Senior Zariel Macchia (Shirley, NY) made a controlled move from the gun, breaking away from the field and leading the charge with a half-mile time of 2:38.5. She maintained the front position en route to a 5:20.6 first-mile split before her advantage was erased in the second mile by junior Elizabeth Leachman. Leachman’s
aggressive out-of-the-pack burst saw her brushing past the early pace setter just prior to the field’s second pass up the newly coined “Hoka Hill” – the San Diego course’s most notorious challenge. From there it was all Leachman’s stage as the final mile turned into a victory coronation as she cruised to the finish line in 17:31.1. Senior Victoria Garces (Midland, MI) finished strong while coming in second in 17:39.9. Macchia, a four-time Foot Locker national finalist, fell back as far as fifth place before rallying to a third-place finish in 17:49.6.
Rounding out the top five and earning accolades were fourth-place finisher sophomore Ruby Ihmels (Bismarck,ND) in 17:50.5 and fifth-place finisher junior Libby Dowty (Morgantown, IN) in 17:55.9.
  
The race was closely contested throughout its early stages with nine national finalists moving along within one second of each other and 20 within three seconds of the lead all the way up to the half-way mark. At that point, the duo of senior Sam Quagliaroli (Fishers, IN) and senior Tamrat Gavenas began alternating pace-setting duties once early race leader senior Ben Crane (Wilmette, IL) yielded the lead having recorded splits of 2:23.2 at the half mile and 4:48.4 at the mile. The middle part of the race turned into a “Sam and Tam” show as a side-by-side Gavenas and Quagliaroli were captured at the two-mile mark in an identical split of 9:59.7. Shortly thereafter, Gavenas made the decisive move of the race, charging up the final big “Hoka Hill,” putting 20 meters on Quagliaroli and essentially setting up another coronation dash to the finish line with a winning time of 15:23.9. Though Quagliaroli faded somewhat, he still held on to finish strong fourth in 15:35.0. The race runner-up was senior Juan Gonzalez (Fremont, NE), who made a late charge toward the front while finishing within four seconds of the champion in a time of 15:27.4. Rounding out the top-three was senior Jack Graffeo
(Westford, MA), who just slipped past Quagliaroli as they approached the finish while notching a 15:34.5 time. The final top-five finisher was senior Keegan Smith (Kingston, TN), who finished in 15:41.6. A quote from the winner is attached below.
Complete Results

In the girls’ 5K race, Leachman took the lead shortly before the two-mile mark of the race and pulled away to victory, winning in a time of 16:50.7 to become the ninth-fastest girl runner (and second-fastest sophomore) ever on the championship course. In the boys’ 5K race, Griffith broke away from his remaining challengers after the last major downhill stretch to go on to claim victory in 15.06.9.


Senior Rachel Forsyth (Ann Arbor, MI) made a strong move from the gun breaking away from the field with a blazing half-mile time of 2:23. She maintained the lead through a 5:00 mile split before it was erased in the second mile by surging sophomore Elizabeth Leachman, the South region winner. Leachman’s rally brought her near the front just off the heels of the early leader Forsyth in the final mile of the race. After several successful attempts to hold off her challenger,
Forsyth ultimately yielded to Leachman who grabbed the lead heading into the second big hill on the course. From there it was all Leachman’s stage as she cruised to victory at 16:50.7 with senior Allie Zealand (Forest, VA) finishing second in 17:04.5. Forsyth, the Midwest’s #1 seed, crossed the tape at 17:08.3 for a third-place finish. Rounding out the top five and earning first-time All-American honors were fourth-place finisher senior Mary Bonner Dalton (Charlotte,
NC), in 17:28.1 and fifth-place finisher senior Addison Knoblauch (Fort Wayne, IN) in17:43.0.

Griffith, a senior out of Butler Senior High School, executed a well-timed move in the final stages of the race to sprint past Ryan Pajak (Eighty Four, PA) and a pack of other runners to win the 44th running of the Foot Locker national championship. The race was closely contested with junior Ty Steorts (Hurricane, WV) holding the early lead through the two-mile mark. Heading into the final hill, the top-five finishers established and maintained their positions with Griffith capturing the win in 15:06.9, just ahead of runner-up, Pajak, the Northeast region’s #1 seed, in 15:12.1. Rounding out the top-five were third-place finisher junior Tamrat Gavenas (Andover, MA) in 15:16.6, fourth-place finisher senior Berkely Nance (Richmond, VA) in 15:17.5 and fifth-place finisher senior Brayden Marshall (Winfield, WV) in 15:18.4. 
