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2015 Preview - Kelati, Werner and Hill Lead Girls Pursuit of Foot Locker National Title - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Dec 10th 2015, 9:10am
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Talented trio ready to follow Rohrer as champ

 

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor


 

Weini Kelati is motivated by Anna Rohrer.

 

Annie Hill wants to achieve a goal last accomplished by the former Mishawaka High star.

 

And Taylor Werner has drawn inspiration from her friend and former Midwest regional teammate, who recently earned NCAA All-America honors during her freshman cross country season at Notre Dame.

 

The trio of leading ladies, along with another 37 of the most talented female distance runners in the country, desire to capture the prize twice claimed by Rohrer during her prep career in Indiana by winning a Foot Locker national title.

 

All veterans of racing on the 5-kilometer course at Balboa Park’s Morley Field, the opportunity for Hill, Kelati and Werner comes again at the 37th annual event at 9:15 a.m. PST Saturday in San Diego.

 

Werner, a senior at Ste. Genevieve in Missouri, is making her third career appearance at Foot Locker nationals, but her first since 2013 after missing last year’s championship because of injuries.

 

Hill and Kelati both return from last year’s final, when Rohrer became the fifth female to win the championship twice.

 

Hill, a sophomore at Glacier High (Montana), finished eighth in her debut and Kelati – an Eritrean immigrant representing Heritage High in Virginia – placed 20th in her first season of high school competition.

 

The three regional champions, along with Nevada Mareno of Leesville Road (N.C.) and Judy Pendergast of Naperville North (Illinois), are strong contenders to capture the individual title for the first time.

 

Based on the significant improvement from last year, highlighted by her first Virginia state title and a convincing victory Nov. 28 at the Foot Locker South Regional over both Mareno and state rival Libby Davidson of E.C. Glass, the 19-year-old Kelati could be considered the favorite.

 

“Last year was an enormous learning experience for us from start to finish. Just seeing the course and getting the experience makes things seem so much normal for this year,” Heritage coach Doug Gilbert said. “The main thing we learned last year was that if she was going to race how she wanted to, up front, in this level of race, then her fitness level had to be much better than last year.”

 

Kelati, who is in her final year of prep eligibility, represented Eritrea in the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon, so she is accustomed to high-stakes competition beyond her short career at Heritage.

 

“I am very confident in Weini's ability to run at a very high level,” Gilbert said. “Weini's growth this year has been major. She has been able to focus more on her running career now that life seems a bit more regular for her. Last year, she had so many adjustments to make that running had to take a back seat so to speak because of the new language, culture and food. She has been able to put more focus on her training, and because of this, is mentally tough.”

 

Kelati was so impressed with Rohrer’s performance at last year’s national finals that she is determined to not only join her as champion, but another two-time winner as well.

 

Erin Keogh of Langley High in McLean, who captured back-to-back titles in 1985-86, is the only Virginia female to capture a Foot Locker national championship.

 

“I want to finish first, but hopefully I can run top three. That is my goal,” Kelati said. “I wasn’t in good shape last year to run with them after the first mile. The pain is for just 17 minutes. After that, it is gone.”

 

Werner, who prevailed Nov. 28 against Pendergast at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional, is hoping to duplicate Rohrer’s redemption run of a year ago by winning the title after not qualifying as a junior. Rohrer missed the 2013 national final with navicular fractures in both feet and Werner was sidelined for last year’s championship battling hip and hamstring injuries.

 

“I do appreciate it more. I know when I ended my season there as a sophomore, I guess I just assumed I’d make it back my junior year,” Werner said. “When I realized after state last year that this wasn't going to happen, I was devastated. So being able to come back makes it a lot sweeter. I know I'm a lot more prepared this year, especially when it comes to racing competition. I struggled mentally with that [in past seasons], I guess mainly because I was young and somewhat inexperienced.”

 

Hill was the highest-placing freshman at last year’s nationals, finishing eighth to earn All-America honors. She is undefeated in nine races this season, including the Foot Locker West Regionals on Dec. 5 at Mt. SAC, and is looking to match Rohrer’s 2012 achievement of winning the title as a sophomore.

 

“I want to do the very best that I can. I know there are a lot of really tough and amazing runners that I’ll be able to compete with and that’s a big honor to do that,” Hill said. “I feel really good about it and I trust in my training and my coach and my dad have helped a lot. These races are pretty big confidence boosters. Knowing I can be just as good and win in a lot more highly competitive races, it just feels really good.”

 

Mareno and Pendergast will attempt to become the first Foot Locker champions from their respective states. They will also need to rebound following second-place regional finishes, and additionally for Pendergast, regroup from an eighth-place result Dec. 5 at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.

 

Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins, an All-American last year after placing 11th, is injured and being replaced on the Midwest team by another Colorado standout, Kayla Young of Denver North.

 

Gregory’s injury leaves 10 returning female competitors from last year, including fifth-place Hannah DeBalsi (Staples, Conn.) and Davidson, who finished sixth. Madeleine Davison (North Allegheny Senior, Penn.) went from 40th at last year’s final to winning the Northeast Regional this season.

 

Maryjeanne Gilbert (Peoria Notre Dame, Ill.), Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar, Iowa), Emma Grace Hurley (Fellowship Christian School, Ga.), Logan Morris (Spartanburg Christian Academy, S.C.) and Abby Gray (Alamo Heights, Texas) are the other returning finalists.



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