Footlocker South: Kroeger, Matthews Win, Brasovan 4th

Summary

More photos and videos coming throughout Sunday. 

Our Footlocker South Meet Page has coverage and complete results.

It rained all throughout the early AM hours and then started to pour again during the Girls Seeded race.  The conditions turned McAlpine Park, which is traditionally notoriously fast, into a sloppy mud pit which created full-contact races, falls, trips, elbows, and spiking injuries.

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Race Videos:

Full Coverage and Results...

Girls Seeded Race

Megan Marsico of Virginia did the work for most of the race.  She lead for almost the entire race, with Kathy Kroeger tucked in behind her.  At about the half way point it was Ashley Brasovan leading a chase pack a second or two behind Marisco and Kroeger when coming off a downhill she was tripped or slipped and took a tumble.  Coming up muddied and a little scraped up she bounced back up and only lost a few slots.

During the last mile Kathy and Megan really started battling it out.  Late in the race coming around the lake they hammered each other hard before Kroeger began to pull away a little bit with 400 meters to go.  She would win the race again as she's made a habit of doing, with Marisco holding on for second.   The reigning national champ, Ashley Brasovan, pulled through for fourth place to ensure her chance at a repeat national title.

The South girls will be in good position headed to San Diego, as they will have six veterans on the team.  Kroeger, Chelsy Sviensson (3rd), Brasovan, Lauren Smith (5th), and Kayla Hale (7th) all know Balboa Park well.  Newcomers will be Marisco, Amanda Russell, Kim Spano, Ashley Isham, and Adrianne Soo.

 

Seeded Girls 5000 Meter Run                                         
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     Name                 Year Team                 Finals     Points
=====================================================================
   1 Kroeger, Kathy       12   Tennessee            17:13        1 
   2 Marsico, Megan       11   Virginia             17:15        2 
   3 Sveinsson, Chelsey   10   Texas                17:19        3 
   4 Brasovan, Ashley     12   Florida              17:20        4 
   5 Smith, Lauren        12   Texas                17:27        5 
   6 Russell, Amanda      11   Texas                17:27        6 
   7 Hale, Kayla          12   Florida              17:33        7 
   8 Spano, Kimberly      12   North Carolina       17:36        8 
   9 Isham, Ashley        11   Texas                17:38        9 
  10 Soo, Adrianne        12   North Carolina       17:39        10 
Complete Results

Boys Seeded Race

The boys race was an all out war, nothing like the relatively defined top ten like the girls race.  Through the mile the pack was tight and large and even through the second mile there were well over ten guys putting themselves in the mix.

During the last mile the leaders, Bill Matthews and Matthew Sonnenfeldt, started to get some separation ont he rest of the pack  CJ Brown, Thomas Porter, and Leoule Degafe also got a little breathing room.  But back further in the back it was a different story.

The battle for the last five qualifying spots was hot and heavy.  Coming around the last loop around the lake, the positions were being shuffled like mad as everyone was trying to punch their ticket to the big dance.  Dreams were won and lost here!

In the end it was largely a story of surprises.  Some of the favorites headed into the race will be watching the Nationals action from the PC at home.  While some people who were not given much of any chance even by their home state will be making the trip.  Leoule Degafe was perhaps the biggest surprise, finishing in 5th place in 15:04.

The South boys, unlike the girls, are mainly first-time national qualifiers.  The exceptions being Thomas Porter, who becomes a three-time national qualifier, and CJ Brown who qualified last year (and was the top returner from Footlocker South 2007).


Seeded Boys 5000 Meter Run                                          
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     Name                 Year Team                 Finals     Points
=====================================================================
   1 Matthews, Bill       12   Alabama              14:48        1 
   2 Sonnenfeldt, Matthew 12   Tennessee            14:50        2 
   3 Brown, CJ            12   Texas                14:59        3 
   4 Porter, Thomas       12   Virginia             15:01        4 
   5 Degfae, Leoule       12   Virginia             15:04        5 
   6 Ott, Alex            12   Virginia             15:08        6 
   7 Satterwhite, Kyle    12   Virginia             15:10        7 
   8 Mckelvey, Clint      10   Tennessee            15:10        8 
   9 Rathke, Chase        12   Texas                15:11        9 
  10 Hibbs, Evan          12   Texas                15:12        10 

Complete Results