This Saturday, December 1st, will be a big day for high school runners from the Spokane area, as the region's top harriers head south for post-season meets in California and Oregon. Nearly 50 individuals will be competing in the Foot Locker West Regional Cross Country Championships at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) in southern California, racing against their counterparts from eleven other Western States. On the same day a boys team from North Central will try to put Spokane in the national spotlight again at Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon, a meet that North Central won in 2008. Nike Cross Nationals are held at Portland Meadows race track in a meet that features 22 of the nation's best high school cross country teams, with the winning team crowned the national champion.
2011 Foot Locker Group
The North Central Boys Cross Country team, meanwhileâa senior dominated team competing as North Spokane at National Cross Nationalsâis led by Kai Wilmot and Tanner Anderson. The team seeks to add further laurels to their fall campaign, which included a seventh consecutive state 3A title and a sixth straight Northwest Regional championship. North Central senior and future University of Washington Husky Katie Knight will also be toeing the line in Portland in an attempt to better her 3rd place individual finish of 2011.
For the twentieth straight year, over 30 Spokane-area runners had their airline tickets to the Foot Locker meet donated by the Lilac Bloomsday Association. The Bloomsday Association provides airline tickets and ground transportation to runners based on times at regional cross-country meets held in the fall.
"We are always impressed with the quality of talent coming from Spokane area high schools,â said Lilac Bloomsday Association president Carol Hunter. "Bloomsday is proud to be able to help these runners realize their dreams."
More information on the Foot Locker Regionals and Nationals may be obtained by logging on to www.footlockercc.com/west. Information on Nike Team Nationals is available at www.runnerspace.com/nxn.
Runners sponsored to Foot Locker Meet by the Lilac Bloomsday Association:
Girls
Boys
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