2019 Foot Locker-Eastbay Cross Country Championships Girls Race

level girls race the International already so it is an experience field certainly at this time Kari what are they thinking about right now oh they're just so ready for that gun to go off you know it's it's so nerve-wracking up until that point I mean even during the race you know you try not to think so much you know your strategy you've been visualizing and so I think right now if you just want to get their toe on that line and hear the gun go up they've been shaking their legs out doing some pre-race traditions and a few of them talking to each other a lot of them it seems like they're just getting in that zone they really are it is a course that's demanding they've got to be ready for the challenges up it's a true cross country of course I think Solomon Carter said well you know if you're a track runner this isn't for you you got to be a cross-country runner here well the course is looking pretty green in front of us I'll tell you that it looks beautiful and it's a beautiful day I went for a quick run this morning just because I could take it anymore I wanted to feel like my old self and you know there you're gonna have a beautiful day out here to race and they will never forget this moment okay in terms of the start how important is this to getting off to two on the right foot for from any of them I think it's good to get out you have to get out and you really see the history of this course and this race the people that are up front really are the ones that stay up there so they have to get out but they have to stay within themselves to tackle that second lap well they aren't runners who are used to being behind that's for sure not only being behind but not being around a lot of people that's what's interesting all sudden you find yourself right with them let's go down to the field [Applause] the 2019 footlocker girls national championship race and right to the front carry you said it's important to get out well Mia Barnett the West regional champion in that light green out well Caitlin Hart we said there's a few things you could count on and one of them Oh be that Caitlin Hart will go right up there and we'll push that pace you know Caitlin Hart has been second here two years in a row and in very powerful races I mean she is one heck of an athlete you set it on the way over here Tim she runs on the track and she breaks ten minutes almost every single time she runs at 3200 I just believe that she is somebody that likes to be in command I kind of like to race like that to that she's she's comfortable up there and she feels good up there yeah Stephen you asked about the course it is pretty open it there isn't a real sharp turn here until we get past the first quarter mile a little bit of a downhill start here go for about a core mile if you're new first time you've seen that this course it's downhill for the first quarter that make a big u-turn in what's called the dog park loop then they'll make a long stretch a slight uphill look at our half mile split and then we'll head over to the other half of the course we'll go that that's kind of uphill and downhill then to the big hill and then we'll come back and do it all again so here we talked about it's a great question of course and we said if it goes out fast we're gonna have a great time and it is going out fast you've been talking about a lot of these young athletes that are running under 17 minutes and we could have quite a few today if they do kind of keep that pressure on but there's a lot of athletes that are very good over the 800 meters in this race there's such a wide range and you know you have to keep that in mind if there's an athlete that has a 210 or has a 212 800 meter time they are very good sprinters too so you have to keep in mind that yes you want to go out hard but you have to have a little something to be able to kick off that downhill and that looks like gram taking that pace out very quickly here from the South we do have that competition between the regions here and as we can see the Northeast going out very quickly also as a group but this is going to be a very fast first 800 here katelyn heart right up in it let it through the first 800 last year and is right there with our leaders as they come up through so we're heading to the half mile here coming up the road here aren't coming out to the lead here she was 233 last year right the art but Bethenny Graham from the south very excited has moved out very quickly pushing that pace and we're coming up we'll get 1/2 mile split as we mentioned art 233 last year at the half oh my gosh to 26 to 26 at the first 800 so last year a record pace and we are 7 8 seconds faster than that Kerry this has gone out back well last year we did have a little bit of a rain the first night in town on Friday night so I actually Thursday night so the course might have been a little bit slower but they are going hard you know all of these athletes know how fast everyone is in the field we've been talking a lot about times but this is where Caitlin wants to be let's not forget to mention though that Sophia Dudek is in 3rd right now she's coming from Europe where she ran in Portugal and she's now running internationally so she's used to