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Baloga, a senior from Cornwall Central High School, controlled the early pace across the first loop leading through the mile with a swift 5:17.3 split before yielding the front position to junior Ellie Shea (Belmont, Mass.) at the two-mile mark with a split time of 10:55.4. Baloga had actually exchanged front-
running duties across three runners with both Shea and senior Paityn Noe (Huxley, Iowa) during the threesome’s breakaway charge shortly after the halfway point of the race. The trio ran within strides of each other until the steep Uphill/downhill stretch that looms in the final mile. From there it was all Baloga, who pulled away from her main challengers, capping off one of the most competitive girls’ races in recent memory. Following Baloga to the finish line were Shea in a time of 16:55.1 and Noe with an effort of 17:01.5. Rounding out the top five were sophomore Abby Faith Cheeseman (Bell Buckle, Tenn.) in fourth
at 17:13.4 and senior Ciara O’Shea (Richmond, Ky.) in fifth at 17:21.5.
After a fast initial pace set by senior Hunter Jones (Thompsonville, Mich.), who cruised through a one-
mile split of 4:37.6, the boys’ race for the lead was between four runners as they entered the middle portion of the 5,000-meter race. From there it broke down into a two-man duel between eventual winner Kole Mathison, a senior from Carmel High School, and senior Rocky Hansen (Hendersonville, N.C.).
Mathison came through the two-mile mark at 9:38.9 with Hansen right on his shoulder. But it was on the big incline on the second loop of the race where Mathison finally pulled away, shedding Hansen who faded out of contention in the process. With Mathison surging away to victory, senior Noah Breker (Plymouth, Minn.) kicked home strong to finish second in a time of 15:07.5 edging fellow senior Samuel Hansen (Bountiful, Utah) at the finish line in 15:07.7. Rounding the boys’ top five were senior Simeon Birnbaum (Rapid City, S.D.) in a time of 15:11.3 and senior Connor Ackley (Hilliard, Ohio) in a time of 15:11.8.
Complete Results

In the girls’ 5K race, Cook took over the lead just before the mile mark and never looked back, winning in a time of 17:15.0 to become the first Texan to capture an FLCCC girls’ title. Hough pulled away from two runners along the last major decline to claim victory in the boys’ 5k race with a time of 15:11.4.

Cook, a senior at Flower Mound High School, bided her time behind the leader through the first 800 meters of the race before making her bid for the front on the first big uphill challenge with the lead pack approaching the mile mark. The Oklahoma State commit took a firm hold of the pace at the mile with a split of 5:18 and eventually opened a 45-meter lead prior to the field’s second trip up Balboa Park’s defining incline.
Northeast teammates Angelina Perez, a senior from Ringwood, N.J., and Jenna Mulhern, a senior from West Chester, Pa., made a late charge at the top of the hill and gave chase with 500 meters to go. However, Cook, whose mom, Melissa Gulli, finished 23rd at the 1997 Foot Locker Nationals Finals, proved too strong and pulled away from the duo on the final downhill to capture the national
championship title. With Cook turning the last mile into a classic runaway finish, Perez (17:19.7) held off Mulhern (17:20.8) to capture second place. Karrie Baloga, a junior from New Windsor, N.Y., finished fourth (17:29.1), while Riley Stewart, a senior from Englewood, Colo., finished fifth (17:30.3). 

In the boys’ race, junior Kole Mathison (Carmel, Ind.) controlled the early pace leading what would become a six-runner breakaway pack after the first mile (4:43). The group, made up of senior Gavin Sherry (West Hartford, Conn.), junior Tyrone Gorze (Central Point, Ore.), Hough, Mathison, senior Zane Bergen (Longmont, Colo.) and senior Kenan Pala (San Diego, Calif.), would go on to define the second half of the 5K race as they would all finish in the top six.  The decisive move to the tape was made by Hough who slingshot past Pala and Sherry on the steep downhill with 500 meters to go. From there, the Michigan State recruit continued his strong finishing kick, rewarding him with the FLCCC national championship title.
