Amid all the races Eleanor Fulton has run, there's one big race she hasn't run--Foot Locker Finals. She checks that one off her bucket list on Saturday. Photo by Paul Everett.
This Saturday closes the book on high school cross country 2010. There is the USATF Junior Olympic Championship meet to be held in Alabama (and a few Colorado runners could be in attendance at that one), but almost all eyes figure to be on the Foot Locker Finals in San Diego's Balboa Park.
Colorado will be well represented this year. Kelsey Lakowske returns to try to improve on her sixth-place finish from last year. Lakowske avoided mixing it up with the leaders last year, but patiently worked her way through the field into a higher finish than almost anyone was predicting for her.
Colorado also has two first-time entries at this year's Foot Locker Finals. On the boy's side Will Kincaid will toe the line by virtue of a surprising (at least to the experts) finish at Foot Locker Midwest where he finished fourth. Kincaid has now one last opportunity to add to the story of his amazing senior season.
Perhaps the most interesting story of the Colorado contingent, however, belongs to Eleanor Fulton. During the span of her high school career, Fulton has competed in almost every race imaginable, including representing the United States in international competitions in Italy and Canada. She owns two trophies from NXN. She has won numerous titles in high-profile post-season track meets.
The one big race she's never been in, however, in Foot Locker Nationals. That exception lingers until Saturday.
While none of the three Colorado entries are getting a lot of attention as pre-race favorites, none of the three are athletes you want to dismiss lightly. And, barring another rainstorm this year, the conditions in San Diego should feel a little more familiar to the qualifiers than the conditions in Wisconsin felt two weeks ago.
We wish each of the three all the best on a successful and satisfying performance!