High quality fields could provide memorable performances Saturday

By Michael Newman

DyeStat Illinois Editor

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A good statement to describe the runners that will converge on the Dr.Wayne Dannehl National Cross Country Course on Saturday came from Pete Henkes. The Foot Locker Midwest Regional Meet Director kept it simple by stating “Both races should be unreal.”

Runners from 14 states across the Midwest will be on the starting line on this historic course on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha Saturday morning with on the goal to make it to the Foot Locker National Finals on December 13 in San Diego. The name of the game is top place in the first ten in either of the championship races to punch that ticket to Southern California.

The field is a who’s who of top Midwest Runners during this cross country season. 2012 Foot Locker Champion Anna Rohrer is back to go after a second national title after missing her junior season due to injury. She will have plenty of runners to push her including NXN Midwest Champion Sarah Keffel, Missouri Class 4 Champion Hannah Long, and Illinois 2A champion Maryjeanne Gilbert. Grant Fisher is back to go after his second straight Foot Locker National championship. The road to San Diego in the Boys race is loaded with top talent to challenge Fisher including Illinois 3A and NXN Midwest Champion Jesse Reiser and Wisconsin DI and NXN Heartland Champion Olin Hacker. Even though the goal is to make it to San Diego, the conditions could be good enough for this talent to challenge the two meet records Saturday.

Here is a look at some of the runners that will be competing in this meet on Saturday.

Girls Championship Race – 10:40 AM CST

A broken bone in her left foot stopped the 2013 season for Anna Rohrer (Mishawaka IN) and her defense of her Foot Locker National title. She is back to the course where she ran 16:54 to set the course record. In the past year, Rohrer has raced with a vengeance going undefeated against high school competition since she again started competing last April. In the process she ran 10:14 to win the Indiana State championship in the 3200 last June, then two weeks later running 16:16 to win the New Balance Nationals 5k race. She ran 17:08 to win the state championship in Terre Haute at the beginning of November by 42 seconds. She will be the runner to watch in this race.

Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Marr IA) has competed for her school in swimming this fall. A day after competing in the Iowa State Swim meet, Jenks stepped on the cross country course finishing second at the NXN Heartland regional running 17:12 only six seconds behind Minnesota’s Bethany Hasz. Jenks finished second in this race a year ago and then finishing ninth at the national meet. She will be in the mix up front. Rebecca Topham (Griswold IA) was six seconds behind Jenks at last year’s race finishing third to qualify for San Diego. Topham season has been good winning the Iowa 1A championship at the beginning of November. You can expect her to also be in the front.

Sarah Kettel (Lansing MI) came into the NXN Midwest Regional under the radar even though she had an undefeated season. She was 10 seconds behind the leaders at the mile and moved up to the front after 2 miles to capture the race championship. You could expect the same conservative approach in this weekend’s race. Kettel could be in the front. Remember, she won the Michigan Home School State Championship running 17:24 to win that race by more than two minutes. She should be towards the front of this race. Audrey Belf (Birmingham MI) finished second in the NXN race by a second behind Kettel. It was only the second time that another Michigan runner had defeated the Georgetown signee. Belf has no other blemishes on her resume this year including a Michigan D1 state championship running 17:19. She will also make it tough for Rohrer.

The one runner that could push or be ahead of Rohrer is Hannah Long (Eureka MO). The Stanford signee is having a great senior season going undefeated against Missouri competition including a win over Taylor Werner (Bloomsdale MO) at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival. One week later, she ran 16:51 at the Southern Stampede in Joplin to win by 82 seconds. Long finished 5^th in this race a year ago. She will be in the front once again. Sophia Racette (Webster Groves MO) finished second behind Long in the Missouri Class 4 state championship. Two weeks ago at the NXN Midwest Regional, she finished sixth just missing on qualifying for the NXN National Race. She could be among the top 10 runners in this Saturday’s race. Lauren Gregory (Ft. Collins CO) is coming into this meet hot winning the Colorado 5A state championship at the beginning of the month and then finishing second last weekend at the NXN Southwest Regional. She could be among the top ten in this race.

The one runner that could be the surprise in this race is Maryjeanne Gilbert (Peoria IL). The junior ran 16:11 at the historic Detweiller Park 3 mile course to win the Illinois 2A state championship by a minute. That time was the second fastest time ever at that state meet. Gilbert has the talent to make it to San Diego and possibly win this race. Another dark horse to place in the top ten in this race from the Land of Lincoln is Daly Galloway (Dwight IL). The sophomore placed second behind Anna Sophia Keller (Effingham IL) in the Illinois 1A state race running 16:52. She has been fearless against bigger name competition this season. She could make it in the top 10.

Amy Davis (Madison WI) has gone undefeated this season culminating with the Wisconsin D2 State championship. She should be towards the front in this race going after a top ten finish. Tabor Scholl (Kremmling CO) could place in the top 10 in this race. She won the 1A/2A Colorado State championship and could surprise in this race. Anna French (Plymouth MN) is a member of the 2013 National Champion Wayzata team. She finished fifth three weeks ago at the NXN Heartland race. She could tune-up for the NXN National race with a top ten finish on Saturday.