this travel and she's used to running with you know different people from all over the country so she's right there in 3rd but all the big big names that we've talked about in the the pre-race year chatter are up front yeah we got Starla / and Massarelli are two big guns from the Northeast they were faster than Hart was last year at 800 and they're running in 9 and 10 right now so it is very fast you got to believe that some of these girls this is going to be a little bit too fast others it's going to be the race of their life here but it is Kaitlyn Hart as we said boy oh boy she does like TIG she only knows one gear she puts the hammer down and charges and she is charging again well they just got a nice little boost here as they ran through the most crowded section in terms of spectators of the course and now they're going downhill get ready for the second part of the course Tim which can be the most challenging yes even that's a great point you get such a huge crowd here as they come by everybody's so excited and then this is the only part where they get a little bit away from the crowd but boy you got to believe that the Midwest girls have been talking they have gone out well and right up front we set the big four hearts up in their keyword starting to move well right up on Dudek and Vander coy the sophomore coming up as we mentioned the third fastest freshman ever on this course and then Starla / and Massarelli just a little bit back with a little bit different strategy but you got to leave the Midwest girls Kerry may be talking about this that we're gonna go out like this well last year I believe they had 20 points to take the team title and they like having that team title I know this is about individuals here but when you get back to the dowel later on tonight and you talk about the team title there's a lot of bragging rights that go with that as well all right well let's look at these markers as we go coup because this is a great benchmark it was Kaitlyn last year who took that pace out as she went through that first mile last year at 5:13 513 through that first mile and we are already coming to the road so we're going to be a little bit fast and that looks like 500 my gosh 509 for the first mile that is sub 17 minute pace only 7 girls have ever broke in 17 minutes on this pay on this course and so they are out at that pace in their Starla pert and Massarelli working a little bit together here in the blue and so they'll be kin those midwest girls hold that pace and can the Northeast girls get up in it they're making a move this is a very steep hill as we mentioned the first part of it about 120 meters as you can see very steep then they make a right turn and then about another 200 meters as kind of a back and forth as a gradual upgrade the whole hill itself just about 340 meters from top to bottom and then they'll fly very steep takes them about Oh a minute and a half to get up and about 30 seconds to get down it's deceiving how steep that hill is you really don't get a good picture of it even with the video here they are but as I see them in person and you watch them wind around there you get an idea just how much of an uphill climb this is you know Marc Watts our East Bay representative that was here earlier ran yesterday he said he had to walk that I have to give him are some props there at least getting it out there but I'm going up that course Hart right up in there so we're going Midwest one two three four hard then Dudek Vander coy moves up right there with II worked Hudson still running very well our software from the South trying to get up in it Bethany Graham took that pace out early still she's in the top seven and moving up Starla / Massarelli Kate Weiser from Papa raagh also this is what he said about the steep downhill you really got to know how to run downhill so it doesn't take too much out of you we've seen some great runners we remember Reed round a couple years ago out of Texas flying on this downhill he was able to relax and still take the lead but Caitlin Hart this could be wire-to-wire that's her goal here the Midwest still one two three four then now just two got about a quarter mile before they come back Dudek keyword and Vander coy running there in one two three four and star Lipper and Massarelli oh my gosh we said there were six girls there they are there's the big six and they'll come across the road the first time we're on record price we could see sub 17 the conditions are perfect my goodness Kerry this is really a move we wondered would somebody take it out she has you know I wasn't so convinced that she was gonna lead hard like this I thought she'd be up in the lead but she is truly on a mission right now to put the hammer down to run a little bit of a speed out of these ladies you know she is right now leading this race and the two that I think she was probably most concerned about were the ones from the Northeast starlet / and mash rally and they are well behind her but they have each other to work with each other to you know reel this in a little bit and I think that's smart if they can do that think about each other kind of take the pressure off themselves to think about that team aspect but right now Kaitlyn her katelyn heart looks great just like she