Grace Tinkey (23) at Foot Locker - pic by Colleeen Collins
On Saturday cross country fans can turn their interest to the USATF Championships, which will include the national Junior Championships as well. On the line will not only be a national title for both girls and guys but a chance to be a member of the US squad , that will compete in the 2012 North America, Central American, & Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships. That meet will be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad on March 17, 2012. As a junior meet requires the young athletes must be 14 on race day and may not turn 20 during the 2012 year. That upper age limit allows many freshmen in college the chance to compete and they of course hold the upper hand of US prep harriers.
That said there are a number of high school runners, who have more than a reasonable chance of garnering one of the top positions as Aisling Cuffe did in 2011, when she won the event, which was held in San Diego. Leading the prep girls at least on paper would be Grace Tinkey of Georgia. Still only a junior, Grace is already a three-time finalist in the Foot Locker National race, which remains the apex aspiration for high school harriers. The Georgia state champion won at the Viking & Wesleyan Invitationals last fall before placing sixth at Foot Locker. Sara Fakler is the Arizona large-school champion and the winner of the Desert Twilight meet. She qualified to run in the swamp, that is the NXN meet but her time of 17:48 at State on dry land suggests she could be a factor. Another young lady to watch is Rebecca Mehra, who won at Palos Verdes before finishing 4th in the California D3 meet. Rebecca also made it to NXN.
Emma Abrahamson is another Californian young lady to watch after winning at Mt. Carmel, placing 2nd at Bronco & 3rd at Stanford. Emma was ninth at State in an off day but she did run 17:31, when she placed 7th at the challenging Mt. SAC course. Rolonda Jumbo just missed qualifying for Foot locker, when she was a freshman and this year made it to NXN. During the season she annexed the Conley, took second in the Desert Twilight and then claimed the Arizona title in Division III. Also of note is Meghan Shea, who will run with the Dallas Metroplex team. As a runner for McKinney High in Texas she won the Rick Neill Invitational before placing sixth in her state meet.
There are fewer guys from the high school ranks venturing into the fray but there are three names the come to attention. The first is Californian Darren Fahy, who had a banner season as a senior. Fahy zipped through a number of his state’s most prestigious races: Bronco, Mt. Carmel, Stanford & Mt. SAC to name a few. Darren won the D1 division with 15:03 and then topped the best of the West in the Foot Locker Western Regional. Craig Nowak, the Texas champion, is not to be overlooked after his victory in the Foot Locker South Regional. Craig had an ambitious end-of-the season campaign, which saw him place third in the NXN meet prior to a 14th place effort in Foot Locker Nationals. Robert Domanic is another Texan with solid credentials. He won at Marcus & at Pioneer and placed second at Lubbock. Robert earned tenth in the South Regional for Foot Locker & then went on to nationals, where he came in twentieth.
It should be a fine weekend for the young runners, if the weather cooperates. Ryan Hall & Desiree Davila will speak at a banquet on Friday and there will many quality runners competing in the Open race including Molly Huddle & Sara Bei Hall, as well as Melody Fairchild, while Dathan Ritzenhein, fresh off his fourth place in the recent US Marathon Trials will headline the men’s field. (Ritz pulled out after this was written) There should be live national coverage.