Predictions for 2011 Footlocker High School National Championsips aka (The Olympics of U.S. High School Cross Country) ?

It sucks.

Usually predicatble outcomes don't happen at FLN.

Dont miss FLN, guys wrote:

Usually predicatble outcomes don't happen at FLN.

Except for the last two years...

Great to have an Asian-American footlocker winner. Asians-Americans are especially proud of young Lukas !

High schools teams are really only of parochial interest. NxN is a marketing event and is popular because they give so much away to the participants. I see absolutely nothing of real interest in it as the good teams are a matter of chance of where enough good runners just happen live.

College, with a much different environment and a real life and real school is vastly different and of much greater interest because people care about the school. Face it, probably a hundred times as many people are interested in what Colorado or Wisconsin does as are really interested in what CBA (whatever that is, which is my point) does.

Notty wrote:

The NXN course is weak, gimmicky, and contrived. A cheap sales trick. Exactly what you expect from a nowhere place.

Hey! I agree with your assessment of the course and the event, but don't blame that on Portland!!!! That's all Nike's doing, not the city's. They could have found a real place to hold it, but Nike decided on the race track. That's not our fault.

FWIW, I enjoyed FL much better and I've attended both.

Footlocker Natls is world famous

Problem is there are awesome places to run in Portland. The Lief Erickson trails are awesome. I am sure you could make an awesome course somewhere there in the Columbia Gorge or Mt. Hood area. Hood River High used to run their races on a gold course there with Mt. hood as the back drop. It could be epic if they think outside of the box.

Footlocker is king and always will be. a lot of history. Its a shame that NXN tried to make it an individual thing, the team format would have worked. I remember one year they were recruiting people at the CA state meet as they walked through the finish chute. Most picked West Regionals over a guaranteed shot at NXN which I think says a lot.

That said, if my TEAM has a shot at NXN that is where we will go. Keep it that way and quit squabbling.

High school is a busy time and all. Graduating and venturing out from home is one of the major crossroads of life. Cheserek has chosen to run Foot Locker only.

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boyscrosscountry/index.ssf/2011/11/edward_cheserek_makes_it_official_no_1_runner_in_the_nation_picks_foot_locker.html

Totally UP IN THE AIR wrote:

Predictions for 2011 Footlocker High School National Championsips aka (The Olympics of U.S. High Scool Cross Country) ?

Back to the topic of predictions-

Molly Seidel FTW! On Wisconsin!

Get rid of the frumpy shorts and kits. Fugly.

26mi235 wrote:

High schools teams are really only of parochial interest. NxN is a marketing event and is popular because they give so much away to the participants. I see absolutely nothing of real interest in it as the good teams are a matter of chance of where enough good runners just happen live.

College, with a much different environment and a real life and real school is vastly different and of much greater interest because people care about the school. Face it, probably a hundred times as many people are interested in what Colorado or Wisconsin does as are really interested in what CBA (whatever that is, which is my point) does.

I'm a long-time high school coach who has been fortunate to have athletes run at both events. Here are some of my thoughts:

First to 26mi: Both events basically give out the same amount of gear, so that's a worthless argument and both Foot Locker and Nike do plenty of marketing at their events. Second, I realize as I a HS coach my opinion is biased, but I disagree about your assessment of good high school teams. Programs that are able to compete at the highest levels are doing much more than simply having the most talented kids living nearby. Certainly talent is important, but there is so much more to programs like North Central (WA), York (IL), Woodlands (TX), etc. Plus, you could make the same argument about college XC: the schools with the most talent do well nationally. I have a hard time understanding the difference. If anything, there is more coaching/developing done at the HS level. Have you noticed how few institutions have won NCAA cross titles? At both the HS and college levels, not everyone is on the same playing field. There are some amazing HS coaches who will never have the talent or situation (ie, school/town is too small) to have a NXN-caliber team, but you can say the same thing about any number of colleges. Do you think Wetmore would be just as successful if he had stayed at Seton Hall? I'm sorry, but HS is about as "real life" as you'll get when it comes to sports. I recognize that interest in college XC is MUCH greater, but I disagree with the reasons.

