Foot Locker/NXN

Fernandez

Rupp

Jim Rosa

Gedyon

Joe Rosa

Lutz

Billy Mills

Some of them -

Edward Cheserek

Futsum Zeinasellassie

Tony Smoragiewicz

Andrew Gardner (didn't see his name much from outdoor track - injury?)

Ahmed Bile

Darren Fahy

Jacob Burcham

I could imagine an East African immigrant predominance in the top 5 at Foot Locker this year, but who knows? Cheserek ran NXN last year but I think I remember reading somewhere that he would consider doing FL this year? If he runs FL I think he has a good shot at winning it. Otherwise Futsum should be the strongest returner.

As a PA runner, i think Dustin Wilson could be pretty high up there

9:02 - 3200m

15:01 - 5000m

maybe not top 15 but should be a finalist

on the girls side

Sara Sargent & Tori Gerlach should both be finalist (from PA)

Sargent was 21 at FL Finals as a frosh had an off soph year,

Tori has run 17:11 & 9:40 3k

Only FL matters. The other race is a joke.

I have a kid on my team who would be a likely finalist in either race (FL or NXN). She was pretty open as to which one to run in, but after watching the videos of each race she said she was definately doing FL. Her reason was the ridiculous course and conditions for NXN. Why on earth do they intentionally make it very muddy and add silly dipsy do's and jumps. That isn't running, that is an obstacle course.

250 kids rounding a curve meant for 15. the stupid idiots at nike world headquaters bejing should be supoenaed before OSHA for an explanation !

NJ will be pretty strong. Some of the top runners will be Cheserek, Steven Lewandowski, Blake Udland, Patrick Rono, and George Kelly. I don't know what Cheserek and Lewandowski would choose. Udland will probably choose FL because his brother was a two time FL finalist. Rono chose FL last year, so he will probably choose that again. George Kelly will choose NXN because he runs for CBA.

and on the girls side I am going to have to say that its going to be between Sarah Baxter (16:57 XC 5k, 10:14) and Kayla Beattie (9:56).

how about Wesley Frazier

16:22 5k and 10:10 3200 this spring on the track and 2 time FL finalist

Is NXN in Orlando this year???????????????????

A joke wrote:

Only FL matters. The other race is a joke.

QFE

/thread

mathias wrote:

and on the girls side I am going to have to say that its going to be between Sarah Baxter (16:57 XC 5k, 10:14) and Kayla Beattie (9:56).

lol

US women rock wrote:

I have a kid on my team who would be a likely finalist in either race (FL or NXN). She was pretty open as to which one to run in, but after watching the videos of each race she said she was definately doing FL. Her reason was the ridiculous course and conditions for NXN. Why on earth do they intentionally make it very muddy and add silly dipsy do's and jumps. That isn't running, that is an obstacle course.

Portland Meadows is not an obstacle course. It's not perfect by any means, but it also gets unfairly bashed. Why is everyone so afraid of mud? Back in 2004, Nike said they wanted a "European-style" course (ie, mud). I've had athletes experience both meets and in each case the experience was highly positive, including the courses.

The back and forth bickering about the 2 meets gets old and the anti-Nike people seem to be the biggest whiners of all. "It's too cold, it's too muddy..." You know what, the Africans dominate World Cross in mud, snow, or dry courses. They dominate in cold and hot weather. In other words, the best runners run well regardless of the conditions.

NXN has no open process, no transparency, no fairness. NXN is run by people who don't live in the U.S. nor speak the English language. At least Footlocker is run by Americans.

XC should be tough wrote:

Portland Meadows is not an obstacle course. It's not perfect by any means, but it also gets unfairly bashed. Why is everyone so afraid of mud? Back in 2004, Nike said they wanted a "European-style" course (ie, mud). I've had athletes experience both meets and in each case the experience was highly positive, including the courses.

The back and forth bickering about the 2 meets gets old and the anti-Nike people seem to be the biggest whiners of all. "It's too cold, it's too muddy..." You know what, the Africans dominate World Cross in mud, snow, or dry courses. They dominate in cold and hot weather. In other words, the best runners run well regardless of the conditions.

Except for the fact that this is billed as a national high school championship yet the course set-up at Nike is unlinke any other state high school meet.

I like Nike products. I wear their shoes and so do many of my athletes. We are not anti-Nike. We are pro-nike.

But we fail to see why you would hold a national high school championship in a sport and make it unlike what the athletes experience the remainder fo their season.

THe athlete who is best under the normal high cshool XC conditions may not be the best under a Nike mudfest dipsy do contest. Similarly Haile Geb never was dominate on XC like he was on the track. So your statement "the best runners run well regardless of the conditions" sounds nice but isn't relevant.

All the Nike race determines is who is the best mudder.

a shoe faire is not a race. NXN is a misnomer. a big charade. a staged fake show. NOT a championships.

500 at the 1st turn wrote:

a shoe faire is not a race. NXN is a misnomer. a big charade. a staged fake show. NOT a championships.

This statement is such crap.

You hate Nike, that's fine, but shut up about the race. it is a great experience for the kids, promotes the best teams and programs, obviously you either run at or coach a lousy program and have never nor will you ever experience it.

I have taken kids to both and NXN is by far the better expereience both for the runner and the program. Yes, Coronado is nice, but that ain't XC, just a glorified vacation.

fast wrote:

NJ will be pretty strong. Some of the top runners will be Cheserek, Steven Lewandowski, Blake Udland, Patrick Rono, and George Kelly. I don't know what Cheserek and Lewandowski would choose. Udland will probably choose FL because his brother was a two time FL finalist. Rono chose FL last year, so he will probably choose that again. George Kelly will choose NXN because he runs for CBA.

Patrick Rono will be looking to help Arkansas make the NCAA meet - he has graduated a year early and signed with Arkansas.

Under NJ rules he would have been too old to compete

Damn Outsiders wrote:

NXN has no open process, no transparency, no fairness. NXN is run by people who don't live in the U.S. nor speak the English language. At least Footlocker is run by Americans.

lol. three trolls in the first 17 posts, good job letsrun!