With Hough’s relatively comfortable lead, the ECCC final turned into a race for second where local fan favorite Pala (15:14.8) pulled ahead and held off Sherry (15:17.3). Bergen finished fourth (15:20.2), Mathison came in in fifth (15:22.3) and Gorze captured sixth place (15:26.4).
Complete Results

In the girls’ 5K race, Sofia Dudek of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Marlee Starliper of Wellsville, Pennsylvania, battled side-by-side until with just 300 meters to go Dudek dug deep and found the strength for one final surge to pull away and claim the Footlocker National Cross Country Championship, winning in a time of 16:45.0 – the fifth-fastest girls’ time ever at the National Finals. Starliper was just one second back in the runner up spot, and sophomore Abby Vanderkooi came across in third place in 16:55—first time in meet history three girls have broken 17:00 minutes in the same race.
In the boys’ 5K race, senior Josh Methner of Mount Prospect, Illinois, capped off a dream season by unleashing a brazen move at the half way point in the race, daring a stellar field to try to go with him. No one could! From that point it seemed as Methner only got stronger, continuing to pull away from the competition to claim a 15:08 victory.
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Masciarelli, a sophomore competing in her first year of cross country, bided her time until the closing uphill and downhill stretch to edge Hart, who had controlled the race from shortly after the half-mile mark until the final few strides. Hart opened up her biggest lead going up the course’s hill the first time, cruising past the mile mark in 5:13. This initial surge broke up the lead pack with only Masciarelli and Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek, Ohio, staying in striking distance of Hart halfway through the race. Hart continued to lead at the two-mile mark cruising through a split of 10:50 with Masciarelli still lurking five seconds behind and freshman Abby VanderKooi of Fremont, Mich., moving into contention. The last mile turned into a classic two-girl duel, one that included multiple lead changes in the final 200 meters until Masciarelli ultimately prevailed at the tape. Hart’s runner-up finish (17:01.0) replicated her last year’s placing at FLCCC National Finals. Freshman VanderKooi came in third (17:14.0), Ewert in fourth (17:20.1) and Emily Covert of Minneapolis in fifth (17:29.6).
In a boys’ race, which featured juniors and seniors only, Hocker controlled the early pace then exchanged front-running duties with Josh Methner of Mount Prospect, Ill., until well past the two- mile mark. It was anyone’s race at the two-mile mark, with a pack of 13 runners, until Hocker and a determined Renfree turned the event into a two-runner battle. In the end, Hocker finished first (15:13.17), followed by Renfree in second (15:19.5) and Graydon Morris of Aledo, Texas, in third (15:25.1). Last year, Morris finished second and Renfree finished fifth at National Finals. Rounding out the top five were Carter Solomon of Canton, Mich. in fourth (15:25.3) and Drew Bosley of Thiensville, Wis. in fifth (15:25.4).
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For a boys’ race that featured multiple surges and many lead changes, things started somewhat conservatively. With no clear cut favorite, no one wanted to take the lead early. The first mile was paced by a large group of runners at 4:55 before West Regional Champion Kashon Harrison took the lead and made a move to separate from the pack. Northeast Regional Champion Tristan Shelgren took the lead on the downhill with Dalton Hengst making a move at the bottom of the hill to take the lead. Dylan Jacobs, the top returner from the 2016 Championship took the lead at the halfway point and was joined by Midwest Champion Danny Kilrea. Jacobs and Kilrea, who had the better of Jacobs during the regular cross country season, separated from the field heading into the two mile mark, crossing at 9:48. The two exchanged lead changes before Jacobs made a big move to separate heading up the hill the second time. With one half mile to go, Jacobs pounded to a bigger lead and opened up an eight second gap with 400m to go. Meanwhile South runners John Tatter and Graydon Morris challenged Danny Kilrea for the second spot. Dylan Jacobs crossed the line in 15:19.7 to become the second Foot Locker National Champion from Carl Sandburg High School (2009 and 2010 champ Lukas Verzbicas was the other). Morris took second in 15:23.3 but Kilrea (15:27.3) was able to edge out Tatter (15:27.9) for third. Returning champion Claudia Lane had the course record on her mind when she pushed a hard pace at the start of the girls’ race and ran away from a deep and talented field. She opened a 100 meter lead by the 1000 meter mark in the race and passed the mile mark in 5:17. By that time she had a 13 second advantage over the rest of the field which was led by Northeast Regional Champion Marlee Starliper and Midwest Regional Champion Olivia Theis. Katelynne Hart was also in that mix of fifteen girls at the front of the chase pack. It was a two girl race with 2017 Lane competing against 2016 Lane as she looked to better her previous time and challenge the course record. Starliper, Theis and Hart continued to lead the second group at the halfway point. Lane had opened a 15 second lead by the two mile mark where Theis and Hart began to separate from Starliper. In the end, 2017 Lane beat 2016 Lane by 1.4 seconds to win in 17:03.4. There was a great race for second place as Hart (17:22.5) outkicked Theis (17:22.6) for second place.
