The American high school cross country season came to a close at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego, Calif., where Edward Cheserek and Molly Seidel both won their first national high school cross country titles after breaking away late in their respective races.
Minutes into the Boy's Championship race, the two pre-race favorites in Cheserek of New Jersey and Futsum Zeinasellassie of Indiana, had established themselves towards the front of a large, tightly bunched lead pack. Through the mile, though, a surprising leader in C.J. Albertson had made his way out front, crossing in 4:48 with a comfortable lead.
Seconds later, Cheserek and Zeinasellassie came charging to the front, battling move for move, glancing at each other repeatedly as if to say "let's go." Up and down the rolling hills, the two exchanged leads as they moved away from the rest of the field, close to Ruben Reina's course record pace of 14:36.8 through halfway. Cheserek, in a
blue vest representing the Northeast, and Zeinasellassie, wearing the red of the Midwest, were all alone at two miles in 9:50.
Continuing to battle side by side, the duo kept trading the lead over the final mile, first Zeinasellassie, then Cheserek, then Zeinasellassie at the front. After crossing Jacaranda Place and battling up the largest hill of the course for the final time, Zeinasellassie gained a little ground. But Cheserek responded, surging fast and into the
lead once again.
On the ensuing downhill, Cheserek maintained his lead by a half meter. With 400 meters to go, the Kenyan from Newark, N.J., was still powering, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to check on Zeinasellassie. Just off of the leader's left shoulder, Zeinasellassie tried to sneak by, taking a wider turn than his counterpart.
But Cheserek would have nothing of it. Fending off a late charge was Cheserek, who completed his undefeated cross country campaign of 2011 with a 14:51.5 win.
"We stayed together and when we came down the second hill, I knew I could make it," said the quiet Cheserek in the post-race webcast interview. Only a junior, Cheserek attends St. Benedict's High School.
Zeinasellassie finished less than a second behind in 14:52.1. "Every time Cheserek threw a surge, I wanted to respond and go with him," said Zeinasellassie, who lists Meb Keflezighi as the person he would most like to meet.
Though Cheserek and Zeinasellassie only met for the first time on Thursday, the latter says both have become fast friends.
"I am proud of him and will be following him every week," he said.
BOYS - 1 Edward Cheserek 11 NE Newark, NJ (KEN) 14:51.5 2 Futsum Zeinasellassie 12 MW Indianapolis, IN (ERI) 14:52.1 3 Nathan Weitz 12 WE Spokane, WA 15:20.5 4 Jake Leingang 11 MW Bismarck, ND 15:21.2 5 Daniel Vertiz 12 SO San Antonio, TX 15:22.5 6 Andrew Gardner 11 WE Spokane, WA 15:23.1 7 Tony Smoragiewicz 12 MW Rapid City, SD 15:24.0 8 Joshua Brickell 11 SO Suwanee, GA 15:24.2 9 Thomas Graham 12 SO Cary, NC 15:24.4 10 Sean McGorty 11 SO Fairfax, VA 15:28.0 11 Dallin Farnsworth 12 WE Pocatello, ID 15:28.9 12 Ahmed Bile 12 SO Annandale, VA 15:29.2 13 Dustin Wilson 