did last year Hart Dudek and Vander coy Ebert here comes Starla / Massarelli and Hutchins that's the top seven to give unite in the split Hart last year eight minutes at the road 756 this time so we're still four seconds ahead of that torrid pace from last year this is certainly record pace in any one of those seven girls right there could be our 2019 national champion this isn't going to be a race for the last mile this is going to be an endurance test it's sort of like Prefontaine always used to say I may not be the fastest oh I'm gonna be the toughest and you gotta love Caitlyn Hart she runs like Steve Prefontaine it's I'm gonna go if you think you can go with me go with me but you're gonna have to pay the price and she is making people pay the price right now you would have thought somebody would have made that gap Carey well Tim what does she have to lose she has been the runner-up here for two years that forever is an amazing stat and she can found that for the rest of her life so why not go for the win right like for her it only it only gets better if you get that win so I think this is smart for her she's so talented over all distances she is a 210 800 meter run her she's a 430 port let me see 444 39 1,600 meters she's a 956 2 mile like come on she is so talented and she's also sub-17 5000 meter runners so Kalyn heart knows how to run can she beat all these ladies that's the big question but she's going for it today oh my goodness let's kind of go through where we our hearts are leader that's Dudek right there just a couple of yards back and Vander coy a little bit more and star Lipper starting to move up there now Sarla / moving up well looks like she has moved into fourth key word into fifth Vasarely is in six our defending champion Hutchins the sophomore from the south and seventh gram boy she made that start she's hanging tough there after almost two miles she's still in eighth and then Santos the senior from Darby High School in Ohio in ninth and now as you see Dudek moving up on the shoulder of Hart they came by two miles last year Hart was still a leader at 10:50 this is where Massarelli made her move has started to catch up we'll get a two-mile split in just a moment but they're starting to separate a bit here SAR lebra's got a little work to do I think it's great for Starla / though to have these people to look at one thing that we have to mention those not a returner she's our only one right now on the top that is not a returner but she is the only one that's beat Kaitlyn Hart or she beat her at the nxn regional race so you know these two have a history and they want to help each other but they also want to beat each other about people talking about you know run your own race yeah at what point do you have to start worrying about running somebody else's race if you want to get into that top position well right now Kaitlyn Hart has been leading and so for somebody to come up on your shoulder and actually be one step in front she has to regroup but check out these two mile times all right so last year to give you an idea Hart 1050 at two miles Dudek and Hart just came by at 10:43 we're not getting slower we're getting faster here oh my gosh that hill is going to be long the second time here they come oh my gosh Starla for closing the gap we're going to have four girls go across the road we are set up for a great last mile Dudek Hart Vander coy Starla / e word in fifth and Massarelli trying to move up in there but it is those four across the road any one of these could win the national championship and Vander coy now moving up not a senior but experienced and even though we said Dudek has not been enforced she's raised internationally just fifth in the under junior European Championships just two weeks ago in Lisbon so all these girls very experienced you know one thing right now we have to keep in mind Vander coy only a sophomore she was third here last year but she is very confident she doesn't have as many track you know stats as the other girls but she's only a sophomore she's run 1004 over two miles she is very talented and has every right to be up front oh my star looper the only lone athlete in the blue has moved up very nicely didn't have to make the big move ride up in it that's Bandar coy and Dudek running shoulder-to-shoulder a step back and you can see Starla / the only one in the blue and heart right there in that group this will be the last really flat part that we get right here about 250 meters till we get to the big hill the hill is going to separate this race Starla part not real thrilled with me reminding her that she was 13th for the past two years she said can we move on from that I think she really is interested in the big the big one you know getting to the top of the podium today and she's run a really smart race you know there's little things that you watch for an athlete when they're racing she just wiped her sweat with her shirt right on her nose and some people think that's silly for us commit ators to talk about that but that to me shows that she's in control she's still able to think about what she's got going on she can feel the sweat on her nose so she's not so far into an oxygen debt yet that she's can't like quite feel what's going on around her or