Complete Results

In the boys' race, two-time FLCCC national qualifier Seth Hirsch went out aggressively and continued to pick up the pace, cruising through the mile with a 4:46 split. Reed Brown took his first lead sprinting down the big hill on his way to the halfway point in the race. At the two-mile mark with a 9:44 split, Hirsch and Finn Gessner were side by side with Brown maintaining pace. From there, the trio of Brown, Gessner and Hirsch jockeyed for the lead, but it was Brown's strength on the downhill that brought him victory.
In the girls’ race, Claudia Lane won a gun to tape victory in 17:05. Lane, a first-time FLCCC qualifier took an early lead and strode through the first mile in 5:18. Midwest champ Anne Forsyth was with Lane in the early stages and Nevada Moreno joined the duo in the second mile. Mareno caught Lane on the uphill halfway in the third mile, but Lane responded on the steep downhill to pull away to the finish line.
Complete Results

In the boys' race, Drew Hunter of Purcellville, Va. went out aggressively and continued to pick up the pace after a mile split of 4:32. At the halfway mark, Hunter secured a commanding 15- second edge over Phillip Rocha (Azusa, Calif.) and Ben Veatch (Carmel, Ind.). Hunter never relinquished the lead, but the race for runner-up provided added excitement down the stretch where Rocha out-sprinted Veatch. Rocha placed second in 15:08 and Veatch finished third in 15:10.
In the girls' race, Weini Kelati of Leesburg, Va., a two-time FLCCC national qualifier, took an early lead, cruising to a mile split of 5:13. Maryjeanne Gilbert (Peoria, Ill.) closed the gap and took a brief lead prior to the midway point. Kelati reclaimed the lead quickly, while Nevada Mareno (Leesville, N.C.) and Judy Pendergast (Naperville, Ill.) joined the lead pair. Kelati and Gilbert pulled away in the final stretch with Gilbert finishing second (17:11), Mareno in third (17:18) and Pendergast in fourth (17:20).

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In two exciting races, repeat National Champions were crowned.
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The boys' race came down to the last 100 meters when Grant Fisher surged past Johnathan Dressel to win by just three seconds. In what was a back-and-forth affair, the race featured a large group that had modest one and two mile splits of of 4:53 and 9:53. Dressel took the lead at about the 3K mark with Fisher eclipsing him at the bottom of the hill. Dressel fought back and regained the lead with 150m to go. In the girls' race it was all Tessa Barrett after the mile mark. Barrett pushed hard after the mile and no one in the field could stay with her.
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The boys. race was dominated by a group of runners that included all four regional champions, Edward Cheserek, Sean McGorty, Jake Leingang and Ben Saarel. McGorty led for most of the race until Cheserek made his move when the group reached the hill the second time. He pulled away to repeat as National Champion. In the girls race, the West Champ, Marissa Williams set a fast pace at the start to gain an early lead. After falling down while going around a turn at the 400m mark, Anna Rohrer recovered to join the lead group. The lead group stayed together until the 2 mile mark (11:10) where Rohrer made her move to take the lead and ultimately the title of National Champion.
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2011 Featured two of the most exciting races in the history of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships as Molly Seidel came from behind in the last half of the race to hold off a battling Erin Finn. In the boys' race, Futsum Zeinesallassie and eventual winner Edward Cheseret traded lead changes throughout the race.
