Footlocker predictions

Hedengren has to choose between NXN and Footlocker West. They are on the same day. If for some reason she doesn’t run or doesn’t qualify at NXR SW, I have to think she would consider Footlocker if she is healthy enough to go.

Of course in the new NIL era we might start seeing athletes pick a race (or skip) based on what their sponsor tells them to do.

Hedengren is part of the Nike Elite Program and while it doesn't 100% guarantee she'll go the NXR/NXN path, it certainly doesn't hurt. And all of the top kids are still going to do NXN, but more will consider doing the double and running Foot Locker, too.

HOKA supporting Foot Locker is big for the event, for sure.

I'd really like to see some journalist look into the state of the Footlocker meet in recent years, including the rationale behind all the branding changes (and reversals) and whatnot. I don't know what journalist that would be, though. I doubt the LetsRun crew would go that deeply into high school stuff, and the Milesplit or Dyestat people don't often do that kind of journalism.

She probably will. Her team is definitely not good enough to make it to NXN. Last year she gave up the NXN solo invite (as #2 individual in CA) to run Runninglane so she could run with her team.

So probably the team runs West regionals and then she runs Footlocker alone.

The branding problem is just the named the sponsor struggling to figure out what makes sense. Footlocker is the name we know, but it isn’t where runner’s normally buy shoes so it isn’t a great fit from the marketing perspective.

Grant Fisher wins back to back titles in 2013 and 2014.

Ellie Shea is ranked number one and she is only doing Footlocker.

10 of the top 11 girls from the California state meet are going to NXN instead of Foot Locker. The only exception is Chiara Dailey, who is running Foot Locker because she lives in San Diego and practices on the Foot Locker course, which she believes gives her an advantage.

Also, some of the other top California girls like Payton Godsey and Ashlyn Boothby are injured and aren't running in either race.

It looks like the Foot Locker West region will be the weakest of the four regions again this year.

When do the west entries come out?

Usually very last minute. Probably only a day or two before the race.

Youll be happy to note current generation runner Logan St. John Kletter agrees with you about that. In fact she broke out her mothers old Kinney singlet that her mom wore to the "Kinney Cross Country National Championship" in 1991 and wore it to the Footlocker regionals in Boston last weekend and she got 4th and qualified. Such a cool story really. Running in an heirloom and a collectors item, inspired by her own mom. Hopefully she can pass that down to her daughter who will no doubt be running with it 20 years from now to qualify for whatever they will be calling it then.

Either she's timing her peak well or was inspired by the singlet, as she ran her best race of the season.

Ellie Shea entered in BU 3000 with a seed time of 8:59.5. They must think she is fit.

She just lost to Zariel at Footlocker Northeast, but 17:20 is a good time for Franklin park. They probably decided she needs an additional tune up prior to nationals which makes sense due to her opening her season so late.

What's the girls course record for Franklin Park?

well what a difference a week makes... Chiara Daily looking like the smartest of them all. the one Californian who turned down NXN and stayed home, clear of the cold muddy slog fest that proved to be the undoing of so many bright prospects up north this year and won easily in the Footlocker West Regionals against not too much competition on a course where she didnt have to run through a lake twice.

Both Leachman and Forsyth discovered that you cant run that race going full nitrous from the gun when conditions are terrible and youre running against so many other elite runners who can catch you when you die. Im curious how they approach Footlocker now. can they make an adjustment to something more steady and tactical or will they try to run the competition to death again since its been their only approach all year long? weather should be much nicer of course but its still a tough course. and Ive never seen either of them run any other way.

I'm rooting for Macchia. I coached her mom when she was in HS. Z has done some workouts with our team when she's in town visiting the granparents. The family are super people.

Englehardt ain’t racing, didn’t qualify.

This didn't age well.