by Scott Bush, Trackshark.com

The last weekend of the high school cross country season is finally upon us.  40 boys and 40 girls will take to the 5k course at Balboa Park in San Diego, California this weekend.  See all the prep stars that qualified, what they've accomplished this year and a few tidbits about them.

Foot Locker Qualifiers - Boys
(Alphabetical Order)

Evan Appel (CO)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Dakota Ridge H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (3rd, 15:19), Colorado State Meet (1st, 15:20), Liberty Bell Inv. (2nd, DII, 15:19).
Tidbit: One of a trio of three time qualifiers in this years Foot Locker National race, Appel is one of the favorites to push for a first place finish.  Coming into the season Appel had one of the better track seasons nationally for juniors, while being marked as the #2 returnee based off of Foot Locker Nationals in '07.  With so much talent in Colorado this fall, it was easy to get Appel mixed in with the other top runners, but he won his state meet race and finished a strong third at Foot Locker Midwest.  He has a treasure chest of experience from this meet to work from, which is always a positive.

Andrew Berberick (CO)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Mullen H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (7th, 15:26), Colorado State Meet (15:44), Liberty Bell Inv. (3rd, DII, 15:25).
Tidbit: As if Colorado needed to prove any more just how great the depth of the state is in distance running currently, Berberick qualified for Foot Locker Nationals.  Heading into the regional competition very few thought Berberick had a chance to qualify.  The race was deep and Berberick didn't seem to be in the same class as Evan Appel or Joseph Manilafasha just yet.  Well, heading into the final straight Berberick used his 800m state champion leg speed to earn the trip to San Diego and showed he's one of the most versatile runners in the country.

C.J. Brown (TX)
Region, School, Grade: South, Southlake Carroll H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Nike Cross Nationals (22nd, 15:44), Foot Locker South (3rd, 14:59), Texas State Meet (5th, 15:13), Nike South Inv. (6th, 15:34).
Tidbit: C.J. Brown was one of the top juniors in the country last fall.  Running with his teammate Colby Lowe much of the season, Brown placed well at Nike Team Nationals and earned a trip to Foot Locker Nationals.  With heavy expectations this fall, Brown has seemingly not lived up to those expectations, showing some very inconsistent racing, especially as some of his Texas rivals have made big leaps to the national spotlight.  His 22nd place showing at NXN last weekend has to be concerning, but Brown has been at Foot Locker before and knows what to expect, which should help him relax and focus on what he needs to do.

James Cameron (CA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Mission Viejo H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (6th, 15:48), California State Meet (6th, Div. I, 15:15).
Tidbit: One of the top runners in the state of California for the past two years, Cameron took his track accomplishments onto the cross country course this season and produced a fine string of success.  While he didn't match up against many of the top California runners as some other top individuals did, he did place sixth at the California State Meet in Division I, then came back a week later at Foot Locker West to place sixth overall.  Momentum is on his side.

Leoule Degfae (VA)
Region, School, Grade: South, Thomas Edison H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (5th, 15:04), Battle of the Potomac (1st, 16:27), Virginia State Meet (3rd, AAA, 15:29).
Tidbit: One of the most improved runners in the state of Virginia this fall, Degfae transformed himself from a good runner to a great runner over the summer.  The Thomas Edison senior placed third at the Virginia State Meet among a strong group of competitors and then came up very big at Foot Locker South to place fifth and earn a surprise trip to San Diego. 

Joseph Demoor (CO)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Buena Vista H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (8th, 15:27), Colorado State Meet (2nd, 15:28), Liberty Bell Inv. (1st, DIV, 15:24).
Tidbit: Its been a great year for the Demoor family.  Joseph's older brother Seth earned a spot in the Colorado top seven and ran at NCAA Cross Country Nationals a few weeks back.  Since the conclusion of the state meet, Seth has coached his brother, and the results really seemed to pay off.  It's been a big year for Demoor, winning a handful of big races, placing well at state and now advancing to Foot Locker Nationals.  He'll join three other Colorado athletes in San Diego, which should make him feel right at home.