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In the girls' race, Cuffe, a three-time FLCCC National Finalist and senior at Cornwall Central High School, dominated from the start and powered through the field. Cuffe took an early lead, pushed the pace and opened the gap even further to capture the title in 16:53. Rachel Johnson of Plano, Texas, placed second in 17:27, and Julie Nacouzi of Santa Rosa, Calif., finished third in 17:29. Johnson, a senior at Plano High School and Nacouzi, a senior at Montgomery High School, are two-time FLCCC National Finalists.
In the boys' race, a large chase group of runners led by defending FLCCC National Champion Lukas Verzbicas and Futsum Zeinasellassie of Indianapolis, Ind., set a hard, fast pace hitting the mile-mark in 4:45. The two runners started pulling away from the field coming off the hill and ran neck-and-neck heading toward the two-mile mark, at which point Verzbicas began to push the pace. Zeinasellassie tried to answer the surge, but Verzbicas continued to open the gap to become the FLCCC National Champion for the second consecutive year in 14:59. Verzbicas is the third male runner to capture two consecutive FLCCC National titles in the history of the race (Abdirizak Mohamud '96 & '97; Dathan Ritzenhein '99 & 2000). Zeinasellassie placed second in 15:10, with Tony Smoragiewicz of Rapid City, S.D., finishing third in 15:16.
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Foot Locker crowned two national champions.
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Foot Locker crowned two national champions.
Complete Results

Foot Locker crowned two national champions.
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In the boys' race, the excitement was intense as it came down to the final seconds between Hall, a senior at Big Bear High School and Steve Murdock of Clifton Park, N.Y. The race opened up with the entire field staying together and several of the top finishers vying for the lead. Northeast Regional Champion Craig Forys of Howell, N.J., took an early lead on the hill just after the first mile, but the pack quickly reconvened on the downhill. Staying together through the halfway point, Murdock attempted a move by breaking away two meters from the pack, but again, the group came back together and continued to battle for the win. In an exciting finish, Hall and Murdock were neck-and-neck through the last 400 meters, until Hall managed to pull away in the final stretch to claim victory in 15:20. Forys pushed it through the final 30 meters to pass Murdock for the second place finish in a time of 15:24. Murdock finished third, just one second behind Forys with a time of 15:25.
The girls' race began with a large group of 20 runners holding close through the first mile. Four-time FLCCC National Finals qualifier Marie Lawrence of Reno, Nev., made a move after the first mile and the rest of the field gave chase. The lead group became more defined through the second mile when Kroeger and Aurora Scott of Chesapeake, Va., set the pace. Kroeger opened up a lead with half a mile remaining and increased her distance from the pack to about 30 meters, finishing in 17:29 to become the South Region's first female national champion since Erin Keogh in 1986. Scott, who pressured Kroeger through the second half of the race, finished second with a time of 17:36, while Emily Sisson of Omaha, Neb., finished third in 17:56. Scott (South) and Sisson (Midwest) are both 2006 FLCCC Regional Champions.
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The boys' race started out fast and hard with a pack of five runners leading the field. AJ Acosta, a senior at El Camino High School, started to pull ahead with a small group at the 400-meter mark. The boys continued their fierce pace hitting the mile mark in 4:33, with Acosta in the lead until Michael Coe of Lompoc, Calif., moved into second place behind Acosta at the halfway point. Ryan Craven, a senior at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Ill., came out of nowhere surgj11g ahead of the chase pack to get behind Coe and Acosta. With 300 meters remaining in the race, Coe started his last kick towards the finish line closing the small gap between him and Acosta. Acosta, cheered on by his hometown crowd, made his final push to take home the Championship title in 15:02, with Coe just behind him. Ryan Craven finished third with a time of 15:12.
The girls' race started with a fast pace set by 2004 FLCCC National Champion Aislinn Ryan attempting to defend her title by taking an early lead ahead of the field. West Regional runner-up Marie Lawrence of Reno, Nev., led the chase pack of girls behind Ryan, who maintained her lead until West Regional Champion Jordan Hasay and three-time FLCCC National Qualifier Lawrence caught up with her at the 1.5- mile mark. Hasay, a freshman at Mission College Prep., broke away from the pack taking the lead as she approached the two-mile mark in 11 :03. Hasay held tight, never relinquishing her lead and went on to become the second female fresh- man in the race's history to take home the FLCCC National title. Hasay finished in 17:05, an amazing 14 seconds ahead of the second place finisher Lawrence, who finished in 17:19. Ryan finished third with a time of 17:36.
