WASHINGTON TAKES 7TH TITLE IN THE 9TH ANNUAL NIKE BORDERCLASH
The Top 160 High School Runners from Oregon and Washington
Compete For Pacific Northwest Bragging Rights; Series Now Stands at 7 - 2
Beaverton, Oregon – November 18, 2007 – An estimated crowd of 2,000 gathered Sunday on the Nike Campus and watched as Team Washington won the ninth annual Nike BorderClash competition. The competition featured two separate races, one for the girls and one for the boys. Miles Unterreiner of Gig Harbor, Washington, won the boys’ race with a time of 14:34:34 and Nicole Cochran of Tacoma, Washington took first in the girls’ race with a time of 16:23.70. Each team’s girls’ and boys’ scores were then combined to determine which state would be crowned "Champion of the Border." The series now stands at 7-2, Washington.
Nike BorderClash is a cross country showdown to determine the best running state in the Pacific Northwest. The annual event features the elite high school runners from Oregon and Washington in a dual meet format. Forty girls and forty boys from each state are selected each year based upon their finishes at their respective state cross country championships. Staunch competitors during the race season, athletes from each state join together to rally as one team under their state’s flag. Nike elite athletes Michelle Sikes and Matt Tegenkamp were in attendance to cheer on the talented runners.
“As a company founded by runners, Nike has had a long-standing passion for cross country,” said Josh Rowe, Nike Youth Running Sports Marketing Manager. “BorderClash is a great way to honor the strong rivalry that exists between Oregon and Washington and to showcase some of the best runners in the country.”
As in years past, Sunday’s race featured a unique and exciting “Braveheart” style format; drum bands heightened the atmosphere as each team started on separate starting lines, ran directly toward the other team for the first 100 meters and then merged onto the 4.4K course through Nike’s campus. Along with an overall grand trophy awarded to Washington, trophies were awarded to the top 10 finishers in both the boys’ and girls’ races. The championship trophy will now reside in Niketown Seattle until next year’s competition.
About Nike, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon, USA is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan® a leading designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for the value retail channel.
For race results and further details, visit: www.borderclash.com