Lane ready to challenge veteran field

Sophomore will face seven returning finalists, including Mareno

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The 38th Foot Locker National Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10 at Balboa Park's Morley Field in San Diego.

The girls championship race is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. PST and the boys final will start at 10 a.m.

Here is a preview of the girls championship race, which features seven returning athletes from last year's final:

The girls championship race at the 38^th Foot Locker national finals will showcase a contrast of youth versus experience.

It will be a showdown involving the country’s most promising rising talent and several accomplished veterans.

And it will match a California standout making her national debut against numerous athletes who have already competed last year in San Diego or a raced week ago at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.

Malibu sophomore Claudia Lane will face the biggest challenge of her career Saturday at Balboa Park’s Morley Field after not only winning the Foot Locker West Regionals, but delivering the No. 3 performance in the history of the 5-kilometer Mt. SAC course Dec. 3 by clocking 17 minutes, 20.1 seconds.

Lane’s effort trails only the shared West regional record of 17:14 produced by former California high school stars and national champions Amber Trotter of Ukiah (2001) and Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep (2005 and 2008).

The Division 4 state champion – whose lone setback this year came Sept. 17 against NXN winner Brie Oakley of Grandview (Colorado) in the Woodbridge Classic sweepstakes race – Lane is attempting to become the first California female standout to win the Foot Locker title since Hasay eight years ago.

“It means so much to be up there mentioned with them,” Lane said. “Seeing where I’ve come from last year is crazy and I’m so grateful for this. It’s been really fun and I can’t wait for (nationals).”

Nevada Mareno of Leesville Road (North Carolina), who will continue her running career in California next year at Stanford, is the lone returning All-American after placing third in last season’s final.

Mareno won the South Regional title Nov. 26 in 17:21.7 at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, 16 seconds slower than last year’s runner-up performance which trailed the 16:43 effort of reigning national champion Weini Kelati of Heritage (Virginia).

“This year I’ve had a lot more relaxed approach. It’s been more about the ride,” Mareno said. “I haven’t done many races this year and training has been a little on and off. It was a lot harder to do my training with all my visits and being under the weather here and there.”

Mareno is attempting to make history by becoming the first North Carolina talent, male or female, to capture a Foot Locker title. Ryen Frazier of Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, now at North Carolina State, took second in 2014 to two-time champion Anna Rohrer of Mishawaka (Indiana), an All-American this past season for Notre Dame.

“I’m just going to try to keep my head down and focus on what I’m doing,” Mareno said. “The thing that I’m afraid of is that it is nationals and anyone can have an amazing day. But I never count myself out.”

Mareno will be joined by future Stanford teammates Jordan Oakes of Holy Names Academy (Washington) and Julia Heymach of Lamar (Texas), who return after placing 20^th and 36^th in last year’s final.

Alyssa Aldridge of Mainland Regional (New Jersey), who finished 23^rd in last season’s national championship as a sophomore, captured the Northeast Regional title Nov. 26 by clocking 17:40.3 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York. Maria Coffin of Annapolis (Maryland), 27^th last year, also returns after placing third in the regional in 17:59.8.

“It’s so amazing to get a true judgment on how you rank against everyone else in the country,” Aldridge told PressofAtlanticCity.com following her regional victory.

“To compare myself to people from New Jersey to California and everywhere in between is a really good experience.”

Kate Hunter of Provo (Utah) and Kayla Young of Denver North (Colorado), 31^st and 33^rd last year, are also among the seven returning national finalists from last season.

They will be joined by four standouts who competed Dec. 3 at NXN, including All-Americans India Johnson of Hilliard Davidson (Ohio) and Anne Forsyth of Ann Arbor Pioneer (Michigan).

Forsyth, 14^th at NXN, won the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in 17:17.3 on the Wayne E. Dannehl course at University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Johnson, ninth at NXN, was regional runner-up in 17:36.1.

Lauren Peterson of Farmington (Minnesota) and Christina Geisler of Carmel (Indiana), fourth and sixth in the Midwest Regional race, finished 30^th and 40^th at NXN.

Peterson was one of six sophomores to place in the top 30 at NXN including runner-up Ember Stratton of Sunset (Oregon), but she’ll be one of only four competing at Foot Locker nationals, along with Lane. They will all be attempting to become the first 10^th-grader since Rohrer in 2012 to capture the title and just the fifth sophomore in meet history.

“Everyone is trying to do the same thing and that’s win,” Lane said. “I’m going to have some tough competition, but I think it will be really fun.”