Jake Leingang has confirmed that he'll be an Oregon Duck next year. The Bismark, ND native was 3rd at the 2012 Foot Locker Championships and 4th in 2011.
Dec 30, 2012
The high school cross country season is finally over. For the most part, it ended as expected. Anna Rohrer took home her first national title while Edward Cheserek made it two in a row at the 2012 Foot Locker Finals in Balboa Park. Even though the season is finally over, we couldn’t help but think, “What if?” The Girls’ Championship - The Midwest is Tough The girls from the Midwest was easily recognizable with their yellow jerseys. Even with their bright colors, we still couldn’t spot pre-race favorite Anna Rohrer early in the race. Rohrer had taken a spill 400m into the race, but that didn’t rattle the sophomore superstar. She slowly made her way to the front and joined her Midwest teammates Maria Hauger, Jordyn Colter, and Taylor Werner. It would be the Rohrer show from two miles out from the finish. The eventual Foot Locker champion passed the marker in 11:10 and then pulled away from the field. Rohrer would become the fourth sophomore to win a Foot Locker title as she broke the tape in 17:25. However, it wouldn’t be a top three sweep for the Midwest. Catarina Rocha from the Northeast would storm home in the final 200m to take second in 17:29.0.
Dec 10, 2012
CHESEREK DEFENDS TITLE, ROHRER EARNS FIRST AT FOOT LOCKER CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS By Chris Lotsbom (c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. (08-Dec) -- The American high school cross country season came to an end earlier today at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego, Calif., where Edward Cheserek successfully defended his national title and Anna Rohrer won her first championship after breaking from the field late in their respective races. The Boy's Championship race began as a pack affair with nearly all of the 40 qualified athletes together through 800 meters. With many pre-race favorites playing it safe through the early going, Cheserek was content tucking in behind the leaders as they approached the first mile. Battling up the largest hill of the 5-kilometer course for the first time, Virginia's Sean McGorty picked the pace up, creating a lead group of four. Responding to McGorty's move was Cheserek, who trailed by less than a meter -- just what the leader wanted. "Knowing Edward has a great kick, I sort of wanted to do the best I could to take it out of him," McGorty told Deena Kastor in an interview following the race's webcast. Joining McGorty and Cheserek were last week's Nike Cross Nationals champion Sam Wharton and New Balance Nationals Outdoor 5000m champion Jake Leingang, both of whom wore gold vests as representatives of the Midwest Region. Nearing halfway, McGorty, whose mother ran at the Foot Locker National Championships, still maintained a one-meter edge on Cheserek, with Leingang and Wharton holding onto the Kenyan's coat tails. Still intact at two miles --hit in 9:45-- the pack was well ahead of the rest of the field. Ascending the large hill for the second and final time, McGorty led the group of four. But going downhill was another story, as Cheserek took the lead for the first time. Trying to break McGorty and Leingang, Cheserek injected a burst of speed, causing Wharton to fade from the pack. Barely holding on was Leingang. "I tried to stay with them and work up the hill, but the downhill is what killed my legs," said Leingang, who is from North Dakota. Passing three miles in 14:30, Cheserek again used his 1:48 800-meter speed, ultimately separating from the chasing McGorty. "I wanted to stay back with these guys and at the last minute kick because that was my strategy," said Cheserek. Hands above his head, Cheserek broke the tape in 14:59, becoming only the fourth repeat champion in Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships history. He broke 15 minutes both times on the storied Balboa Park course. "Right now I feel good," said the quiet champion, who joins Abdirizak Mohamud, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Lukas Verzbicas in the two-time winners club. In second came McGorty, who was still pleased with his effort. "I gave it my all trying to beat him, but he's a great athlete and he deserves this national championship," said the Stanford-bound McGorty. Leingang rounded out the top three, a significant improvement from his 59th place showing at last week's muddy Nike Cross Nationals meet. ROHRER GETS FIRST TITLE To begin the Girl's Championship race, California's Marissa Williams took the pace out ferociously, just as she did a week ago at the Foot Locker West Regional. Hitting the 400 meter