This Saturday Feb. 5 the USATF will hold its national championships for Cross Country. Included along with Open & Masters races for men and women are the championships for young men and women. Aside from a national title, on the line also is a berth on the US Junior team, which will compete in Punta Umbria, Spain in the World Junior XC Championships. The young ladies will compete over a 6K distance, while the young men will race over an 8K distance on the Mission Bay course. The age qualifications include being at least 14 on race day & not reaching the age of 20 during the 2011 year.
Collegiate athletes, who are of course older, tend to have the upper hand, especially in the young men’s race but there is certainly greater parity in the young ladies’ race. Last year for example Emily Sisson was a prep, when she placed second behind Shelby Greany. In 2009, although Neely Spence won the race as a collegian, she was followed across the line by prep athletes Ashley Brasovan, Alex Dunne & Allie McLoughlin and in 2008 Jordan Hasay, then a high school senior, won the event. Interestingly enough there is a common thread among the high school runners listed here, for all were Foot Locker National finalists. The race on Saturday will include Aisling Cuffe, who counts among her victories Great American, Eastern States and the N. Y. Federation championships. She also won the Foot Locker Northeast Regional for the second straight time & capped off the season with a dominating triumph at Foot Locker nationals. Although collegians like Katie Flood would have to be factored into the equation Aisling Cuffe flew through the Foot Locker course in a way that has not been seen in years with a triumph that was the sixth fastest time ever and a victory with the (tie) third greatest margin of time spread. The newly crowned Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year certainly is capable of winning. Flight problems en route, given the weather back east, may be one of her greatest problems over the weekend.
Julie Nacouzi is another prep to watch after her victory in the Foot Locker West Regional & her following third place finish at the national meet. Injuries pared her season a bit but she won the Stanford Invitational & is one to watch. Molly Grabill is a bit unique in that she is a true veteran of both Foot Locker & Junior Nationals. Molly won the West Regional in 2009 & placed second in the region in 2010 at Foot Locker. She followed that with a 9th place effort in Foot Locker nationals. This will be her third Junior National meet after placing 8th in 2009 in Maryland & then 12th in Spokane in 2010. Although she has not entered as of yet, Molly is from San Diego so travel will not be an issue & it is hard imagining her not running after traveling around the country the last two years. Molly had a fine 2010 season, which included victories at Mt. Carmel, Mt. SAC & the Danner (Nike Pre-Nationals).
Others to watch include Julia Foster, who placed 34th at Foot Locker Nationals after taking 9th at Foot Locker West. Julia had a very successful season winning at Liberty Bell, Albuquerque & in the New Mexico State meet. She also won the NTN Southwest Regional but skipped the meet in Portland for a successful run at Foot Locker. Catrina McAlister is yet another Foot Locker alumnus after finishing 7th in the West Regional & 25th at National. Like Molly she has competed twice already at Junior Nationals as a member of the South Coast Elite team, where she earned 17th in 2009 & improved to 14th in 2010. Her fall campaign saw her victorious at Woodbridge, Stanford & Clovis. Hannah Valenzuela is also a member of the South Coast Elite team like Catrina & she placed 19th at Junior Nationals last year. She earned Second Team All-West honors last December at Foot Locker, when she finished 13th in the Regional meet.
Rolonda Jumbo will once again represent Wings of America & she has two years of US Junior experience after placing 9th in 2009 & 31st in 2010. She narrowly missed qualifying for Foot Locker as a freshman when she placed 12th & was the second alternate for nationals & she was 16th in the region in 2010. Rolonda won the Arizona State meet in the small-school division last fall. She also won invitational meets at Page & Conley & placed 2nd in the Desert Classic.
