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| 1998 XC |
1998 XC - Boys Rankings
John Molvar's list 11/19/98
by John Molvar, johnmolvar@hotmail.com
New Number One:
Andy Powell
John Molvar's new national boys rankings
move Stanford-bound Andy Powell from 10th to first off his smashing
course record 14:51 at the Massachusetts state meet.
Frank Sanchez, who set a short lived course record 15:01 earlier in the
day, moved up from 3rd to 2nd. (Bear in mind that the old course record was shared by a
pair of all-time New England luminaries: 2-time FootLocker champion Ab Mohamed and
Jonathan Riley.)
Maine's Louie Lucchini claims 3rd in the nation after his easy victory in the New England Championship. This sets up a terrific showdown in the Northeast regional FootLocker meet at Van Cortlandt park in New York November 28. Molvar is even thinking out loud that the New England trio could also go 1-2-3 at FootLocker finals in Orlando in December. Their task got easier when national 3200-meter champion Murad Campbell dropped out of the New Jersey championships with shin splints, the 3rd time this year he has suffered that fate.
So, are you listening out there in the Midwest? Former #1 Brian Turner of Nebraska and former #2 Jorge Torres, 14:00 winner of the talent-laden Illinois state meet for the 3rd straight time, did nothing wrong but slipped to 4th and 5th behind the New England heroes.
Could Molvar be a homer, or is he hitting a home run ?
From: John Molvar [johnmolvar@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 1998 10:09 AM
To: dye@dyestat.com
Subject: National HS Rankings Update
National High School XC Rankings (Updated 11/19)
Vin Lannana has been handed a bonus. When he recruited Andy Powell he knew he was getting a top track prospect since Powell as a junior had run the fastest times in the country in the mile (4.05 equivalent) and 2 mile (8.59) and he won the mile and the 2 mile at the indoor nationals on the same afternoon.
As far as cross country goes, Vin probably figured he was getting a project type of XC runner who with time and training might be able to occasionally be in the top 7 by the time he was an upperclassman. Despite Powell’s great success on the track, XC was always a struggle for him. At last year’s Mass state meet he tried to stay with Frank Sanchez and faded badly and was beaten by several runners that he would be lapping twice just a few weeks later in the indoor 2 mile. He beat Sanchez by half a lap in the state 2 mile race. At the Footlocker regional meet he literally had to crawl across the line to barely get the 8th and final qualifying spot.
At the Footlocker Final he ran the best XC race of his life finishing 20th. That is a place that most HS XC runners would die for but it paled in comparison to his feats on the track. Every time a reporter talked to him he always had to answer the annoying little question about XC. “What about XC? Do you think you will be able to do as well at XC as on the track?”
After last Saturday Andy Powell will never be asked that question again. Early in the day Frank Sanchez had won the division 4 MA state meet. He didn’t just win it, he demolished the field by over 1 minute and broke the 15.09 official course record held jointly by Ab Mohamed and Jon Riley and he had a lot left. His time was 15.01. Mohamed is of course the only 2 time Footlocker winner ever.
After that stunning performance and the ease with which he did it, no one in the large crowd could be located that would have given Powell a chance in a XC race against Sanchez. Inspired by Sanchez’s race Powell ran like a man possessed or at least a man determined to prove that he could be a great HS cross country runner. He blazed a 4.34 opening mile which was the fastest first mile ever recorded by a HS runner on the Franklin Park course. The previous best was a 4.40 run by Jessie Cody about 6 years ago. He tore up the famous Bear Cage Hill and hit 2 miles in 9.29 and was 9 seconds up on Sanchez’s pace. He already had at least a 300 yard lead on the rest of the field.
Sanchez’s record would last less than an hour as Powell glided in 14.51 for the second record of the day. Not only had he run almost 20 seconds faster than Mohamad’s official course record, he had won by over a minute and had a lot left. Andy Powell IS a cross country runner!
It would be inaccurate on my part to not point out that Mohamed ran in an open 8K race, with some of the best open runners in the country, on the same course and dropped out of the race per plan at the 5K mark and ran 14.42. I believe Powell and Sanchez both could have easily beat that time if they had competition and they went all out. As I said before they both had a lot left. Also keep in mind that both of Mohamed’s Footlocker wins were relatively easy wins.
I now believe Powell and Sanchez will go 1-2 in the Footlocker final. Later that same day Louis Luchinni of Maine easily won the New England (ex Mass) Meet. His time was less than 5 seconds behind Matt Downin’s and John Mortimer’s times on the same course in their record breaking senior years in which they finished 1-2 in the Footlocker Final. Luchinni ran this time without being pushed whereas Mortimer and Downin were battling each other all season.
