SAN DIEGO, Dec. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zofia Dudek of
Ann Arbor, Mich. and Josh Methner of Mount
Prospect, Ill. captured first-place titles at the
41st annual Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
(FLCCC) National Finals Presented by Eastbay today. Race conditions
at Morley Field, Balboa Park were ideal with soft terrain, partly
cloudy skies and temperatures reaching 61 degrees.
In the girls' 5K race, Dudek
outkicked Marlee Starliper of
Wellsville, Pa. over the final 300
meters to punctuate an exhilarating FLCCC display, winning in a
time of 16:45.0 – the fifth-fastest girls' time ever at the
National Finals. In the boys' 5K
race, Methner awed the spectators with a powerful performance
pulling away from the competition to claim a 15:08.8 victory.
FLCCC – Girls' National Final:
Dudek first took the lead prior to the two-mile mark after
Katelynne Hart (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) – last year's runner-up –
had pressed the early pace highlighted by an opening-mile split of
5:09. A quarter mile later, it became a four-girl race between
Hart, Dudek, Taylor Ewert
(Beavercreek, Ohio) along with a
climbing Starliper. Ultimately, it became a duel between
Starliper and Dudek after the pack hit the course's signature hill
for its second ascent. By the time they reached the top of the
hill, Starliper appeared to have taken command of the field. But
Dudek was not to be denied as she rallied and regained the lead for
good on the strategic downhill section prior to the three-mile
mark. From there it was a furious two-girl sprint to the line, with
Dudek claiming the title and Starliper finishing second at 16:46.8.
Abby VanderKooi (Fremont, Mich.) finished third at 16:55.2 and
Hart maintained fourth at 17:14.4.
FLCCC – Boys' National Final:
The boys' 5K race was initially
defined by a moderate pace set by Judson
Greer (Melissa, Texas), who
cruised through the opening mile of 4:48 with the entire field of
runners in tow. A half mile later, Methner accelerated forward and
opened up a quick 10-meter gap, and never looked back as he made
the second half of the FLCCC his own personal victory tour. He
crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of runner-up Carter Solomon (Canton, Mich.) who clocked a 15:16.9 time.
Also finishing strong were Patrick
Anderson (Pittsburgh) in third
place at 15:18.0 and four-time FLCCC finalist Graydon Morris (Aledo,
Texas) in fourth place at 15:18.1.
Additional information about FLCCC may be found at
www.footlockercc.com | Instagram: @flccc |
Twitter: @flccc #FLCCC #Finals | YouTube:
youtube.com/footlockerxc | Facebook:
facebook.com/flccc
About Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic retailer that operates
approximately 3,175 stores in 27 countries as well as websites and
mobile apps, under the brand names Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction,
Champs Sports, Eastbay, Runners Point, and Sidestep. With its
various marketing channels and experiences across North America, Europe, Asia,
Australia, and New Zealand, the Company's purpose is to
inspire and empower youth culture around the world, by fueling a
shared passion for self-expression and creating unrivaled
experiences at the heart of the sport and sneaker communities.
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SOURCE Foot Locker, Inc.