With regards to the 2 events:

Foot Locker is unbelievable. From a limo ride to the Hotel Del to a small, very elite field of athletes. FL gives those athletes a taste of what it's like to be a big-time pro track athlete. Kudos to FL for providing a first-class experience.

I've always thought the team aspect of XC was as important as the individual winner, so I'm equally a fan of NXN. Nike provides a FL-like experience for 40 teams. Incredible investment on their part.

Ideally, I wish both events could co-exist. FL remains the race to determine the individual champion and NXN determines the best HS team. There are rumors that Nike asked FL to add a team component and continue as the Foot Locker National Championships and FL declined. Whether it's true or not, I don't blame FL for wanting to continue as is, but I also don't blame Nike for trying to make a national championship event for both teams and individuals.

Finally, regarding the NXN course. I think it is unfairly ridiculed ("weak, gimmicky, and contrived"). Personally, I'd prefer a Kenosha-type course (FL MW region), with real hills, chance of nasty weather, etc., but I certainly don't think the Nike course is "fake." Jumping over hay bales (or logs) has been a part of XC forever. The "hills" at Portland Meadows are "different," but so what. They add an element to a flat course. The hills of Central Park are man-made - does it take away from racing through the park?

The Choice wrote:

High school is a busy time and all. Graduating and venturing out from home is one of the major crossroads of life. Cheserek has chosen to run Foot Locker only.

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boyscrosscountry/index.ssf/2011/11/edward_cheserek_makes_it_official_no_1_runner_in_the_nation_picks_foot_locker.html

Not sure if you meant "only" the way I am taking it but he does not have the opportunity to run both because NXN and Foot Locker qualifiers are on the same day.

Wow!!! A battle for the ages among 20+ year old East Africans. This is just what American high school running needs.

Track n Field Fan wrote:

Wow!!! A battle for the ages among 20+ year old East Africans. This is just what American high school running needs.

I'm 99% sure that Futsum = Nef. Both Eritreans from Indianapolis who allegedly moved to the US in middle school and didn't run before arriving. I've never seen both of them in the same place... and I haven't heard anything from Nef since he graduated.

Conclusion: Nef went back to school as a "freshman" at a different high school in Indianapolis (so his teachers wouldn't recognize him) to run high school cross country again.

"5000m" Thank you for honoring me with a very coherent and knowledgeable reply. You clearly know the high school scene better than I do (it has been a LONG time and there was nothing like the net/LetsRun/FloTrack/MileSplit when I was in high school.

Your commentary alters my opinion in some regards, including how much XC is a team event. However, my thinking is about the interest in a team high school XC event. Almost no one in the general 'audience' has any particularly close tie to almost any of the schools competing in NXN, unlike collegiate XC, where the interest in colleges is much greater because they are home for many more people than for high schools, plus they have strong fans who never went to that school (for instance Zimmer, who donated the biggest chunk of money for the Wisconsin course, did not go to UW-Madison but to one of the satellite campuses).

When I see people discuss the event, they mainly do so in terms of how some individual did with little reference to the team/school, which sort of leaves it as not so much of a team event.

Again, thanks for your commentary, it could serve for a model to many posters how to win friends and influence people while making your point and affecting the opinions of people that read/post here. And, good luck on the conclusion of your season if it is still on-going (up here we are done for the year).

Track n Field Fan wrote:

Wow!!! A battle for the ages among 20+ year old East Africans. This is just what American high school running needs.

Not convinced that this will be a battle for the ages... I suspect that Cheserek will win pretty handily.

Hulk wrote:

Not convinced that this will be a battle for the ages... I suspect that Cheserek will win pretty handily.

I suspect you're underestimating Futsum.

tony smoragiewicz

Michael Clevenger

These two guys could be very dangerous.

Also look out for...

Tre'tez Kinnaird

Jacob Burcham

Andrew Gardner