Graydon Morris, 2017 Runner-Up, Ready To Take His Shot

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

SAN DIEGO – Graydon Morris wasn’t sure he’d make it back to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships for a third appearance.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST | NATIONAL FINALISTS

And this was two weeks ago, mid-race at the Foot Locker South Regional.

Morris still bears the scar and scab of an ugly spike mark on the back of his right heel. It was a wound he acquired early in the race at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C., and the pain and bleeding threatened his ability to make the top 10.

“It made it a little bit tougher, getting over the mental aspect of it and finding my rhythm,” Morris said.

Despite a slower-than-optimal start to the fall because of a stress reaction, Morris has played a waiting game since summer. He has cut his mileage and added more strength-based workouts to his program.

In a year where the boys Foot Locker national title feels up for grabs, the 2017 runner-up said he feels that he is in a good place to try and win the race Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

“The racing hasn’t felt as easy as last year, but the times are there,” Morris admitted at Friday’s course run-through at Morley Field. “I didn’t peak much for the state meet. I wanted to see what we could do here again.”

Many of the top boys in the country went to Nike Cross Nationals last week and some of them will surely challenge for Saturday’s title.

Cole Hocker of Indianapolis Cathedral IN is the closest thing to a favorite after placing second last week at NXN. Hocker followed his Indiana state title with regional wins at NXR Midwest and Foot Locker Midwest. He has raced well and succeeded in a variety of conditions and demonstrated an ability to kick that may be unrivaled in Saturday’s field.

Saturday could belong to Hocker.

Jake Renfree of Knoxville Catholic TN was fifth at the national meet last year and Carter Cheeseman of Fort Worth Christian TX was sixth. Both can move up and grab onto the lead late in the race.

Drew Bosley of Homestead WI, the USATF Junior national champion in the 5,000 meters, is looking to rebound after finishing 23rd at NXN last week. He was seventh at Foot Locker last year.

Devin Hart of Point Pleasant Boro NJ won the New Jersey Meet of Champions for the second straight year. He was fifth, behind winner Jack Stanley, at the Northeast Regional. But Hart’s 8:53 2-mile speed in track puts him on a short list of contenders. Hart was 10th at Foot Locker last year.

Kashon Harrison of Kirtland Central NM is a two-time Foot Locker West champion who will be looking to move up from a 14th-place finish at nationals a year ago. He turned down a chance to run at NXN in order to focus on the Foot Locker final.

And South champion Cruz Gomez from PSJA Memorial in Alamo, Texas will be looking for a chance to end his season on a high note. He ran his best race of the year at the Foot Locker South Regional, but had a rough weekend in Portland at NXN, where he was 65th.