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Foot Locker Midwest Regional Preview 2015 - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Nov 27th 2015, 2:25pm
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Above Photo: Jon Davis winning the NXN Midwest Regional on November 15. Dvais, along with Judy Pendergast, will look to repeat their NXN wins Saturday in Kenosha (Photo Credit: Ross Dettman)

 

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

The name of the game at this Saturday’s Foot Locker Midwest Regional seeded races is finishing tenth or higher. That earns you a trip to San Diego for the National finals on December 12. There could be some bragging rights that could take effect in this race. The Boys race features the top two finishers from the NXN Midwest Regional Jon Davis (Oakwood IL) and Ben Veatch (Carmel IN). In that race, it was Davis who gave Veatch his first loss of the season finishing more than a second ahead of the Indiana State champion. Veatch would like to turn the tables in this race but knows there will be some quality runners up front with him.

 

Judy Pendergast (Naperville IL) just knows one speed and that is all out. She could have her eyes focused on Anna Rohrer’s 16:54 course record that was set in 2012. She broke Rohrer’s course record two weeks ago at Terre Haute. The field behind Pendergast is tough led by Foot Locker finalist Stephanie Jenks (Aurora IA).

 

It will be wet on Friday in Kenosha. It will be cooler on Saturday with temperatures near 40 degrees. Weather should not play a part in this race like it did last year with snow on the majority of the course.

 

Here is a quick look at the two seeded races that will take place Saturday morning at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha. The first race of the day starts at 10:00 AM CST.

 

 

Girls Seeded – 10:40 AM CST

 

It is hard to imagine anyone getting close to Judy Pendergast in this race. The Illinois 3A state champion has been unstoppable this season setting course records at the Illinois State Meet and then the NXN Midwest Regionals 2 weeks ago. She was by herself in the regional race after the first kilometer rolling to a 28 second victory. She should have company up front with her in this race. Stephanie Jenks chose not to run with her high school team this season at Linn-Mar concentrating for her national races in November and December. In her first race of the season at the NXN Heartland Regional, she ran the fastest time ever in that regional (17:01) in winning the championship race. She was ten seconds faster than she ran in that race a year before. She will be looking for her third straight trip to San Diego. Jenks finished fifth in this race a year ago. Her eyes are on first in this race. Rohrer’s 16:54 course record is in danger of going down in this race. The question is will it be Jenks or Pendergast that sets the record?

 

Lauren Gregory (Fort Collins CO) finished second in this race a year ago and is the highest placing returnee. She is coming off of a win at the Colorado 5A State Meet and then last weekend finishing second at the NXN Southwest Regional. If she chooses to run in both NXN and Foot Locker National Meets this season, she may back off of the pace looking for one of the top ten spots. Last year, she qualified in both meets but chose just to run at Foot Locker. Nevertheless, she should be one of the ten runners that punches her ticket to San Diego. Taylor Werner (Ste. Genevieve MO) won the Missouri Class 3 Championships all four years that she has been in school. She could end continue her high school cross country career with a top ten finish in this race. She finished 13th at San Diego her freshman year and 10th her sophomore season. Watch for her to make her third trip to San Diego on Saturday.

 

Maryjeanne Gilbert (Peoria IL) completed her regular season winning her second straight Illinois 2A State Championship. She finished third in this race a year ago and then finished 12th in San Diego. Watch for the University of Notre Dame signee to be up with the main pack. Indiana’s top two runners at the NXN Midwest Regionals Sarah Leinheiser (Carmel IN) and Alex Buck (Pendelton Heights IN) both finished in the top five in that race and have the ability to place in the top ten in this meet. Sarah Kettel (Brighton MI) did not run her best race of the year two weeks ago at Terre Haute when she finished tenth in that race. Do not be surprised if you see a determined Kettel in the first ten in this meet. She qualified for San Diego last year finishing eighth at this meet.

