Anna Rohrer wins Footlocker Final
SAN DIEGO – Edward Cheserek of Newark, N.J., defended his national title, and Anna Rohrer of Mishawaka, Ind., catapulted onto the national scene with an impressive victory at the 34th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals (FLCCC) at Morley Field, Balboa Park in San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 8. Race conditions were ideal, with the sun breaking through the clouds at the start of the girls’ race and the temperature reaching 63 degrees.
West Regional Champion Marissa Williams from Los Angeles, Calif., set a fast pace at the start to claim an early lead. After falling down around a turn 400 meters into the race, Rohrer, the Midwest Regional Champion, recovered quickly to join a lead group, that included fellow Midwest runners Maria Hauger of Shakopee, Minn., Jordyn Colter of Centennial, Colo., and Northeast Regional Champion Catarina Rocha of Peabody, Mass. This group stayed together until Rohrer (left) made her move at the two-mile mark (11:10) to take the lead and claim the title in 17:25. Three-time national finalist Rocha surged past Hauger and Colter in the final ten meters to place second in 17:29. Hauger finished third in 17:30, and Colter finished fourth in 17:30.
The boys’ race was dominated by a group of runners that included all four regional champions – Edward Cheserek (Northeast), Sean McGorty of Fairfax, Va. (South), Jake Leingang of Bismarck, N.D. (Midwest), and Benjamin Saarel of Salt Lake City, Utah (West). McGorty led for most of the race until Cheserek made his move when the group reached the course’s large hill. By the time the group reached the bottom of the hill, Cheserek had gained the lead and powered his way over the final 400 meters to win in 14:59. McGorty placed second in 15:05, Leingang placed third in 15:07, and Saarel finished fourth in 15:13. Cheserek becomes the fourth boy to repeat as FLCCC National Champion.
The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships is comprised of four regional 5K races, which took place across the country in the Midwest (Kenosha, Wis.), Northeast (Bronx, N.Y.), and South (Charlotte, N.C.) on Saturday, Nov. 24, and the West (Walnut, Calif.) on Saturday, Dec. 1, culminating in the National Finals.
34th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
San Diego, CA, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012
BOYS
1) Ed Cheserek 12 Northeast St. Benedict’s Prep. School Newark NJ, 14:59
2) Sean McGorty 12 South Chantilly H.S. Fairfax VA, 15:05
3) Jake Leingang 12 Midwest Bismarck H.S. Bismarck ND, 15:07
4) Benjamin Saarel 12 West Park City H.S. Salt Lake City UT, 15:13
5) Jacob Thomson 12 South Holy Cross H.S. Louisville KY, 15:14
6) Sam Wharton 12 Midwest Tippecanoe H.S. Tipp City OH, 16:19
7) Aaron Templeton 11 South Hardin Valley Academy Knoxville TN, 15:29
8) Ryan Kromer 12 Midwest Hudson H.S. Hudson WI, 15:30
9) John Lawson 12 West Sir Francis Drake H.S. Forest Knolls CA, 15:31
10) Zachary Perrin 12 West Flathead H.S. Lakeside MT, 15:32
GIRLS
1) Anna Rohrer 10 Midwest Mishawaka H.S. Mishawaka IN, 17:25
2) Catarina Rocha 12 Northeast Peabody Veterans Memorial H.S. Peabody MA, 17:29
3) Maria Hauger 12 Midwest Shakopee H.S. Shakopee MN, 17:30
4) Jordyn Colter 10 Midwest Cherry Creek H.S. Centennial CO, 17:30
5) Karis Jochen 12 South A&M Consolidated H.S. College Station TX, 17:36
6) Sophie Chase 12 South Lake Braddock Secondary Burke VA, 17:42
7) Anna Holdiman 12 Midwest Waverly-Shell Rock Senior H.S. Waverly IA, 17:43
8) Marissa Williams 10 West Palisades Charter H.S. Los Angeles CA, 17:43
9) Bobbie Burgess 12 Midwest West Lafayette Senior H.S. West Lafayette IN, 17:46
10) Hannah Long 10 Midwest Eureka H.S. Pacific MO, 17:47
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