Walter Schafer breaks the finish line for second place at Foot Locker Midwest. Photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.
It wasn't exactly conditions that the Colorado contingent was accustomed to, but it worked out pretty well for four Colorado seniors and one junior nevertheless. The total of five national qualifiers was best among the states gathered for the Midwest regional. Michigan had the next most national qualifiers with four. No other state had more than two.
Temperatures were, by Wisconsin standards for late November, positively balmy. Low 50s and sunshine describes the conditions everywhere but on the ground. The ground was extremely muddy, the result of copious amounts of precipitation leading up to the race. Most racers were in 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch spikes. Not exactly new territory for runners from the upper midwest, but certainly unfamiliar conditions for those who've cut their racing teeth in Colorado.
Kelsey Lakowske of Boulder was Colorado's only nationals qualifier in the girls race. Lakowske was running in third midway through the race and eventually ended up losing a couple places, but still qualified easily in fifth place with a time of 17:52. Sixth place was 17 seconds back.
The next three Colorado finishers were Clare Gallagher of Cherry Creek (16th, 18:49). Sam Lewis of Boulder (20th, 18:55), and Erin Kelly of Crested Butte (24th, 19:02).
Colorado fared much better in the boys race, sending four seniors to Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego two weeks from today.
Walter Schafer was the first Colorado runner in second with a time of 15:41. Although eventual winner Lukas Verzbicas was able to open a substantial gap on the entire gap by two miles, Schafer closed the gap considerably in the final mile to finish only seven seconds behind Verzbicas.
Scott Fauble of Wheat Ridge was next for Colorado in fifth with a time of 15:47. Closing out the Colorado qualifiers were Ryan Poland of Denver Christian (8th, 15:50) and Danny Nicolls (9th, 15:55). Nicolls won his national qualifying position by kicking down two or three competitors in the final 100 meters. Until that time, he was not among the top ten.
The next Colorado finisher was John Coats of Fairview. Coats finished 18th in 16:08 and also sewed up the title for Colorado in the state competition, 42 - 46 over an Illinois contingent with a vastly larger number of entries.