Have not really followed footlocker hs championships much. How many past footlocker winners have gone on to be NCAA individual champion (or top US runner)? I know that some the recent footlocker champs. (ie. Goucher, Torres & Ritz) have won the NCAAs. Have other schools besides Colorado had this kind of success in not screwing up footlocker champions at the college level?
Not sure how they all did at NCAAs, but here is a list of the Kinney/Footlocker winners. Maybe someone else can help you with NCAA results.
BOYS
2002
Chris Solinsky
2001
Timothy Moore
2000
Dathan Ritzenhein
1999
Dathan Ritzenhein
1998
Jorge Torres
1997
Abdirizak Mohamud
1996
Abdirizak Mohamud
1995
Abdul Alzindani
1994
Matt Downin
1993
Adam Goucher
1992
Brendan Heffernan
1991
Corey Ihmels
1990
Louis Quintana
1989
Bryan Dameworth
1988
Brian Grosso
1987
Bob Kennedy
1986
Marc Davis
1985
Reubin Reina
1984
Scott Fry
1983
Matt Giusto
1982
Eric Reynolds
1981
Charles Alexander
1980
Jay Marden
1979
Brent Steiner
GIRLS
2002
Zoe Nelson
2001
Amber Trotter
2000
Sara Bei
1999
Victoria Chang
1998
Erin Sullivan
1997
Erin Sullivan
1996
Kristen Gordon
1995
Kim Mortensen
1994
Julia Stamps
1993
Erin Davis
1992
Amanda White
1991
Liz Mueller
1990
Melody Fairchild
1989
Melody Fairchild
1988
Celeste Susnis
1987
Kira Jorgensen
1986
Erin Keogh
1985
Erin Keogh
1984
Cathy Schiro
1983
Janet Smith
1982
Christine Curtin
1981
Connie Robinson
1980
Ceci Hopp
1979
Ellen Lyons
bob kennedy won ncaas at least once
sjsncat wrote:
Have not really followed footlocker hs championships much. How many past footlocker winners have gone on to be NCAA individual champion (or top US runner)? I know that some the recent footlocker champs. (ie. Goucher, Torres & Ritz) have won the NCAAs. Have other schools besides Colorado had this kind of success in not screwing up footlocker champions at the college level?
The only other footlocker winner who won NCAA's was Kennedy twice.
I don't know about top US. Most of those who won Footlocker had enough trouble getting towards the front. Downin was pretty high up (4th) the year Goucher won I seem to recall.
downin was 4th the next year (99) at indiana, which was his 5th year.. 2 fourth place finishes is nice..
The girls have had a lot less success, it seems. I wonder why that is!
fairchild won the 3000 indoors, marc davis won the steeple, reina was the nat'l xc champ (usatf), giusto was the usatf 5000m winner...not ncaa xc, but still notable
and schiro made the olympic marathon team
Cathy Schiro became Cathy O'Brien and was a world class marathoner; Ceci Hopp became Ceci St. Geme and was a world class track runner. Liz Mueller quit running competively and became a professional boxer and has since retired. On the men's side, clearly Kennedy has put up the best resume, but others (Marc Davis, Ritz, Goucher, etc.) have shown a lot of post H.S. success.
don't think i would consider st.geme to be world class...certainly nat'l class at one time
I stand corrected......she made a comeback after having a few kids and got back to running national class times. Looking back, the thread was supposed to be about how Footlocker champs did in college. I should have read closer.
As all runners who transition from high school to college cross know, the difference between 5k in high school and 10k in college has a big effect on some runners. Speed guys who excel in the mile and can gut out a 5k have much more trouble at 10k, especially early in their college careers. The strength based guys have a big advantage. I would have said the other big change from high school to NCAA is international competition in college, but looking at the FL list there are several winners who were exchange students or new Americans.
Your question is not a very valid one, because you imply that a Footlocker champ should be the top-American at least at NCAA's when they get there. There are a lot of factors that make this not a valid premise.
Without listing the reasons, let's look at this brief 25 year Honor Roll and see how they turned out
BOYS
2002 Chris Solinsky - top frosh this year, outstanding so far
2001 Timothy Moore - solid college career so far
2000 Dathan Ritzenhein - On his way to the best record in XC since Pre and Lindgren
1999 Dathan Ritzenhein - see above
1998 Jorge Torres - ~54, 3, 2, 1 - says it all
1997 Abdirizak Mohamud - he won during a down period, but I don't think he has put his best effort into running in a long time.
1996 Abdirizak Mohamud
1995 Abdul Alzindani - Ran at NC State I believe, solid results. Don't know if he ever did anything worthy of a FL winner, but he did run in NCAA's.
