Nationals Weekend

For many high level cross country athletes, this weekend was the weekend they have been training all season for. The Foot Locker Nationals, USATF Junior Olympic Nationals, and USATF Club Nationals all took place on December 13th. 

Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals was held at Balboa Park in San Diego, California. The girls 5K race was won by senior, Anna Rohrer from Mishawaka, Indiana with a time of 17:13. She also won this race as a sophomore in 2012. She was injured for the 2013 cross country season with a stress fracture in her foot. Anna Rohrer made history as a two-time champion joining Jordan Hasay, Erin Keogh, Melody Fairchild, and Erin Sullivan. The best placement by a local runner was the 5th place finish by Hannah Debalsi from Westport, Connecticut. 

Grant Fisher was the winner of the boys Foot Locker Nationals 5K race with a time of 15:03. The senior from Grand Blanc High School was among a field on all Juniors and Seniors. He now joins Edward Cheserek, Lukas Verzbicas, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Abdrizak Mohamud as two-time Foot Locker winners. The best placement by a local runner was by Alex Ostberg from Darien, Connecticut who placed 9th. 

The USATF National Cross Country Junior Olympics was held at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Many girls from New England medaled at this event. The best local placement was by Caroline Fischer of Granite State Flash who placed 2nd in the 11-12 year old 3K race with a time of 10:24. Her early placement led her team to capture a 4th place title. In the 15-16 girls 5K race, Claire Hanlon of Sentinel Striders placed 18th with a time of 18:33. Stephanie Mattson also of the Sentinel Striders had the best local placement in the 17-18 division with a 15th place finish with a time of 19:32 over the 5K course. 

New England boys also finished well at the National Junior Olympics. Sean Kay of the North Shore Striders placed 12th in the 11-12 age division with a 3K time of 10:10. In the 13-14 age division, Sam Toolin of the Sentinel Striders placed 5th out of 405 runners with a time of 12:58 over the 4K course. The Sentinel Striders placed 3rd as a team in the 17-18 age division led by the 11th place finish of Adan Petti. 

The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships was held at Goodman Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Boston Athletic Association women won this event beating 43 other teams. They were led by Sarah Pagano who placed 6th with a time of 19:40 over the 6K course. Following her were 9th and 10th placements by Juliet Bottorff and Elaina Balouris and 19th, 20th, and 22nd placements by Jennifer Rhines, Emily Lipari, and Katie Matthews. 

The Boston Athletic Association men got 2nd at the National Club Championships. Zap Fitness Reebok finished first as a team over the 72 other teams competing. Dan Lowry led them finishing 15th with a time of 19:50 over the 10K course. Other top 30 placements were by Ethan Shaw, Eric Ashe, and Brian Harvey. 

The Timeline of Jenny Simpson

Jenny Simpson is the most decorated female athlete in the 1500 meter race in athletics history. Jenny attended Oviedo High School in Florida. While there she was a five time state champion in track and a three time state champion in cross country.

Jenny Simpson went on to attend the University of Colorado. In 2006, she won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the steeplechase with a time of 9:53. 

In 2007, she won the USATF Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase. Jenny also placed seventh at the IAAF World Outdoor Championship and the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase. 

While still attending the University of Colorado, Jenny Simpson made her first Olympic team. She placed third in the steeplechase at the 2008 US Trials to qualify her for the Olympics. In the Olympic finals, she placed ninth and set a new American Record with a time of 9:22. 

Jenny Simpson had a very impressive year in 2009. She set new NCAA indoor records in the mile, 3000 meter, and 5000 meter. She also set new outdoor records in the 1500 meter, 5000 meter, and 3000 meter steeplechase. At the 2009 World Championships, she placed fifth in the steeplechase and topped her own American Record with a new one of 9:12. Jenny won the 2009 Prefontaine Classic in the 1500 meter with a time of 3:59.9. Jenny became the United States Champion in the steeplechase. She won the Bowerman Award which is awarded to college track and field's athlete of the year. Jenny was favored to with the NCAA Cross Country Championship but after leading the first two miles, she suddenly felt light headed and collapsed. That led her to placing 163rd.  

After graduating from the University of Colorado, in 2010 she sign a multi-year endorsement with New Balance. She changed her coach from Mark Weltmore, the University of Colorado's coach to Air Force Academy Coach, Juli Benson. She had to take most of 2010 off due to a stress fracture in her right femur. 

2011 was a strong year for Jenny Simpson. At the USA Indoor Championship she won both the mile and the 3000 meter. She went onto winning the World Championships in the 1500 meter with a time of 4:05. Jenny became the first American women to win the 1500 meter since the win in 1983 by Mary Decker. 

Jenny Simpson qualified for the 2012 Olympics after placing third at the US Olympic Trials in the 1500 meter. At the Olympics, she qualified for the semifinal, but not the final. She then returned to her old coach, Mark Weltmore. 

2013 led Jenny Simpson to winning the USATF Outdoor 5000 meter race with a time of 15:33. She won a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in the 1500 meter race with a time of 4:02. Jenny went on to winning the 5th Avenue Mile. 

In 2014, Jenny Simpson got runner up in the Boston New Balance Indoor Grad Prix two mile race. Jenny finished this race a lap early thinking that she was done, causing her to place second. If this mistake had not been made she definitely would have set a US Indoor best in the two mile. A week later, at the US Cross Country Championship she placed second. In the 2014 US Outdoor Track and Field Championships she placed first in the 1500 meter race. In July,  Jenny became the third fastest American female runner in the 1500 meter finishing the Diamond League race with a time of 3:57. Jenny Simpson also defended her 5th Avenue Mile title by winning that race again. She also recently won the Jackie Joyner-Kersee athlete of the year award. Jenny Simpson is the first athlete announced to be running in the 2015 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where she is hoping for a better result than last year's race.