Many of the finest high school runners in the nation will be in Seattle this weekend for Brooks PR Invitational, which will be held at the Dempsey Indoor Track on the campus of the University of Washington. The girls’ Two Mile alone is loaded & will take on the look of a Foot Locker National Cross Country reunion, when the runners toe the line. There will be eleven former Foot Locker qualifiers including Chelsey Sveinsson of Texas, who finished second in the event in 2009. Although hindered by injury during the fall, if healthy, she will be a real threat. Molly Grabill of California, who placed ninth at Foot Locker in 2010 & then followed that with a second place finish in the US Junior meet earlier this month will also be one to watch. Molly will represent the US in the World Cross Country Championships next month in Spain.
Julia Foster is another Foot Locker runner but she is also coming off a 7th place finish last weekend in Trinidad, where she represented the US in the NACAC (North America, Central America & Caribbean Athletic Championships) meet. Julie Nacouzi placed third last fall at Foot Locker & has also earned a berth in the World XC championships & will represent the US. Allison Woodward of Wisconsin placed 6th at Foot Locker & is another to watch.
Others with Foot Locker experience include two-time finalist Wesley Frazier, who was 9th in 2009, Kathryn Fleur, Erin Finn (7th), Shannon Osika (8th), Joanna Thompson (10th) & Kayla Beattie of Illinois, who was 12th plus Colleen Schmidt of NY, who had an off day in the NE Regional last fall but was a finalist in 2009. Included in the field are a number of runners, who competed in the Nike meet last fall: Katie Knight , who placed 8th at NTN & won the mile at the Portland Track Festival last spring, Amy-Eloise Neale (third at NTN) & Delaware’s Haley Pierce (5th). Also included in the field is 2011 Millrose Mile Champion & Emily De la Bruyere of New York.
The boys’ field in the two mile is strong, yet not as loaded as the girls’ is, especially without Lukas Verzbicas, who had been expected to run by some. Leading the way is Californian Ammar Moussa, who recently qualified for his 2nd US Junior team. The winner of Woodbridge, Clovis, Stanford & Mt. SAC Invitationals last fall in XC also placed 4th at NTN & will be tough to beat. Tony Smorgawiecz of Rapid City is another to watch especially after his third place finish at Foot Locker following the mud of Portland for NTN. Other Foot Locker finalists include sophomore Andrew Gardner of Spokane (4th at FL) Darren Fahy (Mt. Carmel winner), Eddie Owens of NY (8th) & Scott Morgan (19th after third place finishes at Foot Locker South & Great American). NTN runners include Sam Pons, Anthony Armstrong & Vince Hamilton. Jeremy Elkaim of New Jersey is also rumored to be on board & his 8:46 would make him one to watch.
Hannah Cunliffe of nearby Federal Way is a newly minted National Record Holder after her excellent 7.47 in the 60 Meters at Simplot established a record for freshman girls. She will match strides with Kendall Baisden, who has the fastest PR, with her 7.46. Aaliyah Brown ran 7.52 in the 2010 Nike Indoor Championships to claim second but it is a 60 & the start is a prerequisite. Deserea Bryant of Milwaukee has run 6,85 for 55 Meters, so she also is a favorite in the event. Kendell Williams of Georgia leads the field with 8.12 in the 60M Hurdles. For the guys Marvin Bracy of Florida has the top time of 6.24. This, like the short hurdles is a very difficult race to gauge as most runners do not have indoor standards at the distance but Damiere Byrd has run 6.76 & Darian Brooks just won Simplot with his 6.85.
Mile fans will enjoy a quality field with Elias Gedyon in theory leading the way. He has a PR of 4:05 & won the Portland Track Festival last summer with his 4:08. Omar Kaddurah of Michigan (4:07) & Jack Driggs of Illinois (4:08) would seem to be his top threats yet Foot Locker qualifiers Chris Walden (5th), Jantzen Oshier (22nd), Ryan Pickering (9th) and Blake Williams (18th after 2nd at FL South) should have much to say. Kenji Bierig, Washington State XC Champion & 10th at NTN plus the winner of the Oregon-Washington Border Clash, must be included in the mix as well as Ammar Moussa, who looks to double. For the girls there is Maddie Meyers, a Foot Locker finalist for the second straight year, who won the Jim Ryun Mile last June with her 4:41. She is joined by Foot Locker qualifiers Eleanor Fulton & Catrina McAlister (third at the Portland Track Festival). Kelsey Margey, 2nd in NY to Aisling Cuffe & 20th at NTN, Ajee Wilson of New Jersey (4:45) & Lindsay Crevoiserat, who won the New England championship after scoring in Connecticut & has run 4:49. For those, who believe that running is in the genes, there is Katrina Coogan, who has Olympians, Mark & Gwen Coogan in her corner. She has run 4:49 too! Amy-Eloise Neale appears ready to double & her 2:13 800M speed makes her dangerous if it comes down to a kick.
The 800 Meter Run for young ladies promises to be a version of rocketron, if split-takers are correct. The word is that Kimberly Mackay ran a relay leg of 2:00.59. No disrespect to New York’s McKay, but we have known coaches, who can make the taking of splits less than shall we say scientific, yet she has been clocked in 2:07, which is quite impressive in its own right. On paper the top time coming in is the 2:04 by New Jersey’s Ajee Wilson, while just behind her are 2:08 times by Shelby Houlihan of Sioux City, Iowa & Taylor Hatfield of Ohio. Molly McNamara has run 2:09 & she can go the distance, as evidenced by her 4:57 mile PR & her victory in the Nike NE Regional. Baylee Mires of Spokane has run on the track like Maddie Meyers, which gives her a bit of an advantage & this will be her college track next year too! Not to be forgotten is Jenna Westaway, who just scored at Simplot with her 2:12. For the guys there would seem to be great parity with times of 1:50 being owned by Nick Kaiser of Michigan, Austin Mudd of Indiana & Kyle Thompson of Texas. Right behind are Quamel Prince of Tennessee & Myles Andrews of Long Beach, Ca. with 1:51. And the rest of the field is less than a second behind. To pick the winner here is to take a chance at a state lottery.
The young men’s 400 Meters featured yet another national Record-holder, although Najee Glass earned his in the 500 Meters at New Balance. Oneal Wanliss of Atlanta has run 47.33 yet his PR is barely ahead of Joshua Washington of Texas & Arman Hall of Fort Lauderdale. Nolan Mayhew of Colorado & Michael Newton of Georgia are just a tad behind them. As they say at Saratoga Racetrack: “pick em!” The girls’ 400M would seem to have Kendall Baisden of Michigan having a slight edge. She became the first run to break 53 seconds in State history (girls, of course). Still her time of 52.59 leaves scant margin for error, as Christine Ezumeh of California & Raevyn Rogers of Houston should be breathing down her neck. Courtney Okolo & Akawkaw Ndipagbor are not far behind. Also in the mix is Sage Watson, who placed 2nd last weekend at Simplot with 54. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Sage is the Canadian Record-Holder for the under-seventeen 400M & that was before she ran last weekend.
Good luck to all the young competitors & thanks to Brooks for putting on a Foot Lockeresque event in Seattle. We look forward to great times and new friends. If you can make it, this meet promises much and track fans should have much to look back on as time passes.
Hannah Cunliffe at UW 2011