Foot Locker West Regional Primer


The West Regional qualifying meet for the 41st Foot Locker Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) in Walnut. The schedule begins at 7 a.m. with an open race followed by grade-specific races leading to the girls championship race at 10:15 a.m. and the boys championship race at 10:55 a.m. 

Here's a primer for Saturday's FL West Regional:

QUALIFYING

The top 10 finishers in each of the two championship races qualify for the West Regional team that will compete at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships on Dec. 14 on the 5000-meter Morley Field course in San Diego's Balboa Park. The qualifiers also stay at the Hotel del Coronado along with representatives from the other four regions. 

NAMES TO WATCH

There is only one boy expected to return from last year's regional team: Salt Lake City (UT) Skyline HS senior Thomas Boyden (center at right in Patrick Corsinita photo). The Stanford commit won the Region 6 title in early October, placed third behind national standouts Leo Daschbach and Cole Sprout at Desert Twilight and won at Bob Firman.  Boyden was sixth in the 2018 West Regional and 13th at FLCCC. 

Among other boys expected to challenge for regional team spots:

Spokane (WA) North Central junior Leif Swanson; Idaho Falls HS junior Mitchell Athay; Grantville (UT) senior Porter Whitworth, San Jose (CA) Bellarmine Prep junio Colin PeattieSan Juan Capistrano (CA) St. Margarets junior Jackson Adelman; Carlsbad (CA) senior Caleb Niednagel; Moorpark (CA) senior Keith Murray; Upland (CA) senior Jeremiah Castellano, and Alameda (CA) Sir Francis Drake senior Amir Barkan.

There are four girls expected back from the 2018 West Regional team: Anna Martin (Lehi (UT) HS), Audrey Suarez (Pasadena (CA) Mayfield HS), Hana Catsimanes (San Clemente (CA) HS) and Erinn Hill (Spokane North Central (WA) HS). 

Catsimanes, a senior headed to Wake Forest, won the CIF-Southern Section Division I title. She was seventh last year at FLW.

Suarez, a junior, won the CIF-SS Division IV title and was third at the State Meet. She was sixth at FLW.

Martin, a senior headed to BYU, was second at the Utah State 5A Championships. She was third at FLW. 

Hill, a senior headed to Wisconsin, was second in the Washington State 3A Championship. She placed ninth at FLW last year and was 33rd in the championship.

Among others expected to compete: Phoenix (AZ) Desert Vista junior Grace Ping; Clovis (CA) North junior Miliana Perez, 11th here last year; Carlsbad (CA) Sage Creek senior Skyler Wallace, 16th last year and her sophomore sister Stormy Wallace, both are from two-time CIF-State Division IV championship team; Granada Hills (CA) sophomore Sofia Abrego, and Oceanside (CA) Mission Vista junior Bella Longo.


WEATHER

The forecast is for a 30-35% chance of showers in the morning with a temperature range between 55-60 degrees, according to weather.com as of 9:30 p.m. Friday night.


SCHEDULE

7 a.m. -- Open Race
7:15 -- Freshman Boys
7:35 -- Freshman Girls
7:55 -- Sophomore Boys
8:15 -- Sophomore Girls
8:35 -- Junior Boys
8:55 -- Junior Girls
9:15 -- Senior Boys
9:35 -- Senior Girls
10:15 -- Championship Girls
10:55 -- Championship Boys
Awards
11:45 -- Championship Girls
12:15 -- Championship Boys


COURSE



STATES COMPETING

Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and U.S. citizens in Overseas Military Installations.


TIMING

Finished Results (https://registration.finishedresults.com/meets/1849). Follow along on the laptop or get the app to follow live on your mobile device.


WEST REPS AT NATIONALS

In 2017, a junior from Malibu (CA) HS by the name of Claudia Lane set the course record of 16:59 and went on to win a second consecutive FLCCC national title. Before Lane's historic double, Jordan Hasay of Mission College Prep in Arroyo Grande, CA won the 2008 title three years after winning the 2005 title!

Other West Region representatives to win the FLCCC title include Zoe Nelson (Kalispell, MT) in 2002, Amber Trotter (Redwood Valley, CA) in 2001, Sara Bei (Santa Rosa, CA) in 2000, Victoria Chang (Honolulu, HI) in 1999, Kristen Gorbon (Alamo, CA) in 2996, Kim Mortensen (Thousand Oaks, CA) in 1995, Julia Stamps (Santa Rosa, CA) in 1994, Kira Jorgensen (Vista, CA) in 1987, and Ellen Lyons (Boise, ID).  

West Region boys have not won the FLCCC title since Chad Hall of Big Bear (CA) HS did it in 2006. Other winners: AJ Acosta (Oceanside, CA) 2005, Kenneth Cormier (Douglas, AZ) 2004, Louie Quintana (Nipomo, CA) 1990, Bryan Dameworth (Calbasas, CA) 1989, Marc Davis (San Diego, CA) 1998, Matt Giusto (Foster City, CA) 1983, Eric Reynolds (Somis, CA) 1982, and Jay Marden (Fremont, CA) 1980. 


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Photos by Patrick Corsinita and Jeffrey Parenti