LetsRun.com picks Mark Denin to be Top 10

In LetsRun.com Foot Locker Boys' Preview, they pick Mark Denin to finish in the top 10. They use Bill Meylan of TullyRunners.com research to guide their predictions using his speed rankings.

Here is my top 10 for the World Famous LetsRun.com $200,007 Footlocker Prediction Contest.

Boys' Individual Picks
1. Christopher Derrick
2. German Fernandez
3. Donn Cabral
4. Colby Lowe
5. Brian Leung
6. Luke Puskedra
7. Jason Witt
8. Griffith Graves
9. Christopher Aldrich
10. CJ Brown

Girls' Individual Picks
1. Neely Spence
2. Jordan Hasay
3. Claire Durkin
4. Carly Seymour
5. Aurora Scott
6. Kathy Kroeger
7. Katie Flood
8. Emily Jones
9. Kauren Tarver
10. Emily Infeld

Foot Locker Northeast Regional Recap

Listen to the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Girls Race Preview which was featured on TalkShoe.com.

Foot Locker Northeast Regional Top Ten

Boys
1. Donn Cabral (CT) - 15:09
2. Mark Dennin (PA) - 15:24
3. Brian Leung (NJ) - 15:25
4. Pat DuPont (NY) - 15:26
5. Chris Aldrich (PA) - 15:27
6. Zach Rivers (NY) - 15:29
7. Vince McNally (PA) - 15:30
8. Brandon Jarrett (NJ) - 15:31
9. Andrew Brodeur (NJ) - 15:36
10. Andrew Judd (CT) - 15:40

Girls
1. Neely Spence (PA) - 17:37
2. Emily Jones (MA) - 17:41
3. Mary Champagne (NY) - 17:41
4. Carly Seymour (PA) - 17:46
5. Keely Maguire (MA) - 17:46
6. Emily Lipari (NY) - 17:48
7. Kacey Gibson (PA) - 17:51
8. Kath. McCafferty (NJ) - 17:53
9. Shelby Greany (NJ) - 17:56
10. Chelsea Ley (NJ) - 18:00

Complete results of all the races.

Foot Locker Top Ten Boys

1. Donn Cabral (CT) - 15:09
2. Mark Dennin (PA) - 15:24
3. Brian Leung (NJ) - 15:25
4. Pat DuPont (NY) - 15:26
5. Chris Aldrich (PA) - 15:27
6. Zach Rivers (NY) - 15:29
7. Vince McNally (PA) - 15:30
8. Brandon Jarrett (NJ) - 15:31
9. Andrew Brodeur (NJ) - 15:36
10. Andrew Judd (CT) - 15:40

More to follow later today.

Foot Locker Northeast Boys Radio Show and Predictions

Listen to the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Boys Race Preview which was featured on TalkShoe.com.

Our top 14 Predictions
1. Donn Cabral (Sr., Glastonbury, CT)
2. Vince McNally (Sr., Conestoga Valley, PA)
3. Sintayehu Taye (Sr., Cushing Academy, MA)
4. Brian Leung (Sr., W Windsor P South)
5. Brandon Jarrett (Sr., St. Benedict's, NJ)
6. Pat DuPont (Sr., Fairport, NY)
7. Alex McGrath (Sr., ConVal, NH)
8. Chris Aldrich (Sr., West Chester Henderson, PA)
9. Doug Smith (Jr., Gill St. Bernard, NJ)
10. Matt Kane (Sr., Warde, CT)
11. Kyle Merber (Sr., Half Hollow Hills West, NY)
12. Mark Dennin PA (Sr., Boyertown)
13. Nick Crits 5th (Sr., Wissahickon, PA)
14.Josh Izewski (Sr., Central Bucks East, PA)

Mid-East Regional Championships Results

Mark Denin's and Meghan Lutz's 3rd and 10th place finishes, respectively, each lead PA to a 4th place finish at the Mid-East Regional Championship. Denin continued to impress with another strong showing. Michael Fout (IN, 14:59) and Maverick Darling (MI, 15:05) both needed to better the course record (15:08) to beat Denin. He is no longer PA's best kept secret and will be someone to watch in Van Cortlandt Park on November 24th.