12 NE Philadelphia, PA 15:29.4 14 Craig Nowak 12 SO Cypress, TX 15:31.0 15 Matthew McClintock 12 NE Athens, ME 15:31.3 16 Timothy Ball 12 NE Piscataway, NJ 15:32.7 17 Darren Fahy 12 WE Carlsbad, CA 15:33.7 18 Connor Rog 12 NE Fairfield, CT 15:34.1 19 Jacob Thomson 11 SO Louisville, KY 15:41.5 20 Robert Domanic 11 SO Lewisville, TX 15:42.0 21 Daniel Lennon 12 NE Morrisonville, NY 15:43.7 22 Jonathan Green 11 NE Berlin, MA 15:45.4 23 Thomas Madden 11 SO Front Royal, VA 15:45.7 24 Christopher Allen 12 NE Norfolk, MA 15:46.7 25 Michael Clevenger 12 MW Decatur, IL 15:50.7 26 Malachy Schrobilgen 12 MW Oak Park, IL 15:52.3 27 Evan Chiplock 12 MW Saginaw, MI 15:52.8 28 Ryan Polman 12 MW Independence, OH 15:56.2 29 Sam Berger 12 MW Zionsville, IN 15:57.6 30 Luis Luna 12 WE Santa Rosa, CA 16:00.9 31 Cameron Miller 12 WE Bakersfield, CA 16:01.5 32 Addison DeHaven 10 MW Brookings, SD 16:02.6 33 Grant Nykaza 11 MW Beecher, IL 16:06.4 34 Billy Gaudreau 12 WE Dana Point, CA 16:07.0 35 Joel Hubbard 12 NE Marshfield, MA 16:09.4 36 CJ Albertson 12 WE Fresno, CA 16:15.9 37 Kevin Durham 12 WE Lake Forest, CA 16:20.8 38 Miles Smith 11 WE Lakewood, CA 16:21.8 39 Chris Godwin 12 SO Gainsville, FL 16:27.9 40 Blake Udland 12 NE Short Hills, NJ 16:53.9 Team Results: 1. South, 44 2. Midwest, 58 3. Northeast, 63 4. West, 63 GIRLS - 1 Molly Seidel 12 MW Hartland, WI 17:21.4 2 Erin Finn 11 MW W Bloomfield, MI 17:23.9 3 Laura Leff 10 NE Syracuse, NY 17:33.9 4 Abbey Leonardi 12 NE Kennebunkprt, ME 17:35.3 5 Karlie Garcia 11 WE Roseville, CA 17:35.6 6 Grace Tinkey 11 SO Macon, GA 17:37.0 7 Catarina Rocha 11 NE Peabody, MA 17:37.3 8 Kelsey Braithwaite 12 WE Perry, UT 17:38.4 9 Makena Morley 9 WE Bigfork, MT 17:39.1 10 Julia Bos 11 MW Rockford, MI 17:39.2 11 Sophie Chase 11 SO Burke, VA 17:44.2 12 Karis Jochen 11 SO College Sttn, TX 17:44.8 13 Angel Piccirillo 12 NE Homer City, PA 17:46.1 14 Lindsey Burdette 12 MW Horton, MI 17:55.1 15 Alexandria Fons 10 MW Franklin, WI 17:56.7 16 Megan Moye 12 SO Moseley, VA 18:01.8 17 Nikki Hiltz 11 WE Aptos, CA 18:04.0 18 Cali Roper 12 SO Conroe, TX 18:04.1 19 Olivia Ortiz 11 SO Bradenton, FL 18:05.9 20 Nicole Mello 11 MW Columbia, MO 18:06.4 21 Maria Hauger 11 MW Shakopee, MN 18:06.6 22 Camille Chapus 12 WE PfcPalisades, CA 18:07.9 23 Jordan McPhee 10 WE Normandy Prk, WA 18:13.7 24 Anna Maxwell 10 WE Felton, CA 18:14.5 25 Taylor Manett 12 MW Rockford, MI 18:16.1 26 Sydney Scott 12 MW Idaho Sprngs, CO 18:17.2 27 Clare Carroll 10 WE Folsom, CA 18:17.7 28 Holly Bischof 12 NE Hainsport, NJ 18:17.9 29 Samantha George 12 SO Raleigh, NC 18:18.9 30 Alexis Panisse 12 NE Bellrose, NY 18:19.2 31 Kaylee Flanagan 11 MW Roselle, IL 18:19.4 32 Sydney Segal 11 WE BeverlyHills, CA 18:20.7 33 Hannah Oneda 12 NE Wesminster, MD 18:21.0 34 Alana Hadley 9 SO Charlotte, NC 18:22.0 35 Lily Williams 12 SO Tallahassee, FL 18:29.1 36 Caroline Kellner 12 NE Wst Windsor, NJ 18:32.1 37 Emily Nist 12 WE Meridan, ID 18:34.3 38 Bridget Blake 11 SO Orlando, FL 18:36.1 39 Tori Gerlach 12 NE Perkasie, PA 18:37.3 40 Meredith Speakman 12 NE Carlisle, PA 18:45.6 Team Results: 1. Midwest, 42 2. Northeast, 52 3. West, 61 4. South, 63