Nike Team Nationals 2007

Since Nike Team Nationals started in 2004, no school has had the success Fayetteville-Manlius (NY) has shown. Four seperate NTN meets, four seperate top three finishes (2 boys, 2 girls). This year, F-M's girls team is ranked U.S. #1 in the MileSplit National CC Rankings and looks to make a run at their third straight national championship. Why is this squad so successful? What's their magic? MileSplit national editor Scott Bush traveled out to New York to see for himself, and the results were surprising.

While this might be the heart of the track and field season, cross country simply cannot stay out of the headlines.  A source close to MileSplit explained this past weekend that Nike Team Nationals (NTN) will be undergoing a name change in 2008 to Nike Cross Nationals (NXN).  For well over a year rumors have swirled about that Nike would include an individual aspect to their already successful team nationals, and that possibility now seems to be a reality. 

   While most teams just flew to NTN, the members of Kenyan Boys and Girls team started by walking 6 hours to the nearest major road, driving 9 hours to the capital city of Nairobi, and finishing by flying to Amsterdam, Seattle, and Portland.

Neuqua Valley wins the boys NTN title (Photo by Tyrone Hoskins) The FINAL installment of the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings are set.  With Nike Team Nationals taking place last weekend, the best of the best received a chance to see how they faired against one another.  US #1 Neuqua Valley, IL (boys) and US #1 Fayetteville-Manlius, NY (girls) won their respective races and finish sitting a top this year's final ranking.

Neuqua Valley wins the boys NTN title(Photo by Tyrone Hoskins)The FINAL installment of the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings are set.  With Nike Team Nationals taking place last weekend, the best of the best received a chance to see how they faired against one another.  US #1 Neuqua Valley, IL (boys) and US #1 Fayetteville-Manlius, NY (girls) won their respective races and finish sitting a top this year's final ranking.

 All season long, Madeline Morgan from Mountain Brook has excelled.  No one doubted that she would do well this season, furthermore, no one doubted she would do well at NTN in Portland.  After winning the NTN SouthEast regional meet at Veterans Park in Hoover last weekend, she came back and won the Girls' Championship Race in Portland, Oregon this weekend (18:54.5) outdistancing the 2nd place runner by 10 seconds.  Madeline has not stood alone this season.  Beside her the entire way has been what can only be described as a phenonminal team of girls.  The ladies of Mountain Brook ran an impressive race Saturday to finish 6th overall in the field of top teams in the nation. Congratulations and great race ladies!  Thank you for representing our state in such an outstanding fashion. MileSplit was on site for the entire event.  Look below for links to photos, race summaries, and video interviews. 6 Caution XC Club 215 1 20 50 58 86 123 129 Total Time: 1:40:51.00 Results:  Complete Results from all races Race Summaries: NTN: The Test of Teamwork (Girls Summary) / NTN Boys Round-Up (Boys Summary)NTN Videos: NTN Video Page (All Videos) / Madeline Morgan (Girl's Ind. Winner)NTN Photos: Friday Course Preview / Brandon Miles Gallery / Tyrone Hoskins Gallery - Available at RecCentral.net 

  This was this reporters first time at the NTN Nationals.  I came here fresh from the excitement and pageantry of the Nike Borderclash race fully expecting another well played event, thanks to the able Nike Event Machine and over 50 teams of the nations best athletes,I was not disappointed.

 The Thomas Jefferson boys had a rough day at Nike Team Nationals. They definitely had a memorable season winning a state championship and continuing their streak to six years of consecutive top 3 state meet podium finishes. The Colonials also earned their way to Nike Team Nationals with a second place finish at the NTN Southeast Regional. However, the competition and mud beat up on the TJ boys this weekend with a 22nd place finish out of 22 teams. A bright spot for the Fairfax XC club was the individual performance by Brian Davenport finishing just outside of the top 50. Check out the post-race interview with Davenport. NTN Results: Boys Championships - Girls Championships - Boys Open - Girls OpenNTN Race Videos: Boys Championship - Girls Championship - Boys Open - Girls OpenNTN Photo Galleries: TJ Boys Only - Tyrone Haskins Gallery - Brandon Miles Gallery

Fayetteville-Manlius WinsNational TitleBy Christopher Hunt      He said the answer was both simple and complex — the reason Manilus has become a historic team, unquestionably among the best ever. They bought it, coach Bill Aris said.     They made a choice. They made conscious effort to make  excellence a lifestyle.     “Normal has nothing to do with excellence,” Aris said. “Excellence is another approach all together. If you choose to approach your life in a fashion geared to achieve excellence then the question becomes, how high is up?”     Manilus continues to reach new limits. They dominated Nike Team Nationals today, winning their fourth straight national title with 83 points, placing three in the top 10 at 5-kilometer course in Portland, Ore. FULL STORY HERE(Photo by Tyrone Hoskins) Results:  Complete Results from all races NTN Videos: NTN Video Page (All Videos)NTN Photos: Friday Course Preview

