I saw the boys Nike Cross Nationals at Portland Meadows and it was an "interesting course".  Hay bales and it seemed fairly flat.  The winner, Texas 5A champion Craig Lutz, took advantage of his athletic ability to win (closed in 1:30 over the final 600 in his south region FL win).  The athletes I came to the meet most interested in were the next two runners, juniors Elias Gedyon and Joe Rosa.  I was there mostly to see junior Joe Rosa from New Jersey and recent Duck signee Parker Stinson from Cedar Park, Texas.  Rosa was #1 rated based on crushing the state high school course in New Jersey at the state championships.  Parker Stinson won the US Junior championships over 10,000 meters (31:18).  No one seemed ready for the freezing temperatures and the course was muddy. 

I was impressed with Rosa, he seemed to be suffering and still tried to bury the kick of Lutz with 1k to go but both Lutz and Gedyon passed him at the end.  Rosa said he gave all he had and threw up at the end of the race.  He also gave credit to his vanquishers.  I was impressed.  Gedyon seems really young and still ran 4:08 for a mile last year (#11 US on T&FN).  His stride will likely develop with help. 

Lutz, a junior, ran a very smart race.  He seems very focused.  He had a shin stress fracture after running a 9:10 3,200m win at districts and still ran the next day a 4:14.69 mile for second the next day.  The pain in his leg was later diagnosed as a stress fracture in his shin.  In the early season he ran 60 miles/week and before districts ran 40+ miles/week and then peaked at 50.  He and his coach break down the race in 1ks.  He looks like he might be a good 5k guy after his 14:34 at the south FL region meet.  Stinson only finished 16th but I think a lot of that had to do with the conditions.

Had no choice but to leave after the boys 

On the same day recent Duck signee Brian Shrader won the FL West region (15:25).  He beat seniors Wade Meddles from Nevada (15:29) and Cody Helbling of Lake City, Id (15:32) and Washington and Border Class champion Shane Moskowitz who was fifth, 12 seconds back.

Husky signee Megan Morgan of Torrey Pines, CA was second in the girls race (17:59) behind junior Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo, CA (17:55)

No Oregon high school runners were listed in the results.