KENOSHA, Wisconsin — Beavercreek High School senior Taylor Ewert, a returning national Foot Locker finalist and the recent Division I back-to-back girls state cross country champion, will join top high school cross country runners from more than 13 states to compete in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCCC) Midwest Regional on Nov. 30 in hopes of becoming a national finalist again.
Entering its 41st year, the Foot Locker Cross Country Championship is the longest running cross country race in the nation, comprised of four regional 5K races across the country. The Northeast (Bronx, N.Y.) and South (Charlotte, N.C.) regional races will also be held on Nov. 30. The West Regional (Walnut, Calif.) race will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7. More than 10,000 of the nation’s leading high school runners are expected to compete in the regional meets.
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been home of the Midwest Regional for the past 34 years and has spawned the career of many runners who went on to become national champions including Cole Hocker (last year’s winner), Adam Goucher, Jorge Torres, Dathan Ritzenhein, Lukas Verzbicas, Grant Fisher, Megan Goethals, Melody Fairchild and Anna Rohrer.
The top 10 finishers from each seeded regional race qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country National Finals (Dec. 4 in San Diego) and will join the likes of Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall as well as American record-holder, Alan Webb.
Last year, Ewert placed fourth at the national meet with a time of 17 minutes, 20.1 seconds. Four of the 2018 race’s top five runners, and seven of the top 10, could be back for this year’s race, including Northbridge, Maine’s Sydney Masciarelli who won the girls race in 17:00.3.
The Midwest Region, consisting of athletes from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and U.S. citizens in Overseas Military Installations, will race along the 5,000-meter mixed terrain course at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday, Nov. 30. The race, however, will not be limited to high school athletes. All non-high school runners in eighth grade and under can run in the Youth Championship 3K Race and all others are encouraged to participate in the open race. Runners can register online at www.footlockercc.com. Each entrant will receive a complimentary backpack.
Ewert, who announced in October she will be attending NCAA women’s cross country powerhouse the University of Arkansas, placed second in the Foot Locker Midwest Regional last season.