Trevor Dunbar (AK)
Region, School, Grade: West, Kodiak H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (3rd, 15:43), Mt. SAC Inv. (1st, 14:41), Alaska State Meet (1st, 4A, 15:07).
Tidbit: If you haven't seen the videos yet you need to check them out.  Dunbar, who lives in Kodiak, Alaska, ran a 9:01 3200m time trial in the snow and on an icy track a few weeks ago in a tune-up for the Foot Locker West Regional.  The videos made their way onto YouTube and were picked up by nearly every major running media outlet.  Dunbar has one of the strongest following in the country now and one of the contenders for the national title on Saturday.  His strong performances at Mt. SAC and FL West show that he can travel and compete well, even if the warm weather of California.

Ben Furcht (PA)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Lower Merion H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (10th, 15:53), Pennsylvania State Meet (11th, AAA, 16:38), Paul Short Inv. (1st, Brown Race, 15:19).
Tidbit: A big win early in the season at the Paul Short Inv. gave Furcht a lot of confidence, but his 11th place showing at the Pennsylvania State Meet could have been good for his mind.  However, putting himself in the top five for much for much of the race at Foot Locker Regionals, Furcht held on to qualify for the national meet

George Galasso (NJ)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Holmdel H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (9th, 15:50), NJ Meet of Champions (7th, 16:02), NJ Group Champs. (8th, Group III, 16:31).
Tidbit: The Shore Conference in New Jersey is perhaps one of the most successful conferences in the country in the past handful of years if you consider that Galasso is the third individual from the conference to qualify in the past three years to Foot Locker Nationals.  In '06 it was Craig Forys.  Last year it was Andrew Brodeur.  This time around it's Galasso's turn.

Phil Galebach (MA)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Medford H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (7th, 15:49), Massachusetts State Meet (21st, DI, 16:45).
Tidbit: Despite a sub-par showing at the Massachusetts state meet, Galebach proved time and again this fall that he was one of the top 2-3 best runners in the state.  His E. Massachusetts victory in early November was a classic, and his strong Foot Locker Northeast finish should give him plenty of confidence heading into Saturday's race.

Solomon Haile (MD)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Shorewood H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (1st, 15:21), Maryland State Meet (1st, 4A, 15:43).
Tidbit: Since last spring Solomon Haile's goal was to win Foot Locker Nationals.  After winning the NIN and NON 5k races earlier this year, Haile took to the cross country courses of Maryland and Virginia and rolls into Foot Locker Nationals undefeated and perhaps the odds-on favorite to win the national title.  Time and again the Ethiopian-native has shown his incredible strength, putting other runners away at the two mile mark.  If other runners are with him at the end of the race Saturday he will probably be outkicked, so expect an extreme pace from Haile early on.

Cody Helbling (ID)
Region, School, Grade: West, Lake City H.S., Junior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (7th, 15:49), NXN Northwest (5th, 15:34), Idaho State Meet (2nd, 15:57).
Tidbit: Certainly one of the surprise finishers at Foot Locker West, Helbling put himself in contention to earn a trip to Foot Locker Nationals and ended up hanging on to seventh place.  Only a junior, Helbling is one of the most active athletes in the field.  Along with his running, he is also one of the best cyclists and inline speed skaters in the state of Idaho.  It's rare for an Idaho distance runner to make nationals, so the entire state should be keeping an eye on how he finishes on Saturday.

Evan Hibbs (TX)
Region, School, Grade: South, Georgetown H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (10th, 15:12), Texas State Meet (13th, 15:34).
Tidbit: Despite early season illness, which knocked out some crucial training time for the Georgetown senior, Hibbs bounced back from a 13th place finish at state to finish in the last qualifying spot at Foot Locker South.  Hibbs certainly needed the two weeks between regionals and nationals to sharpen up and try to regain some of the fitness he lost from earlier in the season.

