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| Wednesday, July 16 |
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| Foot Locker National Roundup By Jon Reidel SchoolSports.com | ||||||
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While Dathan Ritzenhein and Alan Webb were warming up for their eagerly anticipated boys' battle at the 2000 Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships, Sara Bei was in last place of the girls' race. Bei, a senior at Montgomery High (Santa Rosa, Calif.), failed to qualify for last year's finals and was not expected to be a factor on Saturday at Disney World's Shades of Green Golf Course. But the four-time California state champion managed to work her way from 32nd place at three-quarters of a mile to second place with less than a mile to go.
Suddenly, the girl who everyone had written off two years ago passed leader Anita Siraki of Herbert Hoover High (Glendale, Calif.) about 20 yards before the finish line to pull off what many were calling the greatest comeback in Foot Locker history. "I can't believe I did it," said Bei, who finished with a 3.1-mile time of 16:55, three seconds ahead of Siraki. "I really started questioning myself when I was in last place, but God gave me the strength. I knew I could draw strength from him. I've always dreamed of winning it. It still hasn't sunk in yet." Once the buzz surrounding Bei's course-record performance died down, all eyes turned to the anticipated Ritzenhein-Webb showdown. Ritzenhein, the defending national champion from Rockford High (Rockford, Mich.), had said prior to the race that he needed to build an early lead against the speedier Webb. But a 4:47 first mile left "The Ritz" with plenty of company. Undaunted, Ritzenhein put the hammer down and threw in a 4:33 second mile to open up a 50-yard lead. The fastest second mile ever recorded at Foot Locker was too much for Webb of South Lakes High (Reston, Va.) and dark horse Ryan Hall of Big Bear High (Big Bear Lake, Calif.) to overcome, as Ritzenhein crossed the finish line 20 seconds ahead of Webb in 14:35. "After the first mile, I said this has got to go, because I don't want a kick race," said Ritzenhein. "Both (Webb and Hall) have unbelievable speed, so I didn't want it to come down to that. I knew they were back there when I made my move, but I didn't know when they dropped. I slowed down the last half mile. I was thinking, God this hurts." A dejected Webb, who finished second in 14:55, gave Ritzenhein all the credit, saying he simply couldn't respond to Ritzenhein's move. Webb had nothing to be ashamed of, as his time was 10 seconds faster than last year, when he placed eighth at nationals. Even so, Webb, who is known for being tough on himself, said he didn't really improve because all of the runners who finished ahead of him last year were seniors. In order to improve, he would have had to win, he said. "He had a good day today," said Webb of Ritzenhein. "I just didn't step up to the plate. It's disappointing. He threw in a hard surge and dropped me at two miles. I was planning for a more even race." Hall closed on Webb but couldn't overtake him. Even so, Hall's time of 14:59 silenced critics who said he couldn't hang with the "big two." "I tried to make a move on Webb, but I was kind of hurting so I didn't have much left," said Hall. "I'm excited about track season. I've been dreaming about the four-minute mile since ninth grade. I think it can happen." There was expected to be as much drama in the girls' race, but numerous lead changes and Bei's unexpected heroics changed all that. Penny Splichal of Dickinson High (Dickinson, N.D.) took a lead pack through the first mile in a blistering 5:12 and maintained that lead 8:30 into the race. Siraki and pre-race favorite Alicia Craig of Campbell County High (Gillette, Wyo.) took over the lead at two miles, which they hit in 11:02. With about half a mile left, four runners from the West -- Siraki, Bei, Craig and Laura Zeigle of Bingham High (South Jordan, Utah) -- led the pack and all had legitimate chances at winning. But Bei and Siraki separated themselves and engaged in an epic duel that ended with Bei winning by less than three seconds. Zeigle finished third (17:21), while Craig fell all the way back to 20th place (18:12). "I said to myself that I couldn't believe it was coming down to this (a sprint), but I knew I had a good kick," said Bei. "My confidence isn't in my running, it's in the strength that God gives me." Bei said her 10th-place finish at last year's West Regional was a blessing in disguise. After placing 10th as a freshman at Foot Locker Nationals and third as a sophomore, Bei seemed poised to win the national crown. But many thought she was washed up when she failed to qualify as a junior. "The West Regional taught me a lot last year," said Bei. "It changed my entire outlook on running. I had a poor perspective before. I started to focus more on why I run, not on trying to win and set records." Ritzenhein, Webb and Hall have drawn worldwide attention to American distance running for their respective attacks on the four-minute mile and by running some of the fastest times in the past 25 years at two miles and five kilometers. None of them, however, sound interested in carrying the future of American distance running on their shoulders. "I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I don't feel responsibility for anyone but me," said Ritzenhein. "But it's good to see that the country has come back as far as we have in running."
Material from SchoolSports.com.Visit their web site at www.schoolsports.com | |
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