This is a deep field. Other runners that I would keep an eye on that could make the top ten include Mimi Smith (Winnetka IL), Rachael Lau (Plainfield IL), Maryclare Leonard (Orland Park IL), Audrey Ernst (St. Charles IL), Maria Brauer (Oakford IL), Maddie Woods (Mishawaka IN), Alex Buck (Pendelton Heights IN), Karenna Duffey (Macomb IL), Morgan Posthuma (Grand Rapids MI), Hannah Pierson (Chesterfield MO), Annie Frisbie (River Falls WI), Jeralyn Poe (Lincoln NB), and Katie Hietpas (Sun Prairie WI).

Boys Championship Race – 11:25 AM CST

If you think that the Girls race is loaded, this race takes that up a notch or two. Defending Foot Locker National Champion Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc MI) leads this all-star field. Fisher is undefeated against high school runners for the last two years and should be the favorite in this race. He ran 14:43 in September at the Portage MI Invitational for one of the fastest 5k course times in the nation. The Stanford University signee is a great runner putting down a 4:01 mile in New York to win last June. He could be one of the best tactical runners also in the country. That gives this senior the advantage in this race.

Jesse Reiser (McHenry IL) stepped into the limelight during last year’s post season qualifying for both national races. He is on pace to do that again and this race and should challenge Fisher. He pulled away from the field to win the NXN Midwest Regional two weeks ago running 15:00 at Lavern Gibson National Course. At Illinois 3A State Meet in which he ran 14:11 for 3 miles to win, he ran the last mile in 4:27. He has the legs to push Fisher on this course.

The one up and coming runner that will be a big factor in this race is Olin Hacker (Madison WI). The Wisconsin D1 state champion ran 14:59 in that race to miss Chris Solinsky’s course record by five seconds. Three weeks ago at the NXN Heartland championship race, he outkicked South Dakota champion Will Lauer for the win. The University of Wisconsin-Madison signee finished 12^th in this race a year ago just missing by 2 spots. He should be in the top 10 in this race flirting for the championship. Thomas Pollard (Ames IA) finished second behind Hacker at the Roy Griak Invitational at the end of September. He ran 15:04 to win the Iowa 3A State Meet at the beginning of November. He is rested and ready to push for the front in this race.

Ryan Robinson (Waterford MI) rebounded from his fifth place finish at the Michigan D1 state race to push Reiser to the line in placing second at the NXN Midwest Race. He finished tenth last year just making it to San Diego. He should be finishing higher in this race. Ryan Clevenger (Downers Grove IL) finished fifth at the NXN Midwest Regional to punch his ticket to Portland. Clevenger could qualify for the second national race with a top ten finish on Saturday. Zach Dale (Elk Grove Village IL) finished seventh at NXN Midwest missing to qualify for the Portland trip by one place. The Illinois 3A state meet runner-up is hungry for the San Diego trip and could finish in the top ten here.

Ben Veatch (Carmel IN) finished third at the NXN Midwest Regional to help his team qualify for the NXN Nationals. The Indiana state champion is sure to be in the mix. Zach Snider (Indianapolis IN) made it to Portland finishing one place ahead of Dale at the NXN Midwest Regional. He will have to push for a top ten finish but has the talent to leave Kenosha with a ticket to San Diego. Ryan Nameth (Verona WI) was a distant second to Hacker at the Wisconsin D1 state race. He did come back the following week to finish 5^th at the NXN Heartland race. He will be among the leaders in this race.

Kansas 5A state champion Stuart McNutt (Overland Park KS) was one place ahead of Nameth at the NXN Heartland Regional Race. Do not be surprised if he finishes in the top 5 in this race. The one runner that could be a surprise in this race could be Zachary Alhamra (Colorado Springs CO). He was one of the pre-race favorites in the Colorado 5A state race and had the fastest time in his state running a 14:58 5k in September at the Liberty Bell Invitational. Leading at 2 miles, he had some physical problems forcing him to stop 3 times in the last mile finishing 75^th. He rebounded last week to finish 9^th at the NXN Southwest Regional. He could finish in the top ten if he is in the race.

One other to watch is Illinois 1A champion Jon Davis (Fithian IL). He raced strongly early in the season against some of the top Illinois runners despite being under the weather. He showed that he is one of the elite runners in the state running 14:20 to win the small school championship by 42 seconds. That time was the second fastest time on that day regardless of classification. He could be one of the runners to find himself in the top ten.

Other runners in this loaded field that will challenge for the top ten include Kevin Salvano (Buffalo Grove IL), Samuel Oh (Lincolnshire IL), David Rodriguez (Mt. Prospect IL), Seth Williams and Chase Ballard (Columbus IN), Jesse Hersha (Concord MI), Colin Burdette (Hilliard OH), John Nownes (Omaha NE), Morgan Beadlescomb (Algonac MI), Chad Couser (Rochester MN), Kyler Lueck (Milwaukee WI), Anthony Berry (Traverse City MI), Kyle Mau (Hudson OH), Keenan Rebera (Lansing MI), and Clayton Adams (Kearney MO).