Tyre Johnson (CA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Palma H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (8th, 15:52), California State Meet (1st, Div. IV, 15:32), Mt. SAC Inv. (7th, 15:15).
Tidbit: Running without much competition throughout the season, Johnson seemed to peak perfectly at Foot Locker West.  After taking seventh at Mt. SAC, finishing well behind race winner Trevor Dunbar, Johnson bounced back to place first in the Division IV race at the California State Meet.  The Palma H.S. senior ran 75 miles a week this fall in order to prepare himself for the end of the season, and now it looks like all that hard work is going to pay off in a big way in San Diego.

Brett Johnson (NJ)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Ocean City H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (8th, 15:50), NJ Meet of Champions (4th, 15:57), NJ Group Champs. (2nd, Group III, 15:41).
Tidbit: Last spring Johnson made the big leap so many national class seniors make.  During the post-season, Johnson ran a mile race as a tune-up for the national meet, and shocked the country with a 4:08.51 finish.  His time not only ranked him as eighth in the country, but also as the top junior by nearly a second.  This fall Johnson has shown that talent again over the cross country course, easily establishing himself as one of the top runners in New Jersey, which ranks as one of the top three or four states in the country this year in terms of distance talent. 

Wyatt Landrum (CA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Liberty Union H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (4th, 15:46), California State Meet (4th, Div. II, 15:12).
Tidbit: Landrum didn't lose a race all season long until the California State Meet, where he finished a very disappointing fourth.  That finish at state certainly seemed to motivate him last weekend at the Foot Locker West Regional, where he bounced back and finished a surprise fourth, earning his first trip to Foot Locker Nationals.  If Landrum runs a similar race as he ran at Foot Locker West, a top ten finish is certainly feasible.

Steve Magnuson (AZ)
Region, School, Grade: West, Ironwood Ridge H.S., Junior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (10th, 15:52), NXN Southwest (23rd, 15:57).
Tidbit: Notice in the 2008 Highlights section above that Magnuson doesn't have a result from his state meet.  That's because he transfered from Salpoint High School to Ironwood Ridge High School last year and had to sit out the entire fall season due to state rules.  While Magnuson could practice with his teammates, he couldn't compete with them.  At NXN Southwest he finished 23rd overall, while last weekend he finished 10th.  Another week to sharpen up and he could take another leap and finish in the top 15.  He has some racing experience on the San Diego course, which will be mighty helpful on race day.

Joseph Manilafasha (CO)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Denver North H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (2nd, 15:30), Colorado State Meet (1st, 15:08), Liberty Bell Inv. (1st, DIII, 14:56).
Tidbit: In years past, Manilafasha would start slow in his cross country season, getting beat by other runners in Colorado, only to turn it on at Foot Locker Midwest and earn a spot to the national meet.  In fact, its happened in '06 and '07.  The three-time qualifier enters the national meet on Saturday as one of the favorites.  He had his strongest season ever by quite a bit and showed that despite being a bit ill at Foot Locker Midwest, that he could still perform as well as anyone.  A healthy week of training could mean a national championship for Manilafasha.

Bill Matthews (TN)
Region, School, Grade: South, Baylor H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (1st, 14:48), Tennessee State Meet (1st, 15:39), Great American Festival (1st, 15:34).
Tidbit: Matthews has been on a roll this year and his smart racing at Foot Locker regionals helped him take home the top spot.  At the two-mile mark Matthews was in tenth place, saving his energy for the last mile.  He then turned on the jets and cruised in for victory.  With heavy expectations heading into the weekend, at least he won't have to worry about where he is going to college, as earlier this season he verbally committed to the University of Georgia.

Clint McKelvey (TN)
Region, School, Grade: South, Maryville H.S., Sophomore
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (8th, 15:10), Tennessee State Meet (2nd, 15:57).
Tidbit: McKelvey's surprise eighth place finish at the Foot Locker Regional meet was a surprise for two reasons.  First, due to racing in Tennessee, he was over shadowed by fellow Tennessee runners Bill Matthews and Matt Sonnenfeldt.  The first time in state history, Tennessee has three individual male qualifiers running at Foot Locker Nationals.  Another reason for surprise is that McKelvey is only a sophomore.  It's rare that a sophomore qualifies, especially when the South Region is looking so strong this fall.