Complete Results

There was no clear front runner in the boys race, with a large pack thundering together through much of the course. Towards the end of the race, Andrew Bumbalough and John McGuire moved to the front and were stride-for- stride, chased by the group. Ken Cormier then appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to become a player in the constant exchange for lead of this exciting race, that was determined in the final stretch. In the final 200-meter stretch, Cormier moved into the lead, just managing to hold off Bumbalough for the win in 15:22. Bumbalough placed second in 15:24, and Mark Matusak (Torrance, Calif.) placed third in 15:26, pulling ahead of McGuire who placed fourth in 15:27.
The girls course was dominated by a pack of four runners who battled for the lead throughout the race. Aislinn Ryan of Bellvale, N.V., Midwest Regional Champion Ramsey Kavan of Vankton, S.D., West Regional Champion Marie Lawrence of Reno, Nev., and Zoe Nelson of Kalispell, Mont., were at each other's heels from the beginning. At the two- mile point, Aislinn Ryan pulled ahead to gain about a seven- to-eight meter lead over the group. Ryan, who had placed second in the Notheast Regionals, increased her position over the remainder of the course, stretching it out for the win in 17:31. Lawrence, who chased Ryan over the last mile, placed second in 17:39, Kavan placed third in 17:47 and Nelson ended up placing eighth in 18:09.
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The boys. race began with an extremely fast pace. hitting 800 meters in 2:15. A string of 12 runners led the field. including Withrow. Galen Rupp of Portland, Ore.. and Shadrack Kiptoo of Albuquerque. N.M. Rupp and Kiptoo were the clear frontrunners. with the lead constantly exchanging hands. Passing two-miles in 9:39. Withrow made a huge move, flying to the front. Rupp and Kiptoo answered by pulling ahead, battling each other for the lead. With only 300 meters remaining, Withrow again made a tremendous kick, claiming a five meter lead and placing first in 14:55. Rupp, a senior at Central Catholic High School, inched ahead of Kiptoo. to place second in 14:57. Kiptoo, a senior at La Cueva High School, was third in 14:58.
This exciting girls race also started with a fast pace, dominated by a pack of 8 runners. With,a quarter-mile left in the race, Marie Lawrence of Reno High School, pulled ahead to claim the lead. At the last 100 meters, Midwest Regional Champion Katelyn Kaltenbach made her move forward until she and Lawrence were side-by-side. Lawrence then flew ahead to claim a 10-meter lead, until the final stretch, when Kaltenbach surged past her to claim the first place position in 17:24. Lawrence, a freshman at Reno High School, took second in 17:25 and Barringer, a junior at Oviedo High School, placed third in 17:35.
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Ail pack of runners from the Midwest led the boys' race until the two-mile mark, when Chris Solinsky made his move for a substantial lead. Solinsky, the Midwest Regional champion, set a personal record by winning the race in 14:41. He finished the race 20 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, tying the greatest margin of victory for the boys race established by Oathan Ritzenhein in 2000.
West Regional Champion Zoe Nelson dominated the girls race from the start, followed by a pack of runners from the Northeast Region. At the two- mile mark, she cemented her first place position with a five-second lead, continuing to break away from the field for a victory in 17:30.
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A tight pack of runners took control of the boys' race, with the lead exchanging hands many times. In a close finish, Midwest Regional champion Timothy Moore was neck-and-neck with South Regional champion Bobby Lockhart until the final 10 minutes when Moore stretched it out for the win in 14:50. West Regional champion Amber Trotter dominated the course from the start, setting a hard and fast pace. With a 40-second lead at the finish, Trotter won the race in 16:24, shattering the course record by 31 seconds.
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In the boys race, defending champion Dathan Ritzenhein, a senior from Rockford High School, claimed the lead at the one-mile mark and held it for a victory finish of 14:35. His time was 20 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, the largest margin win in the history of the National Finals. The girls race was dominated by a pack of runners from the West region, with Anita Siraki of Glendale, CA taking the lead halfway through. Sara Bei, a senior from Santa Rosa, CA, was in last place until the mile mark, where she turned up the heat on the other runners and caught up with Siraki. They went head-to-head in the final meters when Bei pushed into first place, finishing in 16:55 and breaking the course record by 10 seconds.
