2017 Foot Locker Midwest Regional Preview

By Michael Newman for DyeStat.com

[email protected]

The name of the game in both championship races on the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course at the campus of Wisconsin-Parkside is to get into the top 10. That secures a trip to San Diego for the Foot Locker Nationals on Dec. 9.

Lauren Peterson of Farmington MN is the top returning runner from last year’s girls championship race, but all eyes could be on Michigan Division 2 champion Olivia Theis of Lansing Catholic (MI).

Dylan Jacobs of Sandburg IL is the defending regional champion and will seek to qualify for both national championships (Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals) for the second straight season. He will be pushed by Danny Kilrea of Lyons Township IL, who leads a loaded boys championship field.

Here is a look at both championship races that will take place Saturday morning.

Girls Championship Race – 10:40 a.m. CST

Olivia Theis is the favorite in this race. She went under 17 minutes for 5 kilometers this fall four times, including running 16:51.2 to win the Michigan Division 2 title. She is currently ranked No. 3 nationally in the DyeStat Girls Individual Rankings (Nov. 16). She won her state championship by 43 seconds. Her margin shouldn't be that large in a quality regional field. She could, however, come close to the course record of 16:54 that Anna Rohrer set in 2012. Weather conditions look to be dry for race day, making chances for a record chase good. Theis finished 14th in the national finals last year.

Michigan runners could have a big day in this meet with three other state champions joining Theis in this field. Ericka VanderLende of Rockford MI is the Division 1 champion and has a chance to make it to San Diego. Kyla Christopher-Moody from West Broomfield MI finished 10th in last year’s race but finished seventh in the Division 1 state race. Rylee Robinson of Waterford Mott MI will look to get into the top 10 after finishing third in the Division 1 race and 13th two weeks ago at the Nike Cross Midwest Regionals.

Minnesota is also sending a strong contingent to Kenosha. State champions Emily Covert from Washburn and Tierney Wolfgram from Math & Science Academy lead this group. Wolfgram finished 17th in September at the Roy Griak Invitational. The freshman has come on strong winning the Minnesota Class A State Championship and then came back to win the Nike Cross Heartland Regional. Covert, the Griak winner, won the Minnesota AA State Championship and finished second behind Wolfgram in the Heartland Race. Both could push Theis in this race. Don’t forget about Grace Ping from Cotter. She finished third in the A state final behind Wolfgram, but did not run at Heartland regional, Instead she won the USATF Minnesota Association Junior Olympic Race on the same day. She is someone to keep an eye on.

Illinois could send as many as three runners to San Diego. Lyndsey Payne of Glenbard West finished eighth a year ago in this race. She could finish in the top 10 again. Naperville North runners Sarah Schmitt and Alex Morris finished in the top 10 at the Nike Cross Midwest Regionals and could be using this race as a tune-up for next week’s Nike Cross Nationals. Then again, they could be looking for a trip to San Diego. Illinois 2A State Champion Jenna Schwartz of Waterloo is someone to watch also.

Victoria Findley from Blue Springs South is the Missouri Class 4 state champion and finished seventh at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional. Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek OH surprised herself by finishing fourth at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional. Peyton Sippy from Janesville Craig WI is the state’s Division 1 champion. Leah Roter of Beachwood OH won the Division 2 title in her state. All four of these runners could challenge for a spot in the top 10.

Anna Fenske and Peterson of Farmington MN, Phoebe Bates of Carmel IN, Tyler Schwartz of DeKalb IN, Marie and Anna Hostetler of Mid-Prairie IA, and Olivia Howell of Solon OH are runners that are capable of advancing to nationals.

Boys Championship Race – 11:20 a.m.

Danny Kilrea is one of the favorites in what is a loaded field. Kilrea will be trying for the “national double” for the first time after winning the Illinois 3A State Championship and then finishing second two weeks ago at NXR Midwest. Dylan Jacobs is the defending champion in this race and will push Kilrea in the front. Jacobs finished sixth in the Illinois 3A final and then was fourth in the Midwest race recovering from a viral infection. He is now 100 percent healthy and could repeat in this race. Remember, earlier in the year he ran the fifth-fastest time on the Detweiller Park 3-mile state course (13:57.5). Tommy Brady of Maine South and Zach Kinne of Neuqua Valley finished third and fourth in the Illinois 3A race and could be in the top 10 on Saturday.

Drew Bosley of Homestead is Wisconsin's Division 1 state champion. He followed that up with a strong victory at the NXR Heartland regional. He will be on his home turf in this race and could be pushing for the win. The junior has not been beaten this fall.

Derick Peters of West Central SD finished second behind Bosley in the Heartland Regional two weeks ago. He also has picked up big wins at the Roy Griak Invitational and winning his Class AA state meet. He is someone to keep a close eye on. 

Indiana state champion Gabe Fendel of Hamilton Southeastern did not have his best race of the season at the Nike Cross Midwest regional as he finished 13th. Watch for a bounce-back race from him on this course. Cole Hocker of Indianapolis Cathedral is the only runner to defeat Fendel prior to the Midwest race as he finished two seconds behind him in the Indiana meet. Hocker also did not have his best run in the NXR Midwest race, finishing 27th. 

Michigan does not get to show its team power due to state association rules in the Nike Cross regoinal. The state's runners will get to show their individual prowess here. Just as in the girls race, all four state champions will be in this field. Nick Foster of Ann Arbor Pioneer and Cole Johnson of Rockford took the top two places in the Division 1 state meet and should be among the top 10 in this race. Shuaib Aljabaly of Coldwater, the Division 2 champion, had the fastest time on the state course on that day and could also be among the leaders in the front. Harrison Grzymkowski of Lakeland finished third in the Division 1 race and could surprise.

Zach Kreft of Buckeye Valley OH will find out Saturday night if he will be running in the Nike Cross Nationals after finishing sixth in that race. The Division 2 state champion could be adding a trip to San Diego with a top 10 finish. Ohio Division 3 champion Chad Johnson of Colonel Crawford and Matt Scrape of Pickerington Central could also represent the Buckeye state in San Diego.

Victor Mugeche of Blue Springs MO won the Class 4 Championship in his state and finished 10th at NXR Midwest. It would not be a surprise for him to make the top 10. Matthew Richtman of Kaneland, Jacob Gerhardt of Sterling and Jack Becker of Crystal Lake South were all top-three finishers in the Illinois 2A final. One of these three runners could find their way into the top 10.