Shane Moskowitz (WA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Central Kitsap H.S., Junior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (5th, 15:47), Nike Border Clash (2nd, 14:09)
Tidbit: One of the most talented juniors in the country, Moskowitz showed at the Foot Locker West Regional that he is one to keep an eye on Saturday.  The West is deep this year with talent, with talents such as Trevor Dunbar and Chris Schwartz eyeing the national title.  Moskowitz was close to those two at the regional meet, which should give him confidence for a top 12 finish at nationals in San Diego.

Michael Moverman (MA)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Oliver Ames H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (6th, 15:58), Massachusetts State Meet (1st, DII, 16:04).
Tidbit: All season long Moverman proved time and again that he was the best runner in Massachusetts.  At Foot Locker Northeast he started out at the back of the lead pack, slowly working his way up, until he kicked hard at the finish to finish sixth overall.  Moverman is the third athlete from Oliver Ames H.S. to qualify for the national meet, after Andy Powell qualified in '97 and '98, while Powell's sister Sara qualified in '02.

Alex Ott (VA)
Region, School, Grade: South, Turner Ashby H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (6th, 15:08), Virginia State Meet (2nd, AA, 15:12).
Tidbit: The Russian-born, Virginia standout, moved to the United States in 2002.  He originally moved to Georgia, but then moved to Virginia in 2004.  Since then he has changed schools once (due to a district realignment) and has become one of the best runners in Virginia, and now the nation.  Ott had a fantastic fall, winning many big races, then placing second in his state race.  His solid sixth place showing at regionals was a good stepping stone to nationals this weekend, where he'll look for a top twenty finish.

Danny Pawola (IL)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Neuqua Valley H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (9th, 15:28), NXN Midwest (13th, 15:51), Illinois State Meet (5th, 15:32), Culver Inv. (2nd, 15:32).
Tidbit: After finishing fifth at the Illinois State Meet, and 13th at NXN Midwest, many were countin Pawola out of the mix to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals.  However, the Neuqua Valley senior showed grit and determination by finishing ninth at the Midwest Regional, giving NV their second national qualifier in as many years.  Who was the other qualifier?  None other than Chris Derrick.  While Pawola probably won't finish second in this year's race, he can certainly pick up tips from Derrick on how to best approach the course.

Thomas Porter (VA)
Region, School, Grade: South, Mountain View H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (4th, 15:01), Virginia State Meet (1st, AAA, 15:13).
Tidbit: One of the trio of three time Foot Locker National qualifiers in this race (Manilafasha and Appel being the other two), Porter came on strong at the end of the season like he normally does and easily qualified for the race in San Diego.  Each week Porter seems to get better and better as the season rolls on.  He won his state meet and then placed a strong fourth at regionals.  If he can continue to make improvement a top ten finish is certainly not out of the question.

Chase Rathke (TX)
Region, School, Grade: South, Katy Seven Lakes H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Nike Cross Nationals (42nd, 15:59), Foot Locker South (9th, 15:11), Texas State Meet (9th, 15:28), Nike South Inv. (10th, 15:45).
Tidbit: Surprise!  Rathke was perhaps the biggest surprise to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals this fall.  The Texas senior ran well all season long, but certainly not like a top ten runner in the south.  Earlier in the season he placed tenth at the Nike South Invitiational, then placing ninth in his division at the Texas State Meet.  At regionals he placed a surprise tenth.  Last weekend he placed 42nd overall at NXN.  He'll need a much better race on Saturday if he hopes to finish in the top 30. 

Kyle Satterwhite (VA)
Region, School, Grade: South, Western Albemarle H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (7th, 15:10), Virginia State Meet (3rd, AA, 15:16).
Tidbit: Satterwhite kept his focus on what mattered most this year, which was the end of the season state meet and Foot Locker regionals.  Last track season Satterwhite ended his season early with a stress fracture, which kept him out of training for much of the summer.  While the start to his racing season was a bit slow, he came on incredibly strong at seasons end, placing third at state and then seventh at FL regionals. 