Naperville (Neuqua Valley, IL) won the boys race over Los Alamos (NM) in the closest of battles, winning the title by two points.  Manlius (Fayetteville-Manlius, NY) dominated the girls race as expected, scoring an 88 points win.  Our MileSplit NTN Team brings you extensive coverage of the weekend's events.  Keep checking back throughout the weekend as we continue to add more videos, photos and articles. Results:  Complete Results from all racesRace Summaries: NTN: The Test of Teamwork (Girls Summary) / NTN Boys Round-Up (Boys Summary) NTN Videos: NTN Video Page (All Videos) / Madeline Morgan (Girl's Ind. Winner) / Chris Derrick (Boy's Ind. Winner) / Colby Lowe / Martin Keino - Part 1 / Martin Keino - Part II NTN Photos: Friday Course Preview / Open Races / Tyrone Hoskins Gallery Articles: NTN Race Preview / Mountain Brook (AL) Girls Preview / North Central (WA) Boys Preview

The day so many teams across the country have waited for all season is finally here.  Nike Team Nationals!  Our MileSplit NTN Team brings you extensive coverage of the weekend's events.  Keep checking back throughout the weekend as we continue to add more videos, photos and articles.

Manlius (NY) dominating early(Photo by Tyrone Hoskins - Available at RecCentral.net)Naperville (Neuqua Valley, IL) won the boys race over Los Alamos (NM) in the closest of battles, winning the title by two points.  Manlius (Fayetteville-Manlius, NY) dominated the girls race as expected, scoring an 88 points win.  Our MileSplit NTN Team brings you extensive coverage of the weekend's events.  Keep checking back throughout the weekend as we continue to add more videos, photos and articles.Results:  Complete Results from all races Race Summaries: NTN: The Test of Teamwork (Girls Summary) / NTN Boys Round-Up (Boys Summary)NTN Videos: NTN Video Page (All Videos) / Madeline Morgan (Girl's Ind. Winner) / Chris Derrick (Boy's Ind. Winner) / Colby Lowe / Martin Keino / Championship Boys Race / Championship Girls Race / Open Boys Race / Open Girls RaceNTN Photos: Friday Course Preview / Brandon Miles Gallery / Tyrone Hoskins Gallery - Available at RecCentral.netArticles: Madeline Morgan Wins '07 NTN / NTN Race Preview / Mountain Brook (AL) Girls Preview / North Central (WA) Boys Preview

 Pre-meet interview with Thomas Jefferson's top two runners in seniors Brian Landry and Evan Heflin at Nike Team Nationals. Landry and Helfin talk about the trip over across the country, the experience so far in Portland, the course conditions at Portland Meadows, and their team goals for Saturday's national championship race.

 The long wait has finally ended.  The top teams from around the country fly into Portland today, starting the weekend long festivites for Nike Team Nationals.  Read our preview as we detail who the favorites are and how the race may unfold.

At the DVGTCA Indoor Meet #1, some sophomore talent took center stage in the first meet of the season. Phoenixville sophomore Courtney Kedra opened with a fantastic long jump, and also won the 60 meter dash. Swenson's Shanae Bailey ran a quick 300 meter dash. And Carolyn Quiah of Simon Gratz ran a minute-flat in the 400. Their upper classmen competitors obviously took their share of gold, with wins by Methacton senior and UCLA-bound Ryann Krais, and junior Karen Shump. Conestoga ripped a nice early 4x800. Swenson and Chester battled in the 4x200. At the TFCAGP D1 Indoor Meet #1, the Lavong brothers were at it for Methacton, with Carlton leaping well over 21' and Wesley putting the shot nearly 54'. Derek Hynes cleared 14-0 in the pole vault. At the TFCAGP D2 Indoor Meet #1, Germantown Friends used their pre-break XC conditioning to post some Meet of Champs qualifiers that also happened to be great times. Bishop McDevitt's Joe Beveridge, took 2nd in the Intermediate Boys at the AAU National Championships in Virginia. Results are posted for the first Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships, held in Kentucky. On Sunday at the Seton Hall Open in NJ, Chanelle Price, Easton, opened with a 2:57.24 win in the 1000 meter run.   

