Coverage
She finished last. Dead last. It wasn’t really close either. She finished 76 seconds behind the second-to-last competitor and over 5000 meters that is a significant distance. It’s more significant when it’s at the Foot Locker National Championships, where distances are covered faster than ever as the country’s best harriers all convene for one race each year to decide a champion. It wasn’t supposed to end this way for Emma Brink, though it never is for any qualifier at Foot Locker, yet in crossing that finish line with the slowest time on the day, Brink may have left an equally important mark on the race for many of her fans and peers.
Greetings from sunny San Diego! Well, I am actually home now, but I wish I could be back out West where it was 80 degrees and sunny! I recently returned from the Footlocker Cross Country Championships, where I had the most incredible experience of my life. Now, in my final Milestat journal entry, I am excited to share the experience with you. I hope that everyone becomes inspired to work hard to qualify next year, as I can guarantee it is the best meet a high school runner can go to.
Well, this is it. High School Cross Country is over, and another Foot Locker Championships is complete. It’s weird being a senior, knowing that for me, Foot Locker is over. I have NCAAs to look forward to, but that’s just not the same as Foot Locker. (Cover photos by Don Rich)
Aisling Cuffe a 2011 Cornwall High School (NY) graduate ran 16:53 to win the Foot Locker Nationals title in 2010. Her time is the ninth fastest all-time performance at Balboa Park in San Diego, California for Foot Locker Nationals.
Combined boys race footage from Jason Byrne, Brandon Miles, and Julie Smoragiewicz of MileSplit US.
Combined girls race footage at the 2010 Foot Locker Nationals from Brandon Miles, Jason Byrne, and Julie Smoragiewicz of MileSplit US.
Morgan Pearson, NJ, 27th in 15:48
New York's Eddie Owens, 8th in 15:25.
Runner-up Futsum Zeinasellassie of North Central HS, IN
Sophomore Andrew Gardner of Mead HS, Spokane WA - 4th in 15:18
Interview with 3rd place finisher Tony Smoragiewicz of South Dakota.
Cornwall NY Head Coach David Feuer - one of the coaches guiding Foot Locker champ Aisling Cuffe since she joined the program in 2008.
Interview with Chris Campbell, Council Rock North, PA coach Dave Marrington, who has coached three FL Finalists since 1999.
Interview with Council Rock North PA SR Chris Campbell.
Lauren Mullins describes her long journey to San Diego and how it affected her in the race.
Two-time qualifier Blake Williams of North Carolina earned All-American honors with a 15th place finish of 15:35.
Interview with North Hills SR Zach Hebda, North Hills - 18th place in 15:38
Lacy ran a fever of 104 degree in the week leading up to Foot Lockers, causing her to miss two days of training.
Planes, trains and automobiles. Chad Noelle discusses his amazing race just to get to San Diego.
Dan Milechman - Tamalpais, CA - Foot Locker Nationals Post Race Interview
John Murray explains his early move that gapped the field by more than 10 meters.
Jantzen Oshier - Trabuco Hills, CA - Foot Locker Nationals Post Race Interview
The first qualifier ever from a DC school, John McGowan placed 16th overall and just missed All-American honors.
SAN DIEGO -- Just like the girls race, the boys Foot Locker National Championships ended as expected, but no less exhilarating. (Photos by Don Rich)
Things you, too, may have wondered about and not have known.
Kelsey Lakowske leads a pack through the midway point of Foot Locker Nationals. Photo by Don Rich, penntrackxc.com.
SAN DIEGO -- Aisling Cuffe capped her cross country career at Foot Locker Nationals with the kind of result she’s become accustomed to this season: dominating victory. (Photos by Don Rich)
Cornwall, NY senior Aisling Cuffe finished her season undefeated by winning her first Foot Locker National title in San Diego, CA. Cuffe ran 16:53 to win by 34 seconds over Rachel Johnson from Plano, TX. Cuffe becomes the first New York girl to win the title since Aislinn Ryan in 2004. Ryan ran 17:31 that year on the same Balboa Park course, though conditions may have been drastically different.
MileSplit US coverage team of Brandon Miles, Jason Byrne, Geoff Decker, and Margot Kelly provide in-depth analysis and pre-meet insight into the 2010 Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego, California. Broken down into a total of eight preview video shows discussing the top runners and qualifiers from each of the four regions.
The 2010 Foot Locker Nationals are in the books! Aisling Cuffe and Lukas Verzbicas have put their stamp on history with equally dominating performances with winning times of 16:53 and 14:59.