Chris Schwartz (CA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Foothill H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (1st, 15:38), California State Meet (7th, Div. III, 15:29), Mt. SAC Inv. (2nd, 14:46).
Tidbit: Coming into the season I had Schwartz ranked as one of the top three individuals in the country.  He qualified for Foot Locker Nationals in '07 and ran the fastest 3200m time in the country for juniors.  In fact, he was the only junior to break nine minutes.  This fall Schwartz has raced up and down.  Two weeks ago he finished seventh at the California State Meet, however, he bounced back last weekend in a big way to win Foot Locker West.  If he can ride that wave of momentum from the regional win on Saturday, he'll be running for the win.

Drew Shields (IN)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Fishers H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Nike Cross Nationals (7th, 15:28), Foot Locker Midwest (6th, 15:24), NXN Midwest (4th, 15:30), Indiana State Meet (1st, 15:20), Culver Inv. (3rd, 15:51).
Tidbit: Entering the season as one of the heavy favorites to place top three at Foot Locker Nationals, Shields has been a bit inconsistent.  He won the Indiana State Meet last month, while placing in the top seven at NXN Midwest, FL Midwest and NXN.  With so much racing under his belt over the past few weeks it will be interesting to see how well he responds to another intense race.  He has a lot of leg speed, as shown by his 4:09.64 mile at the Midwest Distance Gala last spring, making him the #2 returnee this year in the event.

Brian Shrader (AZ)
Region, School, Grade: West, Sinagua H.S., Junior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (2nd, 15:42), Arizona State Meet (1st, 15:15).
Tidbit:Shrader is hands down one of the rising talents in the country.  This past summer he came down with mono, being forced to take four weeks off and getting a slow start to his season.  After placing second in his first two meets of the season, the junior front runner placed first in every meet since outside of his runner-up finish at Foot Locker West.  In only his second year of running cross country, Shrader is showing he'll be a force to finish in the top five this year, perhaps even mixing it up for the win.  He's only a junior.

Matt Sonnenfeldt (TN)
Region, School, Grade: South, Knoxville West H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker South (2nd, 14:50), Tennessee State Meet (1st, 15:42), Great American Festival (2nd, 15:42).
Tidbit: According to Sonnenfeldt's latest online journal entry, the first time he raced at Foot Locker South he got beat by 16 girls and walked across the finish line.  His excuse was that he was only 11 years old.  How times have changed for the Knoxville West senior.  All season long Sonnenfeldt has looked like one of the top runners in the nation.  He finished second to in-state rival Bill Matthews at Great American and then again at Foot Locker regionals, while winning his division at the state meet rather easily.  His strong showing at regionals could mean a top ten finish on Saturday.

Dylan Sorensen (IN)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Zionsville H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (5th, 15:20), Indiana State Meet (4th, 15:39).
Tidbit: He may not be one of the flashiest runners on the course Saturday, but Sorensen is a grinder, which usually helps at the national meet.  Overshadowed all season long in Indiana by runners like Drew Shields, Futsum Zeinasellassie and James Martin, the Zionsville senior came up big at the regional meet to place fifth and earn his first trip to Foot Locker Nationals.  Check him out here in this interview.

Andrew Springer (RI)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Westerly H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (4th, 15:39), New England Champs. (2nd, 15:48), Rhode Island State Meet (1st, 15:14).
Tidbit: Perhaps the greatest runner in Rhode Island history, Springer holds state records in the 1,500m and two-mile on the track, while also earning top billing at the 5k distance in cross country.  A standout since his sophomore year, Springer qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals always seemed destined to happen.  However, his focus had always been on track more so than cross country, until this fall when he decided to give cross country a real shot and made Foot Locker Nationals a goal.  Now that he's reached his goal, how much farther will he go on Saturday when expectations are low, but competition is very high.

Steve Sulkin (IL)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, York H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Nike Cross Nationals (14th, 15:36), Foot Locker Midwest (10th, 15:28), NXN Midwest (1st, 15:20), Illinois State Meet (2nd, 14:19).
Tidbit: Few schools can claim the individually glory York H.S. has produced over the past decade.  With Sulkin competing at Foot Locker Nationals this weekend, his participation gives York their fourth Foot Locker finalist in the past nine years.  However, Sulkin will have one of the more challenging weekends, as he ran NXN Regionals, FL Regionals, NXN and now Foot Locker.  Those are four big races in a very short period of time.  A few of the athletes that have done such a unique post-season schedule have struggled, will Sulkin?

