2013 Footlocker National Thread

Wilmot will not win against a fresh field. Second for Templeton. He's come on at the right time.

1. Joe Hardy 12 14:55
2. Aaron Templeton 12 14:57
3. Matthew Maton 11 14:59
4. John Dressel 11 15:06
5. Grant Fisher 11 15:10
6. Mickey Burke 12 15:13
7. Elijah Armstrong11 15:14
8. Conner Mantz 11 15:17
9. Louis Colson 12 15:26
10.Levi Thomet 11 15:29

I have seen the future. And the junior class is incredible.

How would you rate the difficulty of Balboa Park compared to the Foot Locker Regional races?

Will some runners do better with having to hit the hill twice?

Grant Fisher will win.

---

Balboa Park wrote:

How would you rate the difficulty of Balboa Park compared to the Foot Locker Regional races?

Will some runners do better with having to hit the hill twice?

---

Agreed.

---

B1G10Beauty wrote:

Grant Fisher will win.

---

Uhhh, no. FLMW is slower than Balboa, with the weather likely playing a factor. There are a lot of hills, and it can be cold as sh1t. I'm going mainly by historical results for FL champions and top 5-10 finishers from the midwest. Balboa yields faster times.

---

watchout wrote:

---

Balboa Park wrote:

How would you rate the difficulty of Balboa Park compared to the Foot Locker Regional races?

Will some runners do better with having to hit the hill twice?

---

IMO -

Faster than FLW and FLNE
Slower than FLMW
MUCH slower than FLS.

---

A reasonable projection, Prophet. I have seen Templeton race, though, and I think he is probably the best in the field. He ran 8:54 for 3200 not long ago, and he runs better on hilly courses than on a flat track.

That could very well be. Mainly the reason I picked Hardy is because he has the ability to run in the mid to high 14s like Templeton, and also has a really good kick. I think it could be any of the top 3 or so.

I don't know that Aaron can kick like an 800 runner or a miler, but he does have better wheels than he used to have. He finished that 8:54 with a 31 last 200 but didn't appear to be straining for every last second. Of course, with a great runner, you often can't tell whether they're straining, you know?

It's correct to say that he's best on rolling courses. He ran incredibly at his Region meet on a rolling/hilly course, destroying the CR by quite a bit and running under 15:20 while winning by quite a bit. Same thing at our state meet.

That said, it's a pretty evenly matched field at the top--maybe through 6-8 guys. I've got Aaron FTW, but it's not going to come easy.

---

prophet11 wrote:

1. Joe Hardy 12 14:55
2. Aaron Templeton 12 14:57
3. Matthew Maton 11 14:59
4. John Dressel 11 15:06
5. Grant Fisher 11 15:10
6. Mickey Burke 12 15:13
7. Elijah Armstrong11 15:14
8. Conner Mantz 11 15:17
9. Louis Colson 12 15:26
10.Levi Thomet 11 15:29

I have seen the future. And the junior class is incredible.

---

Maton is a junior...

Interesting that some of these favorites are going to lesser schools.

That is how "lesser" schools become just as good.

Too many good kids in the country and they shouldn't feel they have to walk-on or take some BS amount of aid.

Big schools suck.

Two Ivies and a strong Southern private school are "lesser?!"

Than what?

Can we just clear something up? Matthew Maton is a junior as far as I can tell. I don't think he's going to college a year early.

Hardy was 10th in his regional. I don't think he's going to win.

Templeton FTW. Though Fisher and Maton could give him a run.

Results were misleading. Hardy had the lead at one point, before deciding the victory wasn't going to easy to do at a relaxed effort, and then relaxed. He jogged the last straightaway and was smiling and shaking other runners' hands. To get a better idea of how good he is, consider ~8:50 as a junior and a 14:44 5k this year on a course slower than FL South. He also has a very good kick. As much a favorite as Templeton, if not more so.

---

A HSer wrote:

Hardy was 10th in his regional. I don't think he's going to win.

Templeton FTW. Though Fisher and Maton could give him a run.

---