 

Madison Troy (Grandville MI) punched her ticket to Portland by finishing fourth in the Midwest Regional. The Michigan D1 champion should be in the mix for one of the top ten spots in this race. Jocelyn Long (Barrington IL) finished seventh at NXN Midwest. If Carmel IN earns an at-large bid, Long could be running in Portland. She has the ability to finish in the top ten in this race. Brooke Wilson (Mt. Prospect IL), Daly Galloway (Dwight IL), and Emma Wilson (Romeo MI) all finished within two seconds of each other with Wilson finishing in the top ten at Terre Haute. Do not be surprised if any one of the three (or all) are in the top ten in this race. Katherine Free (Indianapolis IN) finished second in the Indiana State Meet. She could be among the top ten in this race.

 

Wisconsin D1 state champion Aubrey Roberts (Eau Claire WI) finished 12th at the NXN Heartland Regionals two weeks ago. She could be among the top ten runners in this race. Other runners to keep an eye on include Audrey Ernst (St.Charles IL), Lauren Johnson (West Lafayette IN), McKenzie Yanek (Bettendorf IA), Taylor Somers (Omaha NE), Cailie Logue (Girard KS), and Mary Kate Vaughn (Dayton OH).

 

 

Boys Seeded – 11:25 AM CST

 

Do we see the same kind of race between Jon Davis and Ben Veatch as we saw two weeks ago in Terre Haute? The possibilities of this happening are pretty good.  Davis just sat on Veatch for most of the race until taking off with 800 meters to go. Veatch would not break at the end of the race only finishing a second behind the Illinois 1A state champion. With both runners competing the following week in Portland, we will have to wait and see who makes the first move in this race. Unless something disastrous happens, both runners should be in the top five in this race.

 

Three of the top five finishers in the NXN Heartland race are registered to run on Saturday. Nebraska Class A State Champion Seth Hirsch (Omaha NE) has had a good season winning his state championship, finishing fourth at the Roy Griak Invitational, and then finishing third in the Heartland race. He will be in the mix in the front pack. Wisconsin D1 State Champion Finn Gessner (Madison WI) is coming off of a fourth place finish at Heartland. Watch for him up front also. Sam Clausnitzer (Bismarck ND) finished behind Geisner two weeks ago. The North Dakota Class A champion has the ability in this front group. All three have qualified to run in Portland. All three would like to add an extra week to their season by finishing in the top ten.

 

Paul Roberts (Lyons CO) ran 14:52 last week to finish third in the NXN Southwest Regional. He is having a great season including winning the Colorado 2A State Championship. He could one of those runners that could challenge Veatch and Davis. Andrew Jordan (Pataskala OH) has gone undefeated this season which included winning the Ohio D1 State Championship. He ran 14:44 in September for 5k to win the Galion Cross Country Festival. He could also be pushing for the lead in this race.

 

Sean Torpy (Orland Park IL) finished sixth at the NXN Midwest Regional. He will be running with his team Sandburg at Portland next week. He could add a trip to San Diego on Saturday. Blake Evertsen (Hinsdale IL) and Matt Pereira (Lake Zurich IL) both finished in the top five at the Illinois 3A state championship. Both runners did not run their best races the following week at Terre Haute. Both Evertsen and Pereira could be in the top ten in this race.  Also keep an eye on Charlie Nodus (Darien IL) in this race. Nodus finished second in the Illinois 2A State Championship running 14:30 for 3 miles. He could be a surprise in this race.

 

Brayden Law (Homestead IN) is another runner to keep an eye on. He finished tenth at the NXN Midwest Regional and finishing second in the Indiana State Meet. He could be another Indiana runner to make it to San Diego. Christian Noble (Mt. Vernon IN) also has a shot of finishing in the top ten. Isaac Harding (Rockford MI) will be going to Portland after he finished third in the Midwest Regional. The Michigan D1 champion would like to make another trip out west along with teammate Cole Johnson. Missouri Class 3 champion Ben Naegler (Ste. Genevieve MO) went undefeated during the regular season. He finished ninth two weeks ago in Terre Haute. The junior is another runner that could find his way into the top ten.

 

 

Other runners that could be in the mix of a top ten finish include Danny Cohen (Solon OH), Luke Wagner (Cleveland OH), Mitch Poynter (Troy OH), Kevin Koski (Park Falls WI), Mitchell Day (Alpena WI), Trevor Kirk (West Des Moines IA), Anthony Berry (Traverse City MI), and Gabe Peters (Sioux Falls SD). 



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