Official Footlocker (Champs Sports) 2022 Discusion Thread

On the girls side I feel like its Shea's to lose. I dont see anyone in the lineup that could match her best effort with Riggs not running and Engelhardt still recovering. But we know how Shea goes. Her ceiling is a new course record. Her floor is a DNF. Hoping for the former.

I agree on your assessment. She should run this smart and not push too early let somebody like Baloga set the pace. She does try to go too hard from the gun some times.

Neither the boys or the girls will get anywhere near the course records that were set back in the 1980's.

Boys - Winning time 14:58

1. Kole Mathison

2. Hunter Jones

3. Simeon Birnbaum

4. Rocky Hansen

5. Benne Anderson

Kyle Mathison is the top returner and was the top runner at NXN, so he's my favorite.

Hunter Jones also has really good shot to win. He seems like the kind of guy who would be pissed about his sub par performance at NXN, and he will come storming back to try and prove his number #1 ranking from a few weeks ago was legit.

Rocky Hansen will probably stay back and try to win with his kick. That might work if the front runners go out too fast and they get tired on the 2nd time up the big hill.

Girls - Winning time 17:16

1. Ellie Shea

2. Karrie Baloga

3. Sadie Engelhardt

4. Sofia Kennedy

5. Tatum David

This should come down to Ellie Shea vs Karrie Baloga. Ellie Shea is in better shape but I think Karrie Baloga is better prepared for this race since she's finished near the top twice and she has run a lot more cross country races in her high school career.

Ellie Shea has never finished this race so she doesn't understand how to run the last .6 on this course. Nothing prepares you for the big hill the 2nd time like actually doing it in a race.

Sadie Engelhardt missed some training time this fall due to illness and I'm not sure she has had enough time to get back to full strength yet. She might be the early favorite for next year.

Sofia Kennedy will make this an interesting race since she said this is a first place or bust race for her. It will be interesting to see what kind of race strategy Sofia and her dad have cooked up to try to make her get first place.

true although she ran the regional nicely. sat back comfortably in third for much of the race and let Baloga and Macchia duel it out in the front before blasting past both of them in the final third and winning easily. so maybe shes learning. shes so used to running against pros and college age women that it was almost like she felt she should be blowing high school competition away from the gun. so that qualifying race was a promising change from that approach.

she said that? against this competition? thats quite a bar shes set for herself. love the attitude but does she feel she needs to win this because her dad was a former Footlocker champ? Would be awesome but I dont see it happening. Frankly, I was mildly surprised with her high finish at NXN. And finishing top ten at both NXN and Champs back to back would be super impressive and a great way to end her high school career even if she doesnt win.

Speaking of Bob Kennedy, Im sure having a dad like that is helpful. but it can also be an albatross for a kid. I dont think Ive ever once seen an interview with her where her dad wasnt brought up in the questioning. I imagine it can get a little annoying when youve just won a big race and the journalist wants to know what its like being the daughter of such a great runner.

Also, I am hearing that Tatum David has withdrawn. Can anyone confirm?

Milesplit reported that she has vestibular neuritis, an inflammation of the ear

il.milesplit.com

BREAKING: Tatum David Will Not Compete At Champs Sports Nats

Tony Jones

cross country runner extraordinaire Tatum David is out of this weekend\'s national meet

Link:il.milesplit.com/articles/325052/break...

Some recent posters have been suffering from valbicular neurotis.

Sofia Kennedy going for the win was told to me yesterday by a personal friend of hers. I guess if Ellie Shea and Karrie Baloga both have a bad race, anything is possible.

Another girl, who is only about the 10th best in the field, also told me she's going for the win. So I guess some of these girls are very optimistic. (I won't say her name because I'm going to try to talk her out of it this morning.)

I've been told that Tatum David is probably not going to run.

There was a girl in a boot yesterday who doesn't look like she's running today either. I didn't get her name.

Go Noe!

Karrie Baloga's entourage seemed very confident yesterday. One guy had a shirt that said "Karrie 3:16". The other guy's shirt said "Because Karrie said so" on it. As if she doesn't already have enough pressure on her.

And while most of the girls were having fun yesterday, Karrie seemed VERY serious.

Thoughts or comments about footlocker this year. Who do y’all have winning?

Hunter jones is winning. No question.

Nicki Southerland out too. Two big blows for the Midwest.

Did anyone else see Helen Sachs walking out with a boot on? Is she racing? If so, probably irresponsible of her coaches/family to let a sophomore race on an injured leg.

Guessing she's out but didn't want to miss these nice intros. Weather looks great. Coverage always good. Looking forward to this. 10 minutes to go time??

2:35 at 800. Baloga to the lead. Her 3rd time here.

5:17 at the mile. Stevens, Kennedy, O'Shea Noe all there besides Baloga. Fast!

O'Shea way better than Baloga on the downhills! Shea & Stevens still there.