Nike Team Nationals 2004

Just how did Cedar Cliff capture one of just 20 spots in the first Nike Team Nationals? What was their summer training like? Did they have any doubts along the way? The Cedar Cliff boys varsity talks about their season, in their own words.

The Nike Team Nationals will be on Comcast Sports Net at 5pm Eastern on Saturday December 11th.

Complete coverage of PA state champs Cedar Cliff at the first Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Oregon on 12/4, including Pre-Race Quotes, Photo Gallery, Notes, and Post-Race Quotes

\"It was a positive season and a positive experience. I think the best thing they did was to handle the pressure (this year). This is not going to be the end of Cedar Cliff at this level.\" -- A post-race interview with Cedar Cliff head coach Ken Roseberry.

Photos by Bob Cooke capturing both the race and the atmosphere in Portland.

The Cedar Cliff Colts, aka Harrisburg Harriers, finished their 2004 XC campaign on a down note, if you consider the 21 teams at the inaugural Nike Team Championships in Portland, Oregon. But...

When it was all said and done, it was truly a great event. Sure, the sun never shined, it felt like the midst of winter, and it was foggy and damp most of the time, some thought the course was too hard, some in the minority thought the course was too easy, but along the way it was one heck of an experience for all involved.

Today the teams got their first look at the European style course created from the infield of Portland Meadows race track.

Photos from Bob Cooke who is in Portland for flrunners.com checking out the scenery. These are some photos of the teams arriving and the course being prepared for today\'s big race!

Pre-race quotes from Cedar Cliff head coach Ken Roseberry and #1 man Pat Caulfield from Portland, Oregon, site of the 1st Nike Team Championships.

PA\'s only representative at the inaugural Nike Team Championships in Portland, Oregon is the Harrisburg Harriers, aka, the Cedar Cliff Colts. At the opening ceremony, in an elite-athlete judged gong show format, Cedar Cliff actually gonged themselves.

I represent one of the 4 teams from Texas at the first ever Nike Team National event. My intent was to jot down a few items each day and send them to Alex to publish. Little did I know how hard it would be. I am sitting in my room at the Embassy Suites on Friday morning 5:15 local time not really remembering where I am or what time it is.

Earlier this year, Nike, in conjunction with the USATF, announced a brand new concept in cross-country running: Nike Team Nationals. The boys from Winter Park were the lone Florida team that managed to land one of the coveted berths. Here\'s how they did it.

The Cedar Cliff colts (otherwise known as the Harrisburg Harriers) are going to Portland, Oregon next week to compete in the first Nike Team Championships.

Cedar Cliff moves down nationally, but Coatesville moves up in the Northeast.

The two remaining PA teams in the Northeast rankings have dropped in the preliminary final list of the season, one a single place, and the other, at least two.

As the inaugural Nike Team Nationals cross-country event is now less than 4 months away, the finalized rankings and selection process will utilize every bit of available information in order to identify the most successful cross-country squads throughout the fall campaign.

NTN is structured to allow maximum participation within state association rules

Dyestat has named regional editors to coordinate news from each of the eight NTN regions. These editors, along with Marc Bloom and John Dye, will also form the NTN rankings committee, which will issue the NTN Regional Rankings each week during the season.

The high school cross country championship picture is coming into focus with talks between Nike and Foot Locker this summer. The two major corporate sponsors of high school cross country are near agreement for continuation of the Nike sponsorship of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. Foot Locker in turn will be a sponsor of the new Nike Team Nationals (NTN).

Who are the top boys and girls teams in the US? No arguement. No discussion. No doubts. The questions will be answered on December 4th at the first Nike Team Nationals in Oregon. That\'s the Saturday between Northeast Foot Lockers in New York and the Foot Locker Finals in San Diego.