Complete Results

The boys race was dominated by a close, tight pack until Midwest Regional champion Dathan Ritzenhein, a junior at Rockford High School, broke away in the last half-mile to win the race in 14:29, breaking the course record by 47 seconds. In an unprecedented finish, the top 16 boys in the race beat the course record of 15:16.4 held by 1998 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National champion Jorge Torres of Wheeling, IL. In the girls race, the competition was fierce with the lead changing hands several times throughout the race. Victoria Chang of Honolulu, HI claimed the lead with only 400 meters remaining and went on to win the race in 17:05, 17 seconds faster than the course record which was held by 1998 National champion Erin Sullivan of Jericho, VT.
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The boys race was dominated by a tight group of runners until the two-mile mark where Jorge Torres broke away from the pack and went on to win the Championship, setting a new course record. In the 20-year history of the race, Torres became the first boys four-time National qualifier. In the girls race, a close group of runners set a hard and fast pace with the lead changing hands several times up until the 1.5-mile mark where Sullivan took the lead and captured her second consecutive National title.
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For only the third time in the 19-year history of the race, the National Finals were held in Orlando, FL. Despite the constant downpour of rain, Abdirizak Mohamud returned to defend his National title and become the first boys champion to win two consecutive titles. In a wide open and rain-soaked field, Erin Sullivan, a junior from Vermont, turned skeptics into believers by running hard out of the starting area and claiming the lead early on to become the '97 National champion.
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In the boys race, the field was wide open with no clear-cut favorite. A tight pack of runners ran together with the lead changing throughout the race. Abdirizak Mohamud took the lead with 75 meters remaining to become the first underclassman to win the coveted National title. In one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the race, Kristen Gordon passed '94 Foot Locker National champion Julia Stamps when Stamps collapsed just 15 meters from the finish line. Gordon, the West Regional champion, chased down Stamps after her large lead diminished over the last half-mile.
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Upsets were the name of the game. In the boys race, pre-race favorite Sharif Karie was caught with 100 meters remaining by the strong finishing kick of Abdul Alzindani. Defending champion Julia Stamps brought an unblemished record to Balboa Park, having never lost at the high school level. After equaling her course record in the West Regional, there didn’t appear to be anybody to challenge her for the National title. Suffering from a head cold, Julia collapsed at the 2.5-mile mark and Kim Mortensen charged to the finish line to capture the National title.
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Breaking away from the pack, the long-time rivalry of friends Matt Downin and John Mortimer climaxed on a glorious day at Balboa Park. The pair dueled toe-to-toe until the three-mile mark, when Matt left no doubt that this course was to be his domain for the day. Right from the sound of the gun, sophomore sensation Julia Stamps showed the entire field that her course record at the West Regional was no fluke and her top billing was worth every stride. Julia, with her shattering speed, missed the long-standing course record by a mere 2.6 seconds.
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In the boys race, Adam Goucher of Colorado Springs grabbed the National title in his third trip to San Diego. His time of 14:41.7 was just five seconds off the course record. Erin Davis became the first freshman champion in the 15-year history of the race, as she kicked past Melissa Lucas with 150 meters remaining. Previously, the youngest champion had been a junior.
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Brendan Heffernan held off a pack from the Midwest Region and state rival Bob Keino to become the first male champion from the Northeast Region. Two other landmarks of the race: it was the first time ESPN dedicated a full hour of coverage, and after 14 years, the sponsorship was transferred from Kinney to Foot Locker. After previous finishers of third and second, Amanda White's goal of a national championship was challenged by local star Milena Glusac (Fallbrook High, CA). The pair dueled step-for-step until the 2.5-mile mark, when White broke contact and opened a big enough lead to hold off a late surge from Glusac.
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Pre-race pundits declared the boys race a toss-up, but Corey Ihmels left no doubt as to who the dominant runner was on this day. Only the second North Dakota qualifier in 13 years, Ihmels posted a 15-second victory, the second largest margin in the boys finals. Liz Mueller and Amanda White pulled away from the pack after the first mile, jockeying the lead back and forth. Mueller opened up on the second hill, becoming the fifth junior to win since 1985. Northeast girls claimed four of the top five slots.