Kicking off the weekend at NTN in Portland, Brandon Miles interviewed Josh Rowe and John Truax. They have been the driving forces in creating and implementing the concept of NTN. And they're not done yet. Listen as they reflect on the past and fill us in on what to expect next from NTN!

 The long wait has finally ended.  The top teams from around the country fly into Portland today, starting the weekend long festivites for Nike Team Nationals.  Read our preview as we detail who the favorites are and how the race may unfold.

How well do you know the Thomas Jefferson boys who will be representing the state of Virginia this weekend at Nike Team Nationals? Probably not too well as they came onto the radar late for many with little fanfare compared to some of the other top teams in the state before going on a roll near season's end. Take a second to find a little more about each member of their top seven as they travel across the country on Thursday to Oregon by reading their questionnaires they have filled out for MileStat.com.

TJ boys looking forward to the challenge at Portland Meadows  The Thomas Jefferson boys were able to preview what will be in store for them in Saturday's championship race in their course preview on Friday at Portland Meadows. The man made hills are one of the unique features among the mud, hay bales, and "reverse steeple", which make the course very challenging for all competition and suit the strength runners. (Photo by Brandon Miles)NTN Photo Gallery - Friday Course Preview The competition will be fierce this weekend at Nike Team Nationals with the 22 best teams in the country assembling for a battle royale in the mud at Portland Meadows in Portland, Oregon for the fourth annual high school national team cross country championships. From Virginia, the Thomas Jefferson boys will be in Portland enjoying a dream week at Nike headquarters and then concluding on a serious note as they hope to finish in the top half of the stacked field. The AAA state team champions will be led by Brian Landry, who has a solid shot of a top ten finish individually after a solid run at the NTN Southeast Regional in Alabama. Last year at NTN, the Midlothian boys finished 14th as a team in a then 20 team field, while Jason Witt took seventh place individually in  16:51. Behind Landry is a solid lineup including senior Evan Heflin, who won the district title over Landry and sophomore Brian Davenport, who had a late season surge in improvements to play a huge role in their team's state title as well as earning an automatic berth to Oregon. Aaron Bernstein and Alex Witko have both went well under 16:30 this season to round up the team's top five, while the team's depth is extended beyond five with three others under 17 minutes this fall for 5K.The weather conditions will be something new for the Virginians than they have seen this season. The temperature in Portland this week at its highest point is suppose to reach is 44 degrees with a chance of snow showers predicted over the next several days. One of the few bad weather days this season with cold rain was experienced during district week as the Thomas Jefferson boys handled the conditions perfectly by putting up a perfect score of 15 points and a 1-2 finish from Heflin and Landry at the Liberty District Meet. The team who started off the season ranked #5 in the pre-season polls and was ranked as low as #6 in the state of Virginia, now finds itself as the team on top of the entire Commonwealth with an all expenses paid trip to Oregon for Nike Team Nationals. MileStat.com will be on-site in Portland with Brandon Miles to document the NTN experience for the Thomas Jefferson boys as well as covering nationally for MileSplit US. Expect stories, interviews, race videos, and photos from Oregon. How well do you know the TJ Boys? - A Q&A session with members of the Thomas Jefferson line-up for NTN. Nike Team Nationals Videos - Interviews, highlights, and race videos from the week in Portland will be posted. Two part interview with NTN founders Josh Rowe & John Truax of Nike is now posted.

U.S. #5 Brookline (MA) runs NTN this weekend off a big NTN NE Regional winWith all the final teams selected for this Saturday's Nike Team Nationals, the final installment of the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings are here.  See who the top ten teams are heading into the meet at Portland Meadows.

Three Nike Team Nationals Regionals took place this past weekend and the results did not disappoint.  New York, the Northeast and the Southeast all qualified their teams to the national meet in Portland next weekend.  See how the top ten fared.

The Nike Team National Selection Committee named the final eight teams to compete at Nike Team Nationals next weekend.  Each team performed well during the season, but most of the teams competed very well at the Nike Team National Regional competitions. Boys Teams: Don Bosco (NJ), Rogers (AR), Medina (OH) & Murrieta Valley (CA) Girls Teams: Saratoga Springs (NY), Hanover (NH), Mountain Brook (AL) & Warwick Valley (NY)

 U.S. #3 Mountain Brook (AL) earns an at-large berth to NTNThe Nike Team National Selection Committee named the final eight teams to compete at Nike Team Nationals next weekend.  Each team performed well during the season, but most of the teams competed very well at the Nike Team National Regional competitions.Boys Teams: Don Bosco (NJ), Rogers (AR), Medina (OH) & Murrieta Valley (CA)Girls Teams: Saratoga Springs (NY), Hanover (NH), Mountain Brook (AL) & Warwick Valley (NY)