Zachary Torres (CA)
Region, School, Grade: West, Crescenta Valley H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker West (9th, 15:52), California State Meet (2nd, Div. I, 15:10), Mt. SAC Inv. (3rd, 14:50).
Tidbit: While he started his high school career thinking more as a baseball player than a runner, Torres has become of the best distance runners in the state of California, thus making him one of the best in the country.  This fall the Crescenta Valley senior placed well in the biggest of competitions, and earned his first trip to Foot Locker Nationals.  He finished top three at Mt. SAC and in his California State Meet race, which generally translates to a top 20-25 finish at Foot Locker Nationals.

Tyler Udland (NJ)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Upland H.S., Junior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (2nd, 15:36), NJ Meet of Champions (1st, 15:40), NJ Group Champs. (1st, Group III, 15:36).
Tidbit: Ranked as the top sophomore in the country this past spring on the track, Udland will be one to watch at Foot Locker Nationals.  This year seems wide open for a junior to shake things up and possibly pull off a victory, and Udland has all the talent to do just that.  He ran as the top runner in New Jersey all fall and finished second only to Solomon Haile at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.  He'll have his work cut out trying to stay with Haile, but a top three finish is a very realistic possibility.

Joe Whelan (NY)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Hamburg H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (3rd, 15:38), NY State Meet (1st, A, 16:06).
Tidbit: Known over the past few years as one of New York's top male distance runners, Whelan finally earned his shot to compete at Foot Locker Nationals after placing third at the regional meet.  Last spring Whelan showed signs of stardom after finishing the track season ranked third nationally in the steeplechase, and the top junior.  This fall he ran through his competition, winning his New York state race and then coming up big at regionals. 

Philip Wood (NJ)
Region, School, Grade: Northeast, Pennington School, Senior
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Northeast (5th, 15:42), NJSIAA Prep Champs. (2nd, B, 15:31), Paul Short Inv. (1st, White Race, 15:49).
Tidbit: Overlooked all season long, Wood made a charge early on at Foot Locker Northeast, running to a fifth place effort.  Due to competing for a private school, Wood saw very little competition during the season.  He did win the White Race at the Paul Short Invitational earlier in the season, but most of the top runners were in the other race.  At his state meet he placed second behind national favorite Doug Smith, only losing to Smith by a few seconds.  While Smith decided not to run post season competition this year, Wood picked up the ball and earned the trip to San Diego.

Futsum Zeinasellassie (IN)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, North Central H.S., Freshman
2008 Highlights: Foot Locker Midwest (4th, 15:20), Indiana State Meet (2nd, 15:25), Culver Inv. (1st, 15:20).
Tidbit: A freshman qualified for Foot Locker Nationals!  The Eritrean native is one of the most talented freshmen this country has ever seen.  The last freshman to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals was Jorge Torres back in 1995 and we all know how good Torres eventually became (h.s., college and professional national champion).  Zeinasellassie has come up big time and again this fall, beating some of the best competition in the country.  On Saturday he may not factor into the top five, but we'll be seeing a lot from him up front in the years ahead.

Jakub Zivec (MN)
Region, School, Grade: Midwest, Grand Rapids H.S., Senior
2008 Highlights: Nike Cross Nationals (2nd, 15:18), Foot Locker Midwest (1st, 15:09), NXN Heartland (1st, 15:23).
Tidbit: Zivec is from the Czech Republic.  Entering this fall as a transfer student, and not sanctioned by the state association, Zivec had to run JV competitions all fall in Minnesota and wasn't allowed to compete in the state series.  Since the end of the regular season, the Grand Rapids runner won both the NXN and Foot Locker regional competitions, then placed second at last weekend's Nike Cross Nationals.  The always positive and upbeat runner has one more shot to make a lasting footprint in American distance running, as he heads back to his homeland after the first semester ends at Grand Rapids H.S.