Hunter takes aim at season-long goal 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Drew Hunter aims to end a couple of droughts that are long overdue at the Foot Locker National Finals on Saturday at San Diego's Balboa Park.

The senior from Loudoun Valley, who was fourth in 2014, aims to become the first Virginian to win the boys championship race since Charles Alexander of Richmond (St. Christopher's) did it back in 1981 at Orlando, Fla., during an era when it was called the Kinney Cross Country Championships.

He also aims to be the first winner from any of the South region states to win since Texan Reuben Reina did it in 1985. That was at Balboa Park and that's when Reina set a course record of 14:36 that has not been broken since.

Whether Hunter runs to win or races the clock is up to him. But in the 2015-16 school year, nobody seems to be quite on his level.

Hunter ran 4:02.36 for the mile and 8:42.51 in the 2-mile last spring. Those numbers alone put him on a short list as one of the best high school distance runners in history.

This fall, Hunter appears to have raised his game. Nobody has come within 26 seconds of him on a cross crountry course this fall and he broke the Foot Locker South meet record.

In the aftermath of his state meet, Hunter said his goals are straightforward.

"I just take it a day at a time and try to get better every day," he said. "At the end of the day, whether I get a record or not, winning (Foot Locker) is what you are remembered for."

What matters most to Hunter this weekend is occupying the spaces and earning a place in the spotlight reserved for Lukas Verzbicas, Edward Cheserek, Grant Fisher and all of those champions who came before.

Who can give Hunter a run for his money on Saturday?

He was 33 seconds clear of the next runner at Foot Locker South, so despite the fact that there are an additional four Virginians in the race, it would figure that the challenge will come from somewhere else.

Junior Noah Affolder from Carthage NY won the Foot Locker Northeast title and has had an exceptional season in New York. He won the Eastern States Championship race at Manhattan and won the New York Class B title. Affolder might conclude Saturday as the fastest junior in the race, but he's making his first trip to Balboa Park and may be setting himself up for a run at the title in 2016.

In the Midwest, Oakwood IL's Jon Davis and Carmel IN's Ben Veatch are making return appearances in San Diego and both have very strong resumes. Davis won the Illinois state title, the NXN Midwest title and the Foot Locker Midwest crown.

But Davis was not able to stay with the leaders at Nike Cross Nationals last week and finished 22nd. He may have a better race on the Balboa Park course, where he has some familiarity.

Veatch was the runner-up last week in Portland after finishing behind Davis in his two previous races.

"NXN showed me that I put myself in a great position to win and I just have to piece it together at Foot Locker," Veatch said. "We've done a much better job this year preparing for the tough race schedule at the end of the year and I feel ready to compete Saturday."

Paul Roberts of Lyons CO fought gamely last weekend at NXN but wasn't able to hold the lead and finished 11th. Finn Gessner from Madison La Follette WI, another Midwest qualifier, was eighth at NXN.

All of these guys face a daunting challenge trying to spring back into action after racing as hard as they could last week.

That leaves the West. The runner most likely to still be with Hunter with less than a mile to go is Phillip Rocha from Arcadia.

The two-time California Division 1 state champion is tough and strong -- in the mold of last year's third-place finisher Elijah Armstrong. Rocha nearly broke the record on the hilly Mt. SAC Invitational course and even though he was second last week at Foot Locker West, there is a sense that he still has a lot left in the tank. 

Also from Foot Locker West, Garek Bielaczyc of Salt Lake City East UT carries a lot of positives into Saturday's race. He's a regional champion, edging out Rocha. (A regional champion has won the race 17 times in the past 18 races). He has also been here before. Bielaczyc was 27th last year. And he has something left, with only two races since the Utah state meet on Oct. 21.