FOOTLOCKER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
December 13, 2008
Boys National Championship *Interview with Fran McLaughlin
After the 40 athlete introductions the famed Footlocker cannon started the boys National Championship race. Featuring top athletes from across the nation the race boys championship final promises to be a barn burner.
Evan Appel of Colorado took the early lead through the 400 meters with Minnesota native Jakub Zivec off of his shoulder. Solomon Haile finishing off the top three, as expected, through the first 800 meters. After a 2:14 first 800 meters the pack was relatively still together with Haile, Schwartz, Dunbar, and Zivec. Not as fast as last years blistering 2:08, Evan Appel did take it out very hard.
Headinging into 1200 meters it was four runners abreast, Schwartz, Appel, Haile, and Zivec. But it was all the main players in the top pack followed closely by Dunbar. Chris Schwartz and Solomon Haile took the runners through the first mile in 4:47 as they began the ascent up the big hill for the first time. Off the dirt and onto the grass, Appel, Haile, and Dunbar, Porter in 4th, Zivec in 5th. The hill stretched the pack out as Trevor Dunbar surged to the lead and battled Solomon Haile on the descent down the hill.
Heading back to the starting area, Haile and Dunbar led into the 1.5 mile mark. Trevor Dunbar slightly off Solomon's right shoulder with Porter and Zivec in 3rd and 4th. The freshman Futsum Zeinasellassie hanging tough. But it was Haile, Dunbar, Porter, and Zivec who would blaze through the half way point. Making the u-turn and coming back onto the bark chips, Solomon Haile, Thomas Porter, and Trevor Dunbar began seperating themselves from the pack with Jakub Zivec fading into 4th.
Coming through in 9:47 at the 2-mile Haile, Dunbar and Porter leading with Zivec slightly ahead of the pack led by Chris Schwartz and Evan Appel in 5th and 6th. The freshman Zeinasellassie hanging tough in 7th. But it was Haile opening up a 30 meter lead heading into the final mile, Solomon the undefeated senior from Maryland looking very strong heading into the final hill. Haile, Dunbar, Porter, Vivec, Schwartz in order with less than 800 meters to go. Climbing the hill Zivec catches Porter in 3rd, but it was the senior Solomon Haile who would sprint away with the victory and looking so comfortable in the process. Drew Shields moving up into 5th place.
Solomon Haile, the senior from Sherwood High in Maryland was victorious in 15:15 (14:45 3-miles) Trevor Dunbar powers in for 2nd place in 15:22, Thomas Porter 3rd in 15:26. Official Results
"I am so excited to be here, cross country is my favorite race, more than track, I ended my season with victory, I like everything I am so happy. I know midwest and west runners are very good, in my past races I did not get this type of competition but I am happy. In Maryland it is cold, the past two days it has been warm, the warm weather made me tired today. I still have not made my decision on where i am going to college. I want to take a break for indoor season and come back for track and do better than I have done before." ~Solomon Haile, Individual Champion