1994 Matt Downin - XC stud at Wisco. I think he was top-5 twice and top American once.
1993 Adam Goucher - 2nd as a frosh. 1st as a senior.
1992 Brendan Heffernan - I have no idea.
1991
Corey Ihmels - I have no idea. Anyone?
1990
Louis Quintana - dominated in HS. Don't know many stats from college. He did run 13:53 in college and have some good results, but it even surprised him when he didn't have the same type of success in college.
1989
Bryan Dameworth - I don't know. Anyone?
1988
Brian Grosso - Grosso was amazing in HS. Ran a bunch of sub-9:00 3200's at a time when this was rare and had been rare since Scott Fry and Eric Reynolds. Many stories about this cat. I have one from a recruiting trip. I don't know how well he represented in college. I believe he went to Arizona with Davis. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
1987
Bob Kennedy - don't need to say it.
1986
Marc Davis - stud in college. Ran a 13:32 as a sophomore and was No. 9 collegian all time. Steeple champ too.
1985
Reuben Reina - stud at Ark. He may have made it to top US guy at NCAA if he didn't run on the same team at the same time as Falcon.
1984
Scott Fry - stud at Wisco. Was on two National Champ teams at Wicco. i don't know what he did individually. He ran at least 13:49 at 5k.
1983
Matt Giusto - 3rd in 1986 NCAA XC. 1st in 1988 5000m. Multi-time National Champ at 5k after college.
1982
Eric Reynolds - Never made the impact in college that he did in HS. Attended UCLA.
1981
Charles Alexander - i have no idea.
1980
Jay Marden - I think he went 28:00 as an open runner in 1988. Don't know what he did in college. Before my time.
1979
Brent Steiner - KU? Anyone?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
So there you have it. There are about 14 out of 22 unquestionable success stories post-HS. And several flops, for many different reasons. Several of them I don't have info on, and they may have had strong college careers too, i don't know.
But it is wrong to say that only Ritz, Torres and Goucher lived up to expectations.
michigan is represented well in the fl champ list (ritz, moore, abdul azadani, and grosso atleast)
14-flat-PR wrote:1997 Abdirizak Mohamud - he won during a down period, but I don't think he has put his best effort into running in a long time.
1996 Abdirizak Mohamud
I did a google search for Abdirizak Mohamud. He went from winning FL twice to not finishing the NAIA nationals 800 final in 99. If this is the same guy then I say he hasn't put his best effort into running in a long time is an understatement,
Thomas
Quintana was in the top 5 back in 1992 when Kennedy won. At the time he was a soph. That is pretty good.
To fill in the gaps from above from what I remember:
Alzindani: made XC All-American
Heffernan: solid performer for good Georgetown teams, but nothing spectacular
Quintana: 4th behind Kennedy as a soph, maybe top 20 as a junior and senior. Saw him run in 2nd behind Keino for most of race in '94 before dying at end. Semi-legendary 13:53 in blistering heat one year at Big East.
Dameworth: went to Wisconsin, solid but unspectacular
Grosso: if I remember, was really good early on and then quit.
Fry: 5th at XC one year, ran in 13:30's I think.
1991 Corey Ihmels - I have no idea. Anyone? >>
Corey Ihmels went to Iowa State, he was a sub-4 minute miler in an injury plagued career. He was also on an NCAA championship team but I'm not sure how high he finished in NCAA's. He's presently coaching at ISU.
Brent Steiner started his college career at Arizona State under Len Miller...he placed 3rd in the Pac 10 meet as a FR when the Pac 10 was filled with kenyans...then Arizona State got charged with recruiting violations as Len Miller brought Steve Scott with him on a recruiting trip and Steve went on a well documented run with both Steiner and Steve Smith, who also went to Arizona State...true to form the NCAA came down on the athletes and both of them had to transfer and I believe both of them had to lose a year of eligiblity...Brent went to Kansas University and Steve went to Kansas State...Brent was one of the toughest runners I have ever seen...I saw him almost lose his life in the big 8 10K championships where it was really hot and 5 yarads from the finish he was so disoriented he started going the other way...they rushed him into the locker rooms and packed him in ice and got him to a hospital where he was dehydrated...after an over night stay he ws okay but it was quite scary...the next year Brent placed 7th at the NCAA cross country meet the year Ed Eyestone won...Steve had a solid career at Kansas State but was never an All-American...Brent was injuried plauged so he was on the bike a lot which led to a very nice career as well as a duatlete where I believe he was ranked in the top 10 in the world...
A common thread among those who did not excel quite the same in college is injuries. It appears, though, that pretty much all of them gave it a shot in college, and those who were able to stay healthy had good careers.