within her very interesting point there and for someone like myself who doesn't know anything about the ins and outs of racing and just wanted to see a good race I'm sitting here with my popcorn ready to go we go here we go this is the steep part of the hill here this is going to be a very tough part for these girls and that is Dudek taking lead but Starla / right under showed a little bit back and Vander coy and then heart but Dudek making the move Starla / right with her and Vander coy is trying to stay within striking distance he were still running in fifth and Massarelli still moving up heading up the hill they'll make the big turn here Starla / oh she may have measured this just right Kari she's moving well she looks really strong she's pumping her arms look at her knee drive she's been excited to come back to this course you know that she's been kind of haunted by that 13th place she it's a great place to be but when you're a senior and you've been there twice you want to get further up and she knows she can win this race this entire season she's been on fire oh that's the last of the hell they've crested the hill it'll be the steep downhill when they get to the bottom will have just about 450 meters to go to a national championship and it is Starla / who make the turn Dudek in second Vander coy in third and they have separated in on the downhill what a smart tough race barley Starla / the senior starting to move away the northern New York High School Brett at senior moving from Pennsylvania when she gets to the bottom 450 meters to go and we are looking at SEP 17 all the seven girls have ever broke in 17 minutes on this course and we look like we're on pace to do it again but Dudek not let her go Dudek is strong she has that speed as well but I think Starla / is so calm and collected right now she's been smiling all weekend she's been really excited this is fun for her and that's what you need to have you need to have the excitement and the fun in order to run really well we've seen it before a win and they just think they have it the second a third place runner makes a move and Dudek has not let her go Dudek still within 5 meters of his and here she comes oh my here we go Sofia do that with a huge move 350 meters to go and we're still just making the turn we saw this last year though we've seen girls come back even after they've been passed in Starla / staying close we're gonna have the last 165 metres that we all dreamed about here we go and we are on pace for a great race 3 miles that 16 12 that's 15 seconds faster than last year here we go down to stretch to Nick in the pink sterling / in the blue certainly were trying to come back Sophia - they're gonna try to hold that ball here she comes Marlee star looper coming back a hundred meters to go dude it with another move Sophia - did she pull it away oh my Sofia did it will be the 2016 footlocker national champion 60 46 oh my star looper 1648 oh my dudx official time 1645 one of the greatest races in history outstanding Bandar coin 16:55 oh my heart a great race she's going to finish in fourth key word and Hutchinson right there in five and six Massarelli a top seven finish for at 17 20 this is the fastest mass female race we've ever had in the footlocker national championship oh my Tim I had to get out of my seat there at that final there because is that is it possible to want both of them to win they're looking so hard up the finish there you know it is not in any way shape or form any kind of trying to make anybody feel good that they're all winners those three girls there to break 17 that's phenomenal that's the fastest mass finish in footlocker history and the crowd given a lot of cheering and support to our final runners who have gutted it out here on this course today you know Stephen we talked about it we're just in 18 minutes right now you know in almost every Invitational you go to throughout the year that girls race to run right away around 18 minutes is gonna win almost any Invitational but here those girls are running great and to hang in there off that pace oh my and that was a torrid pace all the way through Caitlyn are you got a lover boy did she go after she went hard puts it and they kept picking it up off that pace that's what's even more amazing yeah it was like it went they went the distance in boxing terms if we can pull it out from there what I'm just just always so enamored by is the fact that we have so many champions who come together and when they all somebody's got to win right so yeah it is a shame you're right there could only be one national champion Dudek is our national champion but boy oh boy you've just got to love these girls the way they ran again so we look at our all-time list there that is the fifth fastest in history it's the fastest second-place finish so that's number five and six all-time

Channel: footlockerxc

Views: 210,926

Rating: 4.8836737 out of 5

Keywords: Foot Locker Cross Country, Cross country running, high school sports

Id: GuJggqpdHuY

Length: 20min 45sec (1245 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 14 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/dadanknite]

That was so fun to watch, especially at the end.

[u/handacrazy]

Bruh this was lit

I was there lmao