What this means is that we may not only see a Mass 1-2 but a New England 1-2-3 with Powell, Sanchez and Luchinni. I would not rule out a win by either Brian Turner or Jorge Torres but the odds are now against both of them.
Last May, Powell had talked about going back to Illinois to visit relatives during the summer and he hoped to hook up with Torres for some training runs. The next time they run together at the Footlocker final it will be a completely different atmosphere than a leisurely summer training run.
Adding to the drama is the fact that Powell and Sanchez will go head to head for the first time this season on Saturday. Those 2 plus Luchinni will face off at the Footlocker NE region.
Murad Campbell had to drop out of the NJ state meet because of shin splints. This is the 3rd time this season he had to drop out and he is no longer considered a Footlocker contender.
Since I started doing these rankings I have been getting 30 e-mails a day. I
don’t have time to respond to them, but I always assess and factor in the information
provided. Here is a humorous side note. All season I have received numerous e-mails
telling me that Julio German did not belong on the list. I stood my ground and Julio won
the NY class meet. Way to go Julio!
Notes:
FF-place in last year’s Footlocker Final
MW,NE,S,W-place in last years Footlocker Region
all times have been converted to 800,mile and 2 mile times plus or minus 1 second
*-Junior
**-Soph
Banned-runs in a state in which our statist caretakers have determined it is bad and
dangerous to leave the state. I am including them anyways because they deserve to be
here even if they are not allowed to run in the Footlocker Final. Note that seniors
from PA probably will run the Footlocker since they will be banned but since their HS XC
career is over the ban is meaningless. Hopefully the fools won’t go after their
track eligibility.
1 Andy Powell, MA (20FF,8NE,8.59,4.05,1.53,51)
2 Frank Sanchez, MA (9.07)
3 Louie Lucchini, ME (11FF,3NE,9.08,4.18)
4 *Brian Turner, NE (25FF,3MW,4.10,9.25,1.53,49)
5 Jorge Torres, IL (2FF,9.12,4.22)
6 *Donnie Sage, IL (9.14,4.19,1.57) will not run Footlocker 7 Ed Torres, IL
(6FF,9.12,4.21)
8 Jason Hartmann, MI(4.14,9.14,1.55)
9 Chris Siemers, IL (10FF,5MW,9.26,4.23)
10 Dave Christian, KY (4.17,9.19,1.58)
11 Adam Tenforde WA (4.15,9.13)
12 Brian Godsey, OH
13 Brad Wilkins, NC (23FF,1S,4.12,9.18,1.58)
14 Andy Hill, CA (9.24)
15 Andy Janssen, IL (4.27)
16 *Josh Rohantinsky, UT (27FF,4W,9.11,4.28)
17 *Ryan Teising, IL (9.34)
18 *Moise Joseph, FL (4.17,9.30,1.52r)
19 Murad Campbell, NJ (9FF,2NE,9.03,4.16,1.54)
20 Dana Carne, NE (15.00 5000,4.17,9.31)
21 Dylan Welsh, NY (4.13,9.20,1.54)
22 Randy Arias, TX
23 *Matt McInvale, CA (9.22, 31.20 10K)
24 Mike Cropper, IL (9.36)
25 Marc Chandler CA (9.15,4.15,1.56)
26 *Dan Coval, PA (Banned,9.20)
27 Tommy Bonn, TX (4.14,9.25)
28 Neil Hanson, MN (4.18,1.56)
29 Al Leon, CA
30 Nick Magnum, NC
31 Joe Barnes, OH (7MW,13FF,9.20)
32 **Dathan Ritzenhein, MI (4.25,9.33)