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Louie Quintana refused to let the mid-80 degree temperature affect him, as he became the third California runner to capture the boys title in the last five years. Melody Fairchild put an authoritative stamp on one of the most impressive high school careers to date, surging to a new meet record and leaving the field 300 yards behind. Fairchild eclipsed the 9-year-old record by four seconds.
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Bryan Dameworth, at 6'3", stood head and shoulders above the competition, heading into the race as a clear-cut favorite. Once the gun went off, however, he faced serious competition from Andy Maris. Dameworth shifted gears with 1/4 mile remaining, sprinting to victory. For the second consecutive year, the girls returning champion failed to retain her title, as Melody Fairchild charged to a big lead midway through the race to capture her first National Championship.
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In the boys race, three New Jersey competitors finished in the top five, but Michigan's Brian Grosso stormed by Jason DiJoseph 2 1/2 miles into the race and never looked back. The races were highlighted by national network coverage, as NBC covered the event for the first time. Celeste Susnis proved her record-setting performance at the Midwest Regional was no fluke, as she upset hometown favorite Kira Jorgensen.
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Bob Kennedy charged out to an early lead and never allowed the pack to reel him in. Kennedy's racing success continued in college, becoming the first American frosh to capture the NCAA crown (1989). No surprises here. The vivacious Kira Jorgensen stole the spotlight. On her third of four trips to the Kinney Finals, Kira led from start to finish under sunny San Diego skies.
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San Diego's Marc Davis, relishing the role of top dog coming in, ripped through the Balboa Park course in 14:38, less than two seconds off the course record as he defeated future Olympians Todd Williams and Bob Kennedy. Erin Keogh carved her name in the annals of cross country history, dominating the field to become the first to capture two Kinney National Championships.
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With first-time national coverage on ESPN, fast times were contagious. Reuben Reina journeyed in from the Lone Star state and stomped to a course record, which still stands, smashing the former mark by more than 13 seconds. Nine boys broke the 15-minute barrier - only four others had ever done so on the 5K Morley Field course. Erin Keogh held off a slew of talented runners, including future NCAA track champion Suzy Favor, finishing 1/10 of a second off the course record.
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Midwesterner Scott Fry handled the boys field with relative ease - including twin brothers Eric and Marc Mastalir, both of whom were two-time qualifiers. No photo finishes on this day. The talented Cathy Schiro, who went on to compete in the Olympic marathon in 1988 and 1992, was the runaway winner in the girls race.
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Matt Giusto, the third place finisher in the Western Regional, ran away from Tracy Garrison and Simon Gutierrez in soggy conditions to score a major upset in the boys race. It was here that Janet Smith put the finishing touches on her reputation as an attacking, aggressive runner, setting a course record (16:43.7) on the San Diego course.
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Florida's flat, fast course provided a meet record; Californian Eric Reynolds raced over the sand and grass to win in 14:35. Christine Curtin became the first non-senior to grab the title, as her 16:58 held off a field that included two other eventual champions.
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The Kinney Finals headed east! Orlando, FL was the site of the third Kinney Finals. The boys race saw the lead pack stay together until California's Harold Kuphaldt and Virginia's Charles Alexander surged with a half-mile remaining, with Alexander sprinting away over the final 150 yards. On the girls side, Connie Jo Robinson and Lois Brommer separated from the pack early to make a two-person race. Robinson was the victor, covering the flat 5000 meter course in a meet record of 16:40.
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A 70-degree day was to the liking of Californians Jay Marden and Jon Butler, who finished 1-2. For the KCCC's first two years, 35 runners from five regions qualified for the boys and girls races. Regional sites were New York, Georgia, Texas, Kansas and California. Ceci Hopp, a future NCAA Champion, blasted to an early lead and was never challenged, covering the old Balboa Park 5K course in 17:12.
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The first Kinney Cross Country Championships (KCCC) National Finals was held before a relatively small crowd of curious onlookers in Balboa Park. There was no uniformity for the runners; competitors wore their own uniforms. Regional races were scattered over the calendar: Houston and New York (October), Chicago (November) and San Francisco and Atlanta (December). Brent Steiner and Ellen Lyons were the inaugural Kinney Champions.
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