meet director Peter Henkes acknowledged that overall entry numbers are down. "Let's be real here, Nike Cross Nationals have hurt us in terms of numbers," he said. "They have the Heartland Regional with kids from Minnesota to go to now. This is a six hour drive for some kids and I understand it doesn't make sense financially if you don't have a chance to do well here. Also, it's a long drive from Ohio so the kids go to the Midwest meet."
The former rift when NXN came into existence has faded away. "We realize that we can both exist. It's about the kids at the end of the day. We added a kids run because we need something for kids and parents who drive this sport. In order for this sport to grow like soccer and basketball, we need to do things for kids entering the sport."
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