The "Foot Locker Experience" is still alive as the annual gathering of the nation's best harriers enters its 37th year of existence.
Representatives from the Sunshine State participated in the inaugural Foot Locker competition in 1979, and over the years we've seen many Floridians make the annual trek, initially to Atlanta and then more recently to Charlotte, NC's McAlpine Greenway to compete for a spot in the national limelight and the right to be called a "Foot Locker Finalist".
Over the past 10 years, Floridians have won the Foot Locker South Championship Race once on the boys side (Jimmy Clark/Creekside/2010), and once on the girls side (Kathryn Fluehr/CSN/2010). 2010 was a good year !
We look back at the last 10 years to see how the top 5 Florida finishers in the Elite Seeded races fared after the racing was finished.
2006
Expectations for a slew of Florida girls making the trip to Balboa Park were sky-high with the likes of Wellington's Ashley Brasovan making waves nation-wide heading into the South Regional undefeated and posting a 16:41 early in the XC season at the Flrunners.com 7 Invitational. Unfortunately, Ashley was still learning the ropes of racing successfully at McAlpine Park with it's fast opening 800, narrow path and inability to use her exceptional hill running abilities to move up in qualifying position.
The boys expectations were somewhat subdued in 2006. P. K. Yonge's Michael Anderson did exactly what one does at McAlpine to qualify. He got out hard in the opening 800 and held his position finishing 8th to qualify for Nationals.
Top 5 Finishers in the Foot Locker South Championship Race
| Girls |
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| Finish |
Grade |
Name |
School |
Time |
Place |
College |
1600 |
3200 |
5K |
Major Accomplishments |
| 1 |
JR |
Emilie Amaro |
Cypress Bay |
17:15 |
3rd |
Stanford |
4:54.40 |
10:28.58 |
16:52 |
2-time Foot Locker Finalist - Foot Locker All-American (13th 2006) State Champion 1600 -SteepleChaser at Stanford - A cross country All-American and two-time Foot Locker national finalist - four-time Florida State runner-up in cross country |
| 2 |
SO |
Kayla Hale |
Holy Trinity |
17:19 |
6th |
Duke |
4:57.98 |
10:37.59 |
16:38 |
4 State XC Championships - 2nd of 3 Foot Locker National appearances - 4 time Florida state champion in the 3,200m... two-time 1,600m state champion...2008 and 2009 Nike Indoor National two-mile All-America...2007, 2008 and 2009 Footlocker finalist...2007 4x800m state champion...Commended National Merit Scholar...member of the Spanish Honor Society and the National Honor Society |
| 3 |
SR |
Hailey Neal |
King's Academy |
17:58 |
17th |
Florida/Liberty |
5:03.87 |
11:05.03 |
17:58 |
Missed majority of 2007 Outdoor Season - five-time state champion … won the 1,600 in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and took 3,200 titles in 2003 and 2005 - earned all-state honors in cross country all four years of high school. |
| 4 |
SO |
Ashley Brasovan |
Wellington |
18:01 |
19th |
Duke |
4:55.97 |
10:13.45 |
16:41 |
Failed to qualify in 2006 but 2007/2008 were different stories -2007 Foot Locker Cross Country National Champion...2008 Footlocker Cross Country runner-up - 2008 5K Nike Outdoor National Champion - four-time Florida 4A state cross country champion - three-time 3,200m state champion...2007 two-mile Nike Indoor National Champion...2007-08 Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year - National Honor Society member - AP Scholar. |
| 5 |
JR |
Margaret Traylor |
Episcopal |
18:23 |
35th |
Yale |
5:06.85 |
10:48.37 |
17:57 |
Led a powerful 1A/2A Epsicopal squad in their heyday - 2A Florida State Champion in the 1600m, and two-time State Champion in the 3200m...Lead leg of the state-champion 4x800 relay team...Led track team to a State Championship...Regional champion in cross-country...Scoring member and four-time captain of a three-time State Champion, nationally-ranked cross-country team...Attended the 2nd Annual Nike Team Nationals for XC...Ran the lead leg for the Indoor National Runner-Up team in the 4xMile, which earned All-American honors...Was track captain senior year. |
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| Finish |
Grade |
Name |
School |
Time |
Place |
College |
1600 |
3200 |
5K |
Major HS Accomplishments |
| 1 |
SR |
Michael Anderson |
P.K. Yonge |
15:12 |
8th |
Florida |
4:19.38 |
9:13.09 |
15:12 |
FLN Qualifier in 2006, Won multiple state titles including 1600, 3200, and XC |
| 2 |
JR |
Daniel Manco |
Ferguson |
15:31 |
19th |
Florida |
4:21.46 |
9:47.23 |
15:31 |
2007 Runner-up at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference, District 8 and Region 4 Championships - Placed third at the State Championship in 2007 - 2006 State Championship Runner-up-2006 Conference, District and Regional Champion-Falcons won the 2007 District and Regional Championship and took second in the State Championship-Named All-Dade Cross Country first team from 2005 to 2007-1,600m District Champion in 2006, 2007 and 2008 Region Champion in same event in 2005, 2006 and 2007-Finished fourth at the State Finals in 2006, 2007 and 2008-2007 800m District Champion-2006 3,200m District Champion-2006 1,600m GMAC Champion-Ran on the 4x800m relay team that placed third at the state meet in 2007-Relay team won the Region Championship in 2007 and the District Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008 … Holds records at John A. Ferguson High School for the 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m-Part of the 4x800 and distance medley relay teams who also hold the top record-Two-time nominee for Athlete of the Year in Miami Dade County-Most memorable moment in athletic career was being named Athlete of the Year at high school. |
| 3 |
JR |
Eric Larson |
P'ColaWashington |
15:39 |
30th |
Florida Southern |
4:25.70 |
9:22.81 |
15:09 |
2006 3A State XC Champion, 2007 3200m State Champion |
| 4 |
SR |
Geoffrey Anderson |
P.K. Yonge |
15:44 |
36th |
Florida |
4:31.52 |
9:37.40 |
15:44 |
4th 1A 3200m State Finals |
| 5 |
SR |
Phillip Woerner |
Gulliver Prep |
15:53 |
45th |
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4:24.97 |
9:29.00 |
15:53 |
2A 3200m State Champion |
2005 - 17 Nov
2006 - 18 Nov
2007 - 19 Nov
2008 - 20 Nov
2009 - 21 Nov
2010 - 22 Nov
2011 - 23 Nov
2012 - 24 Nov
2013 - 25 Nov
2014 - 26 Nov