mark in an unofficial 66 seconds according to the web stream announcers, Williams was nearly ten meters up on the field. The quick pace soon caught up to the sophomore, who would end up finishing eighth. Caught by a slew of Midwest athletes clad in their gold vests, Williams and the lead pack passed the mile in 5:18. In gold were Maria Hauger, Jordyn Colter, and Taylor Werner. Missing briefly from the lead pack was Midwest Regional champion Anna Rohrer, a sophomore from Mishawaka, Ind., Rohrer had been tripped within the first 400 meters of the race, falling to the ground and scuffing her knee. Despite the spill, she remained calm. "I got right back up and I knew the race wasn't over," Rohrer said minutes after the race. "I just got up and made sure to keep a level head." Rejoining her Midwest teammates at the front, Rohrer looked poised through two miles, passed in 11:10. That's when she knew it was time to go, pulling ahead of the field. Despite Hauger and Colter's efforts to gain ground in the final 400 meters, it was all Rohrer. Sprinting around the final bend, Rohrer was all alone in front. Breaking the tape in 17:25, Roher became the first sophomore since Kathy Kroeger in 2006 to win the Foot Locker National Championship. Rohrer said running alongside her Midwest teammates helped her immensely during the race. "It was fantastic, really comforting," she said. "It was great to be racing with people that I am really good friends with." An added edge for Rohrer was her toughness, brought out in a temporary tattoo resembling barbed wire on her left upper arm. "It's just something fun that my team did a couple times [during the season]," Rohrer said with a laugh. "It makes you feel a little tougher I guess." Behind Rohrer, Massachusetts's Catarina Rocha finished with a hard charge to catch both Hauger and Cloter in the final meters before the line. Rocha, who is from Peabody, Mass., is coached by her father Joe, also a Foot Locker Cross Country Championship alum. "I just tried to stay with them," said Rocha. "The last 200 [meters] I just kinda felt good and started kicking to hopefully catch them and I did." Rocha's time of 17:29.0 was just two-tenths of a second ahead of Hauger (17:29.2) and a half second up on Colter (17:29.5). Rounding out the top five was Karis Jochen of College Station, Texas. NOTE: The complete finish list is at http://www.footlockercc.com/2012/results.shtml
Dec 8, 2012
Foot Locker Girls Championship Race
Dec 7, 2012
Foot Locker Boys Championship Race
Based on the results from the 2011 Foot Locker Cross Country National Championship, this fall’s race was going to be tough. In the girl’s race, there were only three seniors in the top ten. Another year of training and experience for the other seven girls would make the 2012 Foot Locker Finals unforgettable. The race will be as difficult as always, but the girls in the top ten will be much different. Only one of those seven possible returnees will get another shot for a national title in San Diego, CA. It's been a weird fall. Foot Locker wins never come easy. When it comes to a national championship, each runner will leave everything on the course. This year is no exception.
2012 Foot Locker Cross Country Championship Qualifiers
2012 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Live Video Streaming Web Info
He's been close a few times, but Sam Wharton finally picked up a big win. It just so happens that it came at Nike Cross Nationals where he not only overcame the mud, but some of the best runners in the nation. Wharton and coach Byron Kimmel credit his success to hard work, rest, and his lucky headband. Now he's among the Ohio greats and is slowly becoming a household name in the running world.
Dec 6, 2012
In cross country, nothing is guaranteed. As we saw at NXN, when the gun goes off, running resumes are tossed in the shredder. It’s all about man versus man.
Dec 5, 2012
Before this fall, Anna Rohrer was not a household name. Now the sophomore from Mishawaka High School in Indiana is among the favorites to win the Foot Locker national title. How on earth did she go from a 11:11 3200m runner to the best in the nation?
Sean McGorty has been silently dominating the south region this XC season. Most recently, the the senior from Chanitlly High School in Virginia broke Andrew Bumbalough's course record of 14:32 at McAlphine Park with his time of 14:28 at Foot Locker South. When Bumbalough ran that time, he finished second at the Foot Locker Finals. Last year, McGorty was 10th in San Diego and will be patiently waiting for his moment to step into the spotlight.
Dec 4, 2012
Edward Cheserek is on the same pace as last year. That’s bad news for everyone else.
