With the end of the 2010 cross country season only a week away, the final Footlocker Regional race was held Saturday on the Mt. Sac course in Walnut California. The 3 other regions raced the week before but because the California State Meet happens on the same day, the west had to wait a week.
In the girls race Rancho Bernardo senior Molly Grabill, Julia Foster (Sr., NM), Rolonda Jumbo (Jr., Chinle, AZ) and Alli Billmeyer (Sr., Torrey Pines, CA) led a strong group of girls at the 800 mark with at least 50 runners staying in a tight pack. As the group passed the mile mark at 5:30 and headed up the switchbacks there still was no clear leader. Heading up "Poop Out Hill" Grabill had a slight lead with Julie Nacouzi (Montgomery, CA) challenging and Carrie Verdon (CA) in 3rd. Maddie Meyers (WA), Catrina McAlister (Arcadia, CA), Claire Carroll (CA) Foster and Billmeyer were a few steps behind. Two miles into the race the group started to separate and Grabill had a 2 second (11:28) lead over Nacouzi who was not far ahead of the next 5 runners but Nacouzi made a move for the lead on Reservoir Hill and led the rest of the way through the gauntlet and onto the track where she finished in 18:09. Grabill took 2nd in 18:15 followed by Meyers in 18:18.
The boys race was "fast and furious" as the leader, Jantzn Oshier (CA) hit the 400 mark in 66 seconds. Top seed Billy Orman (Tuba City) stayed back leading a huge pack of boys. Oshier reached the mile mark in 4:30 while Orman passed it at 4:37 followed closely by the rest of the pack. By the time Oshier reached Poop Out Hill he had extended his lead even more and the dense group of runners started to spread out. Oshier reached the 2 mile mark at around 9:40 but as he headed up Reservoir Hill, sophomore Andrew Gardner from Mead, Washington moved from 11th into 2nd place passing Orman.
"I was in second place throughout most of the race but going up reservoir hill, Andrew Garner passed me," said Orman after the race." On the decent I felt really good because I guess I am a pretty good downhill runner…….I like to think that at least, so I took the lead right at the bottom of the hill."
So with 800 meter to go Orman took the lead and finished in 15:28 with Gardner taking 2nd in 15:35 and Oshier finishing 3rd in 18:38.
As the only underclassman last year in the boys National race Orman will be making his 2nd trip back to Footlocker Nationals. Orman won the Nike SW Regionals as did Julia Foster from New Mexico. Both runners had to make the difficult choice between a guaranteed spot at Nike Nationals or take a chance at Footlocker West Regionals.
They chose Footlocker and It paid off for both of them.
Brother and sister Nathan (Jr.) and Kandra Weitz (So) made the trip down from Washington and both qualified for Nationals. Kandra qualified first finishing 6th in the girls race. Nathan finished 14th at the West Regionals last year and as he was being introduced as the 3rd seed, he heard about his sister qualifying. Both Nathan and Kandra were excited to be making the trip together.
For California runners the cross country season is long and the day was not without it's disappointments. Runners from the southern section usually run up to 7 weeks straight during the championship season and if they run the Mt. Sac Invitational they could be on the difficult Mt. Sac course 3 times before running at Footlocker West Regionals. It may be why Simi Valley super freshman Sarah Baxter decided to call it quits after her big win at the California State meet giving up both her spot at Nike Cross Nationals and an attempt at Footlocker Nationals. Alli Billmeyer, who finished 4th overall at the California State Meet, became ill during the week and although she was in 11th place coming down Reservoir Hill she was unable to hold it and slipped back several places. There are similar stories throughout the west as the best runners did what they could to win a top ten spot.
With only a week to rest for Nationals, the top ten at Footlocker West will give it all they have as they head to San Diego. Good luck WEST!!
Listed below are the top 24 runners in each seeded race. Click on their name to see their profile.
Girls All West 1st Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 1. Julie Nacouzi | 12 | CA | 18:09 |
| 2. Molly Grabill | 12 | CA | 18:15 |
| 3. Maddie Meyers | 11 | WA | 18:18 |
| 4. Clare Carroll | 9 | CA | 18:22 |
| 5. Carrie Verdon | 11 | CA | 18:22 |
| 6. Kendra Weitz | 10 | WA | 18:23 |
| 7. Catrina McAlister | 12 | CA | 18:27 |
| 8. Anna Maxwell | 9 | CA | 18:31 |
Girls All West 2nd Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 9. Julia Foster | 12 | NM | 18:31 |
| 10. Susanna Hurst | 12 | UT | 18:32 |
| 11. Grace Orders | 12 | CA | 18:34 |
| 12. Meghan Breadmore | 12 | CA | 18:47 |
| 13. Hannah Valenzuela | 12 | CA | 18:47 |
| 14. Adriana Olivas | 11 | CA | 18:48 |
| 15. Erin Hegarty | 12 | WA | 18:51 |
| 16. Rolonda Jumbo | 11 | Az | 18:53 |
Girls All West 3rd Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 17. Xochitl Navarrete | 11 | CA | 19:01 |
| 18. Kaycee Holcomb | 12 | CA | 19:01 |
| 19. Chandler Olson | 10 | WA | 19:03 |
| 20. Katie Fry | 12 | CA | 19:08 |
| 21. Summer Harper | 10 | UT | 19:11 |
| 22. Melissa Fairchild | 9 | CA | 19:12 |
| 23. Megan Huebner | 9 | CA | 19:12 |
| 24. Annie Mooney | 12 | CA | 19:13 |
Boys All West 1st Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 1. Billy Orman | 12 | AZ | 15:28 |
| 2. Andrew Gardner | 10 | WA | 15:35 |
| 3. Jantzn Oshier | 12 | CA | 15:38 |
| 4. Matt Carpowich | 12 | CA | 15:44 |
| 5. Nathan Weitz | 11 | WA | 15:45 |
| 6. Darren Fahy | 11 | CA | 15:49 |
| 7. Daniel Milechman | 12 | CA | 15:50 |
| 8. Dallin Taylor | 12 | UT | 15:51 |
Boys All West 2nd Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 9. Christopher Kigar | 12 | CA | 15:52 |
| 10. Sergey Sushchikh | 12 | CA | 15:54 |
| 11. Matthew Melancon | 12 | OR | 15:57 |
| 12. Kevin Barnard | 12 | CA | 15:59 |
| 13. Jeff Bickert | 12 | CA | 16:02 |
| 14. Margarito Martinez | 12 | HI | 16:07 |
| 15. Luis Gutierrez | 11 | CA | 16:10 |
| 16. Brandon Pugh | 11 | CA | 16:12 |
Boys All West 3rd Team
| Name | Grade | State | Time |
| 17. Cameron Barela | 12 | CA | 16:13 |
| 18. Ian Burgess | 12 | OR | 16:13 |
| 19. Steven Morrin | 12 | UT | 16:14 |
| 20. Will Geiken | 12 | CA | 16:15 |
| 21. Tyson Lambert | 12 | UT | 16:16 |
| 22. Michael Gauger | 12 | CA | 16:17 |
| 23. Luis Luna | 11 | CA | 16:20 |
| 24. Trevor Halsted | 12 | CA | 16:20 |