The four Virginian qualifiers for the 2010 Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego pose for a group shot together in front of the finish line at the course preview at Balboa Park. Pictured from left to right: Ahmed Bile (Annandale), Mattie Webb (Western Albemarle), Silas Frantz (Douglas Freeman), and Sophie Chase (Lake Braddock). Photo by Brandon Miles. More to come from San Diego! LIVE WEBCAST (STARTS AT 11 AM) GIRLS RACE AT 12:15 PM AND BOYS RACE AT 1:00 PM MileSplit US Pre-Meet Video Shows: South Region Boys - South Region Girls Photo Gallery by Brandon Miles Pre-Race Interview with Sophie Chase & Mattie Webb Check out more coverage at MileSplit US meet page
Will Run at Foot Locker Nationals Saturday Pelliccioni with his "ticket" to San Diego Foot Locker Nationals Video Pre-Show: South Boys When Morgantown High senior runner Cody Pelliccioni closes out his decorated high school career Saturday in San Diego, he will be doing something only four other West Virginia runners have done before him.
John McGowan is the lone representative from the D.C., Maryland region and if he continues to do as well as he has all year, he should place well!
Some gave him a shot to qualify for Nationals, but it was anything but a sure thing. Clemente embraced the underdog role and ended up with a very impressive fifth place finish at Foot Locker South, a shiny new 15:03 PR, and a ticket to San Diego. Here's what is on his mind leading up to the trip.
Ryan capped off a great one-loss season in Florida with a 10th place finish at Foot Locker South to capture the final boys qualifying spot from the region. On the eve of his flight west, we talked with him about what his strategy and goals.
Shelby Davidson has rocketed from good distance runner to superstar this year. With a strong summer base and great work ethic, she earned a Foot Locker Nationals berth. We talked to Shelby on Wednesday night about the upcoming trip to San Diego.
Jimmy capped his incredible season with the regional championship in Charlotte. He is going into Nationals with a national ranking, but very much an underdog. Despite all of his successes and the regional championship, he still enters under the radar. We talked to Jimmy on Wednesday to find out his emotions, strategies, and his goals going in.
The Illinois State cross country champion and Detweiler Park course record setter (16:22 3 mile state meet performance) Kayla Beattie from Woodstock High School will be racing Saturday in her first Foot Locker Nationals appearance. The only girls' qualifier from the state of Illinois, Beattie is making her second consecutive trip to the West Coast in as many weeks following a 12th place finish at the Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon last Saturday as she came into the race as the NXN Midwest Regional champion. Beattie, an All-American in the two mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals last March, will be in contention for a top 15 All-American finish in San Diego and looking to finish strong with her Midwest Region teammates after a 6th place finish at the regional qualifier in Wisconsin.
Jack Driggs just competed in his third Nike Cross Nationals as he led the York (IL) team to another NXN berth with an 18th place individual finish in the race at Portland. After hoping for a top 10 finish in Portland, Driggs will get an opportunity to redeem himself this weekend as one of the 40 finalists for the 2010 Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego. It will be his first time racing at Foot Locker Nationals, but Driggs has plenty of national caliber meet racing experience from his three previous appearances at NXN with his York teammates under the legendary coach Joe Newton. Driggs was ranked #17 in the MileSplit US rankings prior to NXN and is one of the nation's top returning milers after winning the Midwest Distance Gala mile last June with a 4:08 performance. MileSplit US interviewed the Illinois state cross country runner-up Driggs heading into his trip to compete at Balboa Park for the Foot Locker Nationals.
Emma Brink, senior at Sacred Heart in Louisville has qualified for the Foot Locker National Championship this weekend after finishing 5th at Foot Locker South. She ran a new career best time of 17:25. She took some time to answer a few questions about her race at Foot Locker South and what is going to happen in San Diego.
Photo by John Olson of scrunners.com Hi everyone! I can honestly say I am so excited to write this journal. I really think I could talk on and on forever about my experience this past weekend. Crossing the finish line, knowing I earned a plane ticket to San Diego, was the best experience of my life. I don’t think anyone can understand the excitement I faced when I crossed the line. I had been dreaming of this moment my entire life. However, I never, ever thought it would happen. Last year, I crossed the line in excitement, getting a 20 second PR. However, I was 111th place in the seeded race. That year, my goal was to not place last. The emotion I felt when I crossed the line this year was all because of how far I’ve come.
Hello everyone! This will probably be my shortest journal to date, because I only have to cover a few days. Due to my long winded nature however, I will probably find a way to make many words about 3 days. They have been very eventful, and a lot of fun. So here I go!