Kenosha, Wis., November 24, 2007 –Michael Fout of LaPorte, Ind., and Claire Durkin of Columbus, Ohio, won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCCC) Midwest Regional at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis., today. Runners enjoyed excellent race conditions, with a slight wind and a temperature of approximately 32 degrees.
A group of ten runners, including Chris Derrick, Kevin Williams, Evan Appel, Kevin Havel, and Michael Fout, led the race for the first mile, at which point Appel fell back and Rob Finnerty positioned himself in the lead pack. At the two-mile mark, Derrick and Fout battled for the top position for the next mile, until Fout secured the lead to finish in 14:56. Chris Derrick, a senior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill., finished second in 15:04 and Maverick Darling, a senior at Ovid-Elsie High School in Ovid, Mich., finished third in 15:07.
The girls' race began with Claire Durkin (senior) and Katie Flood (sophomore) commanding the lead, followed by a tight pack of runners, including Emily Sisson (sophomore), Emily Infeld (senior), and Stephanie Morgan (junior). Durkin maintained a significant lead throughout the race to finish in 17:01, breaking the 17-year Midwest Regional meet record of 17:08, held by Melody Fairchild since 1990. Durkin's win marks the largest margin of victory in the history of the Midwest Regional girls' race. Katie Flood of Des Moines, Iowa, finished second in 17:42, Emily Infeld of University Heights, Ohio, finished third in 17:44, 2006 FLCCC Midwest Regional Champion Emily Sisson of Omaha, Neb., finished fourth in 17:45, and Stephanie Morgan of Barnsville, Ohio, finished fifth in 17:47.
The top ten boys and the top ten girls of the seeded races qualified to compete against runners from the three other regional meets in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 8 at Morley Field, Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif.
Boys
Place
Name
Hometown
High School
Time
1)
Michael Fout
LaPorte, Ind.
LaPorte High School (12)
14:56
2)
Christopher Derrick
Naperville, Ill.
Neuqua Valley High School (12)
15:04
3)
Maverick Darling
Ovid, Mich.
Ovid-Elsie High School (12)
15:07
4)
Rob Finnerty
Burnsville, Minn.
Burnsville High School (12)
15:12
5)
Kevin Havel
Arlington Heights, Ill.
John Hersey High School (12)
15:17
6)
Kevin Williams
Lakewood, Colo.
Develyn High School (12)
15:18
7)
Joseph Manilafasha
Denver, Colo.
Denver North High School (11)
15:18
8)
Francisco (Tito) Medrano
Lafayette, Ind.
Jefferson High School (12)
15:18
9)
Bobby Nicolls
Parker, Colo.
Regis Jesuit High School (11)
15:20
10)
Evan Appel
Littleton, Colo.
Dakota Ridge High School (11)
15:22
Girls
Place
Name
Hometown
High School
Time
1)
Claire Durkin
Columbus, Ohio
Worthington Kilbourne High School (12)
17:01
2)
Katie Flood
Des Moines, Iowa
Dowling Catholic High School (10)
17:42
3)
Emily Infeld
University Heights, Ohio
Beaumont High School (12)
17:44
4)
Emily Sisson
Omaha, Neb.
Millard North High School (10)
17:45
5)
Stephanie Morgan
Barnesville, Ohio
Barnesville High School (11)
17:47
6)
Alexandra Banfich
Plymouth, Ind.
The Culver Academies (12)
17:53
7)
Lindsay Anderson
Leeds, N.D.
Leeds High School (12)
17:55
8)
Chelsea Oswald
Medina, Ohio
Walsh Jesuit High School (11)
17:56
9)
Katie Haines
Rockford, Mich.
Rockford High School (12)
17:58
10)
Meggan Freeland
Albion, Mich.
Western High School (11)
18:00
States competing in the Midwest Regional
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,
Wisconsin, and U.S. Overseas Military Installations.
Runners/participants must be a United States citizen.