FL/Champs is always where the best plan on attending. "NXN qualifier" has never carried the same prestige as FL qualifier. That isnt changing anytime soon.
Why diminish the accomplishments of highschool kids?
Because it gave him a little feeling of power that is probably lacking in his day to day life.
He got to take a shot at high school kids who have accomplished something he never did, and people who have built and sustained an event that he never could build.
We need to read some of the posts on here and ask ourselves, "Did a truly successful, accomplished, self-actualized, happy person post this?" Way too often the answer is an emphatic no.
unfortunately that reflects the majority of new threads on this site. so OP was just trying to fit into the herd of bitter unaccomplished individuals trying to bring everyone else closer to their level by attempting to anonymously dismiss these kids legitimate accomplishments even if that means obviously lying or making things up out of whole cloth. they dont care. they feel just speaking it to the universe makes it in some measure real no matter how badly they are refuted in the comment section. plus they know that losers just like them will pile on and echo their nonsense. thats the business model this site runs on after all..
The AAU has been around since 1888. Did it always have youth and masters sports? Or did that come about as a response to the start up of various sports governing bodies such as T.A.C (ie: USATF)?
I’ll be live-streaming it, including all of the commentary before the races. Anyone who dismisses it is either clueless or bitter about something. IMO.
The races are always highly competitive, and as others have already stated, winners (and other entrants) have often historically gone on to even far greater achievements.
FL/Champs is always where the best plan on attending. "NXN qualifier" has never carried the same prestige as FL qualifier. That isnt changing anytime soon.
I’m not sure if Leo, Lex, Aaron, Simmons, Gorze, Heidesch and Brown would agree with you.
The AAU has been around since 1888. Did it always have youth and masters sports? Or did that come about as a response to the start up of various sports governing bodies such as T.A.C (ie: USATF)?
The AAU still holds a youth XC Championship.
Alan
The AAU National Meets in the 80s were often used as a springboard to the Kinney/Footlocker finals. Why not? Some of these states had earlier state meets so they were a good tuneup. When there were less national meets and Kinney/Footlocker only took the top 8 at their regions, the AAU nationals were very competitive. Familiar names from the K/FL finals littered the results and VERY OFTEN, you would find the names of runners who finished 9th - 30th at the K/FL regionals ahead of them at AAU Nationals. There were less options back then so it was indeed concentrated and boy they were good times. There was also the USATF (was still TAC at that time) Junior Olympics, but they had their nationals a bit later in the year so it was not as popular.
I'm not sure what the debate is about, and ya'll need to know your history before shootin' your mouth off. It also would help if some of you competed in any of these meets so as to lend some kind of intelligent opinion.
Kinney/Footlocker Cross Country Championships is the original and first recognized true national prep championship in ANY sport. Any prep athlete could sign up and compete in one of the 4 regional qualifiers where the Top 8 qualified for the national finals in San Diego at Balboa Park. The first meet in 1979 was not held on the same course as it is now, 1980 was the inaugural race. The meet detoured for a couple years in the early 80's in Florida and then moved back to San Diego where it's been ever since. The weather and course were overwhelmingly a huge success from 99.9% of the athletes and coaches. The organization of the meet since day one (1979) was and is second to none. When Footlocker took over the title sponsor Nike soon thereafter stepped in and tried to take over. Footlocker refused, and Nike (being the bully on the block) got butt hurt and said "Fine, we'll just host our own national meet (NXN) on the SAME weekend", and, "we'll add a team component in addition to showering the kids with Nike swag", (This is an exact quote from a former Nike executive). Due to overwhelming push back from coaches and athletes, Nike pushed their meet back one week, and athletes began to compete in both.
The bottom line is that Kinney, Footlocker, East Bay, Champs, are run on the same course year after year, and the list of athlete's who have run and gone on to successful collegiate and professional careers is staggering. Also, for athletes to compare times from 42 years ago is awesome. It is the SAME course!, and the time standards of 15:00 minutes for boys and 17:15 or so for girls is still the standard today of elite performances.
Not disrespecting any of the other meets being run today, good for them, but you have to respect the history and prestige of the Balboa Park course and those who have run it.
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