Lutz ran a strong race against a tough field. Lutz has been turning in some top notch performances as her season winds down. She was followed closely by Steph Fulmer in 14th. Claire Durkin (OH, 17:24) crushed the course record (18:04) by 40 seconds to earn the win in Ohio.

Boys Results
Girls Results

Setting the Stage

In a little over a week the best of the Northeast will do battle in New York, some at Van Cortlandt Park, while others will be at Bowdoin State Park. Here is a little background information of some of the top athletes that will represent PA at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.

The following lists are in alphabetical order. All photos are courtesy of Don Rich, PennTrackXC.com.

The Girls
Natalie Bower-Bower finished 4th for the 3rd time at States. Her freshman year fourth place finish lead her team to the AAA state title. Bower has dominated the WPIAL for the last 3 years. She has traveled to Van Cortlandt for the last two last years, but felt she hasn't been able to put it together in the city with 8 million stories. At the state meet, she was still undecided if she would go, but if she does expect to see her tough, Western PA, front running style in place as she vies for a trip to San Diego.

Kacey Gibson-Gibson narrowly missed making the trip to San Diego last year. Less than 4 seconds separated her from a weekend spent in cold, snowy, and windy Pittsburgh from the sun, sand, and beach of San Diego. She finished 12th, the 10th place finisher, Danielle Tauro, opted out of the trip, opening the door for the 11th palce finisher, Caroline Schultz. Gibson was the runner-up behind Seymour's record run this year, but was the XC champ in 2006. Look for her to end her final XC season with a bang and a trip to San Diego.

Meghan Lutz-This year's 5th place finisher in the AAA at the State XC meet is having a great season. This weekend she is leading the charge for PA girls in Ohio as they race the Mid-East Regional Championship. Lutz has over come last year's injuries t o produce a great senior campaign. It will be interesting to see how she recovers from the race in Ohio. That will determine how much of a factor she will be in the Bronx.

Kara Millhouse-The 2006 3200 state champ has had an amazing XC career. Her worst finish at states was 13th as a freshman and that was the only time she finished outside of the top ten. She finished 7th, 4th, and 3rd her sophomore, junior, and senior years respectively. And she is rounding into top form at the right time, which was indicated by her 18:47 clocking (35 second im at Van Cortlandt. The time was a new personal best on the course. The Cumberland Valley Athletic Club sends two strong representatives in Spence and Millhouse to NY.

Carly Seymour-Has been on a tear for the last three years. She finished in 58th place as a freshman then followed that up with 1st-2nd-1st (course record) over the next three years. She is the reigning 3200 AA State Champ. She has had a phenomenal senior season. It seems as if wherever she races, the course record falls. From her record at Vanny to the state meet. She accomplished her big goal of the season, leading her team to the AA team state title. Now it is on to the individual championships and the much awaited deul with Seymour. This will only be round 1.

Neely Spence-Undefeated in PIAA competition (2-time XC champ and reigning mile champ). The only reason she doesn't have more state titles is because the homeschooled participation didn't go into effect until her junior year. Spence only lost twice in high school competition during the 2006-07 season, 9th-place finish at Foot Locker Nationals and runner-up finish at Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 2-mile. She is the defending Foot Locker Northeast Regional Champion. And recently ran 17:18 over the 5k course at Vanny (23 seconds faster than her championship time from last year). Spence said she hopes the PA girls can challenge the young ladies from NY for the Northeast title, and I think she's right, this is their year.

Rachel Wong-Wong lead her team to the district 3 title and runner-up finish at the state meet(AAA). Although they are separate classifications, Wong has been close to Millhouse all season. Her 16th place finish was a little bit further back than expected, but she has had a strong season all year. At Mid-Penns she was unsure if her Northern York Polar Bear teammates would test the waters at NTN Northeast, she would run the Foot Locker Regional, or shut down for a few weeks and get ready for track.

The Boys
Chris Aldrich- He improved on last year's 4th place finish with runner-up honors this year. He has stated since the beginning of the season that his goal to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals. He has looked great this season and is in top form. In his debut race of the season at the Manhattan Invite, he was runner-up to Max Kaulbach by 11 seconds. He followed that with 15:02 victory at districts over Mark Denin. Then finished runner-up to Denin at States. He is fit and now that he has some strong races under his belt, very sharp. Look for that maroon and white uniform to be in the hunt when they emerge from the back hills.