Sarah Fakler is another runner from the Southwest to watch. The Arizona large-school champion won the George Young & Desert Classic & added a sixth at Mt. SAC. Sarah garnered third at the NTN Southwest region before finishing 69th in the mud of Portland. Emma Abrahamson had a banner early freshman campaign in California with a victory at Mt. Carmel & third place finishes at Stanford & Mt. SAC. An off day at State saw her place 15th in her California division. Her sister Ellie is often close behind her & she earned 6th at the Bronco, 3rd at Mt. Carmel & 10th at Mt. SAC. Two others to keep an eye on are Shelby McIntyre of South Lake Tahoe & Meghan Shea of Texas. Shelby placed 6th at Clovis, 4th at Mt. SAC & was third at State in Nevada, while Meghan took 2nd in her Texas Regional & was sixth at State in 4A. I would be remiss in leaving out California runner Brooke Holt who won at Del Oro, placed 2nd at Stanford & was 12th in Division 1 at State.
Among the guys the most likely suspect is Ammar Moussa of Arcadia HS in California. Ammar has already accomplished what no other prep, who will race Saturday, has managed & that is to finish in the top six at Juniors. As the top six runners qualify for Worlds, he has already qualified for the US team once. Ammar certainly did not slow down for his senior expedition in cross country with victories in the Woodbridge, Clovis, Stanford & Mt. SAC Invitationals plus a 4th at NTN. If he does not qualify it will be somewhat of a surprise but then again, that is why we run races, because on any day – well who knows. Still I trust in Ammar, who will also have most of his Arcadia team mates running with him as part of what is now called O’ Brien’s Army. If his team mate Sergio Gonzalez adds his name to the list they will have some team. It should be noted also that unlike the normal aggregate of five runners for a cross country team only four are needed to be considered a full compliment.
Craig Lutz from Texas is another intriguing possibility. He qualified for Foot Locker as a junior & placed 4th at nationals. He is the 2010 Texas State champion and added the NTN South Regional meet last fall before placing third at NTN. Sadly we did not see him at Foot Locker but he is certainly a very capable runner. Darren Fahy is another Californian, who has a legitimate chance of making waves at the Junior meet and he also earned a trip to Foot Locker Nationals after finishing sixth at the regional in Mt. SAC. He then scored a 30th place finish in San Diego. During the course of this season he won at Mt. Carmel, was 2nd in the Bronco, 5th at Stanford & was 8th at Mt. SAC.
Ryan Urie is well travelled this campaign with a victory in Oregon in the Danner & a 7th at NTN. He was also 2nd at Woodbridge. The California prep also took second at State in an impressive 14:45, which was only a tantalizing two seconds behind Ammar Moussa. If they run as a tandem at Mission Bay collegiate athletes better beware. Jeff Vilhauer of Redwood may have had an off day in his State meet, yet he placed 4th at Clovis & was 5th at Mt. SAC and thusly should not be overlooked. As this is written Matt Carpowich, like Molly Grabill, has not officially entered yet it seems likely that he will, because, as a local runner, he does not have far to travel. Matt made it to Foot Locker in December by qualifying 4th in the region and then placed 17th in San Diego. Along the way this season he placed third at Mt. Carmel, 2nd at Stanford & the Bronco and he was 4th at Mt. SAC. He was also 9th at State in Division I (15:11).
The team races could be interesting, as both Oklahoma State & Syracuse University have full teams and it would seem that OSU has the upper hand but one never really knows, especially over an 8 K distance. If Sergio Gonzalez adds his talent O’Brien’s Army would likely be third although Wings of America always has something to contribute. In the girls’ team race it would seem to depend upon who competes for South Coast Elite, which has claimed the last two Junior titles. Up front Catrina McAlister & Hannah Valenzuela can certainly be counted upon to score very well in the team race if not actually both qualify as individuals. Unfortunately as noted four are needed to qualify as a team & at the moment South Coast has but two entrants. Dallas Metroplex is always tough & has the inspiration of being snowed out of the meet last year. Buffalo Chips won the event three years ago & will be led by Julie Nacouzi, while Wings of America has the formidable 1 – 2 punch of Julia Foster & Rolonda Jumbo.
It should be a very interesting day of racing in San Diego come Saturday, just from the junior stand point. The Open women’s field is loaded and includes a number of Olympians and should be thrilling to watch as well. We have only briefly discussed but half of the races & the weatherman is promising balmy conditions, so there is much to offer the harrier fanatic in all of us.