Lakowske Moves Up 2 From '09

Kelsey Lakowske leads a pack through the midway point of Foot Locker Nationals. Photo by Don Rich, www.penntrackxc.com.

 

A very successful post-season for Colorado's cross country runners came to a close at San Diego's Balboa Park today.

 

At, and least so far as Colorado's entries were concerned, the day belonged to Kelsey Lakowske of Boulder.

 

Early in the race it was Eleanor Fulton nipping at the heels of the lead pack. But, it wasn't long before Aisling Cuff and Allison Woodward were breaking away from the field. Shortly thereafter, it was Aisling Cuffe all by herself and all of the competitive racing was happening behind her.

 

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, Fulton fell of the pace of the main pursuit group while Lakowske moved up. By two miles, it seemed clear that Lakowske would nail down a place among the leaders.

 

That place almost went to third--and initially Lakowske was introduced as the third-place finisher--but a review of the results showed Lakowske getting nipped at the finish line by California's Julie Nacouzi. And so it was that Colorado's state champion had to settle for fourth. But it was a very solid fourth at a time of 17:29.

 

Such a finish looked, for much of this year, improbable in the extreme. Following surgery early in year, Lakowske missed the entire 2010 track season. She did not reappear in uniform until roughly the midpoint of the cross country season. And, while her first couple of races back were solid, they gave no indication that her season would end in a 4th-place finish at Foot Locker Nationals. It doesn't pay to give up early on your dreams.

 

Eleanor Fulton would end up 13th in the field of 40 at 17:50.

 

About a half-hour later the boys clashed on the same course for their version of the Foot Locker national title.

 

Colorado's Will Kincaid never seriously flirted with the lead in this race. That distinction belonged, pretty much exclusively, to Lukas Verzbicas and Futsum Zeinasellassie. Verzbicas would eventually crush all resistance and ended up walking across the finish line.

 

Kincaid did, however, manage to maintain a competitive race, finishing 11th in 15:27.