Mark Denin-The AAA state champ dominated the field in Hershey. His victory was somewhat of a surprise since Vince McNally and Aldrich had both beaten him during the season. But he was undeterred and charged up and down the hills at Parkview with a sense of urgency as if he were a rider for the Pony Express delivering an important message. Similar to Lutz, Denin is taking his talents to OH to kept his winning streak alive and try to bring home another title to Boyertown. If he has some more in the tank for NY, he will no longer be a surprise, but on the list of the ones to watch.

Max Kaulbach-Kaulbach was in NY last Sunday as well tuning up for the weekend of the 24th. He sped to a 15:43, 11 seconds faster than he ran for a 25th-place finish last year. He would definitely be a factor at Foot Lockers, but he has bigger goals on his mind as he leads his team into the first ever Nike Team Nationals Northeast Regional. Germantown Friends has been dominant all year, only suffering one defeat to the hands of #3 ranked Danbury(CT). Kaulbach will be missed at Vanny, but we wish him and his team the best of luck in Bowdoin State Park.

Vince McNally-McNally finished 13th at last year's regional. He missed the 10th place spot by 8 seconds. Ever since then he has been pretty much unbeatable in PA. He was the AAA state champ in the mile. Then he took his show on the road to Greensboro, NC where he finished third in his with 4:08.99. His time would end up being good enough for 6th place and his first All-American honor. He tore through the XC season and demolished all foes he faced, but during the week of states he came down with an intestinal flu that left him weak and a little flat. He was with Denin when they broke away from Aldrich, but the flu had taken too much out him, and he struggled home to finish 18th. He is healthy again so he will be rock in the city that never sleeps. McNally has been ranked in the MileSplit Foot Locker Power Rankings all year. Look for him to bounce back and live up to his ranking and more.

Many more from PA will run, but these are some of the top athletes PA has to offer in our eyes. There is a chance that not all of these athletes will participate, but these were the names that stood out to us throughout the season. We didn't mean to slight anyone if we left you off the list.

Tune into our TalkShoe Talkcasts on Sunday and Monday as we preview the girls and boys Foot Locker Northeast Regional, respectively. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday we will preview the Nike Team Nationals Northeast girls and boys regional, respectively, as well.

It will be a great day of racing no matter what NY location you choose. So enjoy that special day because it will be one to remember.

Mid-East Regional Championship

The Mid-East Cross Country Championships are Saturday, Novemeber 17th in Kettering, OH. Teams from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will look to take home the title and recognition of being the best in Mid-East Region. Pennsylvania will be lead by Mark Denin and Meghan Lutz.

MileSplit's Race Preview

Mid-East Regional XC Championships

Pennsylvania named its team for the Mid-East Regional Championship held in Kettering, OH. AAA State Champ, Mark Denin, and Philadelphia Catholic League Champ, Dan Lowry, will lead the way for the boys team. While Meghan Lutz, 5th place in AAA States, and Caitlin Storbeck, Philadelphia Catholic League Champ, are the front runners for the girls. Good Luck PA and bring home some trophies.

PA Roster
Meet Web site

A Preview of the District Meets

Well this is the next big weekend of racing. All of the top kids made it through Week 1 of the championship stretch, Conference Championships, with flying colors. Now we are onto the District Championships which serve as the qualifier for the state meet.

Runners to watch by district:

District 1
On the girls side, Meghan Lutz seems to be hitting her stride. She ran 18:08 to win her conference meet and serve notice that she is ready for the stretch run. On Friday she will take aim against the rest of the district in Bethlehem, PA, at the spectator-friendly course of Lehigh University. She will have stiff competition from several girls, but she looks to be ready for the task.

Chris Aldrich is the favorite for the boys. His second place finish at the New Balance Manhattan College XC Invite, was a great opener. Coach Kelley said they have been putting in a great deal of quality work, and they will use this race to test the waters a bit. Alrdich will be challenged mainly by Mark Denin of Boyertown, who is having a fine season as well.

District 3
Our largest contingent of potential Foot Locker qualifies lies in the heart of PA (District 3 and 6). In girls AAA, Neely Spence is the favorite. At Mid-Penns she said she tries to use each race as an indicator of her fitness. Look for a very controlled effort from Spence as she is supremely focused on the end of the next three meets (PIAA Championship, Foot Locker Northeast, Foot Locker Championships). Her biggest competition will come from Rachel Wong who will try to lead the Northern York Polar Bears to the district team title. Northern York is looking like they are the team to beat for the state title as well.

