Footlocker, NXN Regionals Today

Experiencing cross-country withdrawal symptoms since the Mass. State Meet? Not ready for Indoor Track yet? If you to stay outdoors for two more weeks, the XC season continues today with two big post-season events.

Van Cortland Park in the Bronx hosts the Footlocker Northeast Regional meet. There are events for freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors who want a chance to run the famed 5K course, and boys and girls championship races for those who want to qualify for the Footlocker National meet to be held December 13 in San Diego.

There will be dozens of runners from Massachusetts competing at VCP for a ticket to San Diego, including many of the top runners in the state:

Omar Aden and Ahmed Ali (Charlestown)
Brendon Aylaian and Coby Horowitz (Nashoba)
Jeff Bush (Wetborough)
Phil Galebach (Medford)
Johnny Gregorek (Seekonk)
Mike Moverman (Oliver Ames)
Zack Pietras (Ludlow)

Abbey D'Agostino (Masconomet)
Jenna Davidner (Oliver Ames)
Emily Jones (Bromfield)
Kristin Kasper (North Andover)
Emily Lanois (Hamilton-Wenham)
Camille Murphy (Framingham)

The Bay State league will be represented by Murphy (above), many of the top Wellesley boys, most of the Milton girls, Jake Newfield (Needham), and others.

Footlocker's home page is here: www.footlockercc.com

Meanwhile, the Northeast Regional Qualifier for the Nike XC Team Nationals (NXN) will take place at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls, NY today. Mass State Div I champs Newton South (girls) and Mansfield (boys) will compete, along with last year's girls regional champions, Lincoln-Sudbury. Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury are ranked 1-2 among girls teams in the Northeast Region.

Two other girls teams are ranked in the top ten for the region: Hamilton-Wenham (but will the Lanois sisters be running at Footlocker or at NTN Regionals?) and Philips Andover, winners of the New England Prep School Div I Championships.

Here's the NXN web site: www.runnerspace.com/nxn