33 Tom Parlapian, PA (Banned,9.07,4.23)
34 Jon Fasulo, NJ (9.24,4.28)
35 Ian Johnson, WA (4.25,9.36)
36 Dave Danley, UT
37 Ian Dobson, OR
38 Fernando Cabada, CA
39 Nathan Purcell, IL
40 Nate Miller, NJ (4.22,9.33)
41 Justin Willingham, CA (4.15,9.24)
42 E. Gerrits, WY (?)
43 **Nick Schnieder, MN (9.27)
44 Juan Reyes, AZ (9.22)
45 Sean Knapp, WA
46 *Noel Paulson, OR (9.26, 4.20, 1.57)
47 Derrick Wyatt ,SC (1.58,4.28)
48 *Jake Flynn, MI
49 Brad Bennett, IL, (4.26,9.31)
50 **Dave Vidal, MT (9.24,4.28)
51 Kevin O’Conner, CT (9.42)
52 Juan Ortega, IL (9.31)
53 Jared Aldrich, MI (15.12 5000,9.25,4.24)
54 Travis Stehman, MT (9.29,4.26)
55 *Ryan Fennelly, PA (Banned)
56 Brent Loberg, MN (9.11)
57 Scott Shaw, NY (9.31)
58 Ricky Bookshire, NC (9FS,4.27)
59 Josh Baker, NC (26FF,3S,4.26,9.40)
60 Dave Ulibarri, CA (4.22)
61 John Fawcett, TX(9.13,4.20)
62 Dan Sutton, WI
63 *Ren Provey, CT (4.19,9.44)
64 Brandon Lutz, NC
65 Shiloh Meike, NC
66 Eddie Acosta, FL (10S,9.46)
67 *Josh Spiker, CA (9.21)
68 Jason Finch (CA, 9.16,4.17)
69 Tom Becker, WA (9.15,4.18)
70 *Aaron Emery, NY
71 Javon Broderick, WA
72 *Kevin Clarey, MT (9.19)
73 Tim Curran, MA (9.39)
74 Jordan Desilets, ?
75 Dustin Duke, WA (4.15)
76 Levi Foust, PA
77 Stewart Kimball, MO (1.52,4.16,9.51)
78 **Arturo Garcia, CA (4.26)
79 Pat Boehm, MA, (4.26)
80 Neil Hango, ? (4.16)
81 Rob Cloutier, NY
82 Jim DeBruhl, CA (4.17)
83 Dameon Everhart, ?
84 Brian Astell, NH
85 Jed Barta, ID (14.58 5K,4.13,9.21)
86 *Julio German, NY (9.46st)
87 Ian McKissick, ?
88 Ethan Kearns, CT (9.31,15.27 5000)
89 Manny Thomas, NY
90 John Lucas, OR
91 Kris Martin, WA (1.53,4.18)
92 Brendan Mahoney, GA (1.52, 4.22)
93 *Steve Padgett, OH
94 Jared Scott, CO
95 Ben Evans, Michigan (4.21,9.35)
96 **Said Ahmedi, MA (1.55)
97 Ben Fletcher, ME (4.15,9.19,1.54)
98 Tyler McCabe, CT
99 Tim Styler, NJ
100 Kevin Galloway, WA(4.17, 1.56,9.32)
101 *Tristan Colangelo, MA (4.17)
102 Mike Kamm, WA (4.18,1.54,48r)
103 Devin Swann, KY (4.27,9.58)
104 Josh McAdams, OH
105 Pete Tollefson, MN
106 Rob Meyers, OH (1.56,4.20)
107 Ben Wessenyeleh, MA (9.26,4.28)
108 *Chris Andrews, CT (15.50 5000)
109 Pat Keller, OH (4.22,9.26)
110 Ian Dickinson, GA
111 Geoff Foley, NJ
112 Golden Harper, UT
113 Phil Laird, FL
114 Steve Hienjny, Co
115 Tommy Oliviero, ? (4.25,9.43)
116 Todd Witzleben, NY (9.25)
117 **Brian McGovern, CT (9.32)
118 107 Dave Dean, TN
119 Robbie Infante, FL
120 Dan Tebbano, NY (4.22,9.30)
121 Aaron Fisher, IN
122 *Jason Mueler, OH (4.20,9.23)
123 Brian Scully, NJ
124 Todd Henderson, NJ (9.26,4.22)
125 Vic Flores, CA
126 **Sean Jefferson, FL (9.32)
127 Andy Cook, TX (4.28,9.32)
128 Ryan Clark, OH
129 Shane Kelly, ? (4.25,9.41)
130 Aaron Tucker, KY (4.21,9.26, 1.57)
131 Dale Cocca, NY (4.30)
132 Jim Googe, Hawaii
133 Alex L’Hvervex, FL
134 Nate Sisco, NJ (4.18,1.58)
135 Joe Iaturo, NY (4.25,9.31)
136 **John Jefferson, FL (9.33)
137 Nathan Boright, Vt (9.24)
138 Tyler Williams, ID
139 Aaron Finchoy
140 Dan Heiner, VA (4.22,9.30)
141 Chris Carvelli, MA (4.21,9.46)
142 Al Santucci, MD (4.30,9.32)
143 Abe Habte, OH (9.25)
144 Brian Salliter, NJ (4.30,9.52)
145 *Evan Fox, CA (4.19,1.54,9.58)
146 Jarett Ventine, VA
147 Andy Macleod, (29FF,8S,4.16,1.54)
148 Brian Cocca, NY (1.57, 4.30)
149 Kriss Freeman NH
150 Fabian Soria, CA
151 Steve Slaby, ? (4.25,9.35)
152 Steve Loughlin, OR (4.13,9.28,1.55)
153 Darryl Giard, CT
154 Tim Kelly, NY (9.28,9.28st,4.26,1.58)
155 *Colin Ingram, NH
John Molvar