Kara Millhouse will look to move up one spot to the top of the podium in the girls AA race, as she finished in second place last year. Kara should be relatively unchallenged which will allow her to use this as tune-up for next weekend's big show down with Carly Seymour and Kacey Gibson.

Vince McNally will try to repeat as champion in the Boys AAA race. Vince has not been challenged all year, and that trend will continue on Saturday as he gives the onlookers a preview of what is to come the following week at states. After witnessing Vince's workout on Monday, there is no doubt in my mind that he is ready to go for the upcoming meets.

District 6
AA reigns supreme in District 6. The top teams and individuals are from the "small" schools. Carly Seymour will lead the charge for her Central Cambria team as they look to repeat as champions. Carly was also victorious last year. The team is firmly focused on Hershey and bringing the team title to Ebensburg.

In the boys AA race, a few Foot Locker dark horses emerge, Jim Spisak and Ben Hatch. Spisak has won just about every race he has run this fall and Hatch has been steadily improving throughout the season. Look for those two to do battle upfront.

District 7
In girls AAA, Natalie Bower will look to win her third crown in as many tries for the Latrobe Wildcats. There will also be a tight team battle, as she looks to get Latrobe back to the top of the podium, Mt. Lebanon dethroned them last year. North Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon (again) will be their toughest opposition.

David Adley will look to keep his winning form as he tries to win his first District XC title. With a win, he might be able to lead the Baldwin Highlanders back to the big show.

Kacey Gibson should be unchallenged in girls AA. The race should serve as tune-up for next week's state championship race, as she looks to repeat as champ. She will have a race on her hand as Kara Millhouse and Carly Seymour have their eyes on the crown as well.

Road To San Diego

Where do journeys begin? How do they begin? The answer is different for everyone. But for the Road to San Diego we are not concerning ourselves with everyone. We are focusing on the top PA talent in cross country, as they continue their trek to qualify for the Footlocker National Championships in San Diego, CA. They have one shot to make it, November 24th in the Bronx, at the famous Van Cortland Park. The top cross country runners in the Northeast region will compete for the coveted spots, 10 boys and girls each, to earn a trip to the sun of San Diego and a chance to compete against the nation's best on the famed Balboa Park course.

But another question also rises? Why follow PA athletes this year? What makes it more special? There are several answers to that question. After Neely Spence and Carly Seymour finished 9th and 10th at last years National Championship, then followed that up with gold medals at the PIAA State meet and Nike All-American awards, it was a big sign that this year was going to be special. Not only that, Vince McNally narrowly missed last year's race (13th place). He then went on a tear and had a superb track season, one which saw him win gold at states and then run 4:08 at Nike Outdoor Nationals. These efforts made him the person to beat in AAA. Kacey Gibson also just missed making the trip to San Diego (12th place) and was the only Pennsylvanian to defeat Seymour in XC, and she did it on the grandest of stages, at the state meet. Plus Kara Millhouse, David Adley, Mark Denin, Meghan Lutz, Chris Aldrich, Natalie Bower, and Max Kaulbach, will also be looking to make a splash in New York. Hmm…Yes I said New York and not specifically the Bronx, because two of our athletes might run into a conflict, Seymour and Kaulbach. Why is a conflict possibly heading their way? Well it’s not their fault, but their blessing. They happen to be on two of the best teams in the Northeast. Guess the date of the Nike Team Nationals Northeast Regional? Yes that's right, November 24th at another location in New York. But we will have to see how those situations play out over these next 10 weeks or so.

Not only do we have the superstars with the loaded resumes, we are also looking for a darkhorse or two that could surprise some people come November. The runner who is hovering just below the radar waiting for their big performance, to shine when they the light is on them. These people can be hard to find. But sometimes all the people who are on the cusp need is a break, a chance where there wasn’t one before, and once they get that chance, look out, because they will do amazing things. As Shakespeare said, “Now bid me run, And I will strive with things impossible, Yea, get the better of them.” So we will need to keep our eyes open as the season progresses so we don’t miss anything special.