U.S. Fayetteville-Manlius earns their trip to NTNThe last Nike Team National Regionals took place Saturday morning and afternoon, as the New York, Northeast and Southeast Regions were each run.  Some teams surprisingly qualified for NTN, while a few top teams did not live up to expectations.  Check in for summaries, articles, photos and videos of each region.  New information will be posted throughout the next few days.QualifiersNTN New York Girls: Fayetteville-Manlius & Burnt-HillsNTN New York Boys: Shenendehowa & Warwick ValleyNTN Northeast Girls: Lincoln-Sudbury (MA) & Voorhees (NJ)NTN Northeast Boys: Brookline (MA) & Danbury (CT)NTN Southeast Girls: Collins Hill (GA) & Tatnall (DE)NTN Southeast Boys: Oak Ridge (TN) & Thomas Jefferson (VA)

FM moves on to NTNBy Christopher Hunt WAPPINGERS FALLS — They smiled and clapped. They did all the things they were supposed to.  But Stotan, the track team representing Fayetteville-Manilus couldn’t help but give off an aura that they had been there before. The looks bordered stoic, not because this win didn’t matter but because a bigger one awaits. FULL ARTICLE HERE

This is the big weekend for athletes and teams from Pennsylvania hoping to advance to Foot Locker Nationals December 8th in San Diego, and to Nike Team Nationals on December 1st in Portland, Oregon. There are two returning Foot Locker finalists, and a few girls who have been close, and this year have a great chance of advancing. And in the first year of the regional race for Nike Team Nationals, the top two PA boys teams and top-ranked girls team are aiming for the 4th NTN. As always, our previews are merely a guide, and NOT predictions. Our sister site ArmoryTrack.com of the MileSplit Network will be providing complete coverage of the NTN regional at Wappinger Falls, NY, while the PennTrackXC.com team will cover the Foot Locker regional at Van Cortlandt Park in da Bronx.

 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...

U.S. #4 Albuquerque Academy earns their trip to NTN(Photo by Gary Murray) Eight more teams qualified for Nike Team Nationals this past Saturday, while a few favorites faltered and didn't qualify.  With only two weeks to go until Nike Team Nationals the fight for who's best continues.  This week three teams enter the Power Rankings.  York (IL) enters as #10 on the boys side, while St. Mary's (OR) and Fort Collins (CO) enter at #9-10 in the girls rankings.

Two more Nike Team National regionals were run this past weekend.  Texas teams swept the qualifying spots in the South Regional, while two New Mexico teams swept the boys race in the Southwest Regional.  The girls Southwest Regional race was the kicker, as two top ten ranked team lost to un-ranked squads.

With a few teams losing, especially on the girls side, new teams spring into the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings this week.  The biggest leap came from previously unranked Dowling Catholic girls.  The team from Iowa impressed at the NTN Heartland Regional, beating a good field by a solid margin.

The first round of Nike Team National qualifying meets happened this past weekend.  US #2 Neuqua Valley and US #3 North Central each qualified on the boys side, while US #6 Westfield, US #7 Jesuit and US #9 Yankton qualified on the girls side.  With a few top teams losing, expect some change in this week's power rankings (coming out Tuesday).

While many teams across the land feature some of the top individual runners as well, the NTN Heartland Regional Championships are going to be a pack dominated meet.  With few stellar front runners participating in the event, depth is the key to earning one of those two automatic qualifying positions.

Typically the Northwest cross country region is one of the most powerful regions in the land.  This year's stable of top teams differs from years past in only that they may be stronger and deeper than ever before.  Leading the charge on the boys side are US #3 North Central (WA) (led by Andrew Kimpel above) and three-time qualifier Mead (WA), while US #7 Jesuit (OR) and MT #1 Bozeman lead the girls teams.

The first set of NTN Regionals takes place this weekend.  In the Midwest, while five states represent the region, only three states are allowed to travel to Terre Haute, Indiana for the meet.  Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are the three states and each looks to qualify at least one team to Portland.  The heavy girls favorite is Westfield, IN (above) while the boys is Neuqua Valley, IL.

No teams lost this past weekend, although a few had close calls.  On the boys side, Neuqua Valley, North Central, Danbury, Crater and North Penn each won state championships, while Jesuit accomplished the feat on the girls side.  As the season wraps up, the top teams emerge.

With Nike Team National Regional registration ending over the next few weeks for most regions, questions are being raised about the registration process, with emphasis on the elite races.  Here are some answers.

