Reed Brown finally has his day at Foot Locker

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Reed Brown's coronation as Foot Locker Cross Country champion was unlike any other in recent history. 

Although he was among a group of contenders with a capable skillset, and some of the best track credentials, it just seemed like he had yet to distinguish himself.

Brown placed fourth at the UIL state meet in Texas. He raced three times in the postseason and didn't win any of them. His last win came 42 days ago, at a state qualifying meet on Oct. 29. 

In the week leading up to the Foot Locker finals, Reed said he couldn't think of anything that pointed to Satuday being his day.

"The last couple days haven't been my (days)," he said. "Little things have been happening. My car door slammed on me. Today was weird. I was feeling good throughout the race, hung on until the end and just gave it my all."

Brown's luck changed at the right time. The Oregon signee used superior speed on the downhills to make up ground on the field and then used a big kick to get away from Wisconsin champion Finn Gessner and Nebraska champion Seth Hirsch -- the two fastest returners from 2015 -- and won in 15:01.8.

Fifteen minutes after his victory, while still giving post-race interviews, Brown was stung on the finger by a bee. 

If the window on his good fortune was fleeting he was happy to have tucked a Foot Locker championships into his pocket. 

Brown ripped down the final hill to take the lead and then battled with Wisconsin recruits Gessner and Hirsch in a dash for the finish line. Brown outkicked them to win by nearly three seconds. 

Gessner, who seemed like he had the title within reach at the top of the final steep climb, was second in 15:04.4. 

The Madison LaFollette senior lamented how close he was to winning the national championship. 

"That plate could have been mine. I was so close!" Gessner said as he watched Brown pose for photographers with the winner's trophy. 

Hirsch, who was fourth at Nike Cross Nationals a week ago, was third at Foot Locker in 15:04.8.

West region champion Talon Hull from Weber UT rallied to fourth place in 15:07.1 after placing 37th a year earlier. 

Sophomore Alex Maier from Flower Mound TX and pre-race favorite Noah Affolder from Carlisle PA were both timed in 15:10.3, but Maier was given fifth place because the chip on his shoe was recorded ahead of the Northeast region champion. 

Affolder came up short of his goal, and made no excuses, but he had been receiving treatment for a flared hamstring muscle that perhaps kept him from fulfilling his dream. 

Affolder graciously called Brown "my best friend" and said he was happy that if he couldn't win that Brown did. The two finished 15th and 16th at Foot Locker last year. They were roommates at Nike Elite Camp in June.

Brown became the first Texan to win the Foot Locker title since course-record holder Reuben Reina of San Antonio won it in 1985. Back then, it was called the Kinney Cross Country Championships.

He had run to sixth place at Foot Locker South two weeks ago and then sixth place again at Nike Cross Nationals in Portland last week. It was part of a five-meets-in-five-weeks stretch to the final finish line.

"It's something we though he had a shot at," Southlake Carroll coach Justin Leonard said. "The course is hard and fast and Reed is more of a speed runner, so we were excited about his opportunity to do it."

It's a feather in cap of the Southlake Carroll program, which has for the past decade been a perennial Nike Cross Nationals qualifier. There were years when that meet was so much the focus that Leonard's athletes skipped Foot Locker South.

"A couple of years ago we started putting kids back into it," Leonard said. "It's a good thing for everyone involved."

A program that takes pride in the strength of its team now has an individual champion to take pride in as well. 

"It means a ton," Leonard said. "It's huge. It speaks volumes for Reed and his parents and also for the program, the kids and everybody in it."