Footlocker Recap: Niehaus Concludes Fourth Year

Four-time Footlocker National qualifier Kate Niehaus DNF at this year's meet in San Diego, Calif. According to Don Rich, penntrackxc.com / Milesplit.com affiliate Niehaus started to feel sick Wed. and stopped shortly after the two-mile mark. Rich was onsite for Milesplit.com at Footlocker Nationals this weekend.

Niehaus had this to say about her 2005 experience at Footlocker Nationals. "I guess I felt pretty confident going it, but on Wednesday before we left, I had a headache and had had a sore throat for the past week," said Niehaus. "I was getting sick right at the wrong time. The race started out pretty good. I was planning on staying back the first half and then working my way up. I thought that would probably be the best strategy for me. I was right where I wanted to be, and I was pretty happy with that. I was feeling as good as you can feel for the first loop. The hill wasn't so bad the first time. As I kept going, it got really hard...and I told myself to just keep going. And then I couldn't go anymore."

"So I stopped (about 2 miles). I got up and tried to keep going some more, and then I just couldn't, so I stopped again," said Niehaus. "It wasn't how I wanted it to be. I feel I gave it my best, for what I could do today. It's been kind of up and down, hopefully track will be a little better. I am, really happy to be going to Stanford."

Niehaus had this to say on competing at Footlocker Nationals for four consecutive years. "I think I was kind of lucky. My freshman year I made it out of the South Regional in 18:06, which was probably not even top 25 this year. So I progressed in the regional."

USATF Junior Olympics recap
Live via telephone from RI, Stephen Usery, just finished the Intermediate boys run. He mentioned that there was about a foot of snow on the ground yesterday.

According to Usery the sun is shining and the temperature is in the mid-30s today. Usery finished 46th in 16:23.33.

In the midget girls 3,000-meter SCISA State Champion Meagan Brandli, from Ashley Hall, was 52nd overall in 13:27.40.

Competing in their second USATF Junior Olympic National meet were Clover Blue Eagles seniors Kristen Thomas and Samantha Coburn. Thomas and Coburn finished 24th and 31st, respectively in the young women's 5,000-meter run.

scrunners.com site administrator John Olson will conclude the 2005 running coverage scene at Cold Winter's Day run Dec. 31. in Columbia.

Submit your 2006 outdoor track and field and road race events from South Carolina to john@scrunners.com. For advertising information on scrunners.com contact john@scrunners.com.