 With Nike Team National Regional registration ending over the next few weeks for most regions, questions are being raised about the registration process, with emphasis on the elite races.  Here are some answers.MileSplit NTN Regional Registration Announcement

With Nike Team National Regional registration ending over the next few weeks for most regions, questions are being raised about the registration process, with emphasis on the elite races.  Here are some answers.

With most of the top teams winning this weekend, little movement occurred on the Oct. 30 installement of the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings.  However, US #10 Wheaton North boys and US #8 Fort Collins girls both lost, with Murrieta Valley (CA) and Dakota Ridge (CO) taking their spots in this week's rankings.

With many top teams competing at conference or state-series meets, 17 of the 20 ranked teams showed results.  Boys US #1 Albuquerque Academy won a clash of New Mexico titans, as they beat US #9 Los Alamos at the Los Alamos Invitational, while Girls US #1 Fayetteville-Manlius had the weekend off.  See how everyone else competed.

Very little movement took place in this week's MileSplit National Team Power Rankings.  With most teams either not competing, or going against lesser competition, few squads moved very far from where they were ranked in the prior set of rankings.

With eight out of the top ten boys teams competing this past weekend, and eight of the top ten girls teams, a lot of great team performances occurred throughout the country.  The top performance of the weekend came from the US #10 Yankton girls team, winning their state meet in convincing fashion.  See how the top teams fared.

Five new teams enter the MileSplit National Team Power Rankings this week.  Saratoga Springs (NY), Fort Collins (CO) and Greenwich (NY) enter the girls rankings, while Los Alamos (NM) and North Penn (PA) enter the boys rankings.  With conference and state series meets ahead, a lot more movement may occur over the coming week.

While most of the top teams in the country won their weekend meets outright, or didn't compete, a few changes are made to this week's top ten rankings. Three boys teams move out, while Loyola (CA), Naperville North (IL) and Brookline (MA) move in.  On the girls side, Saugus (CA) moves up a spot after an impressive Clovis Invitational performance.

All the top teams in the country have had a chance to prove themselves this season.  While a few of the teams only compete once up until this weekend at an invitational, many show their skills on a weekly basis.  Many great matchups occur this weekend, which will undoubtably change the rankings, but here are our top ten boys and girls teams in the nation.

One of the top teams in the country, Neuqua Valley High School boys cross country team, is ready to roll as the season kicks off in Illinois this coming week.  Coach Paul Vandersteen gives us the inside scoop on his team.

2006 state cross country Class AAAA state champion Mauldin Mavericks girls are ranked no. 5 in the Nike Team Nationals southeast region preseason poll, released last week. Senior Alyssa Kulik captured the individual state cross country title in 2006. 

OK, we'll only remind everyone of the Coatesville boys' Nike Team Nationals 2006 championship once (this week). It was quite a run, and one worth remembering. The immediate impact of that win was the respect it garndered for Pennsylvania cross country. The Radnor girls helped our rep as well when they traveled to New York and nearly knocked off the #1 team in the nation at the time. They were left home in a selection process that required more reading tea leaves than anything else. But Coatesville's win was big for everyone. MORE>>>

  The cross country pre-season hype starts to begin, with the release of the Nike Team Nationals Pre-Season Rankings. 

Nike has released more detailed information over the past week in regards to the new regional meet format and qualifying procedures for the 2007 Nike Team Nationals to be held December 1st in Portland, Oregon. The NTN Southeast Region Meet will be held Saturday, November 24th in Hoover, Alabama on the home course for the Great American Cross Country Festival. Automatic berths will be given to the top two teams at each regional championship, while the third and fourth place finishing teams will be eligible for the four at-large berths among the nine regions. The at-large teams will be selected based off a points system, which encourages head to head competition during the season and scoring victories over eventual NTN selected teams during the season (meets on or after September 20th). Read on for more details.

It has been an interesting past four months for the high school cross country community!  Since its start three years ago Nike Team Nationals (NTN) has been a boon to the sport, putting the top teams from around the country on a national stage, but for better or worse it has been the source of great controversy as well.  Perhaps as is the nature of things when a selection committee chooses who gets invitations, some felt the criteria for qualifying was unclear or that some teams who deserved bids were left home.

It has been an interesting past four months for the high school cross country community! Since its start three years ago Nike Team Nationals (NTN) has been a boon to the sport, putting the top teams from around the country on a national stage, but for better or worse it has been the source of great controversy as well.  Perhaps as is the nature of things when a selection committee chooses who gets invitations, some felt the criteria for qualifying was unclear or that some teams who deserved bids were left home.

New Format for NTN and the 2007 cross country season.