Foot Locker Nationals Recap

SAN DIEGO – Elizabeth Leachman became the seventh female athlete in meet history to win multiple national titles Saturday at the 45th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.

Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion HS, TX, 12/14/2024)

Leachman, a junior at Boerne Champion High in Texas, covered the 5-kilometer layout in 17 minutes, 31.1 seconds to become the first girls competitor to secure back-to-back national titles since Claudia Lane of Malibu High was victorious in 2016-17.

Tamrat Gavenas, a senior at Phillips Academy Andover, became the second male athlete from Massachusetts to capture a national championship, clocking 15:23.9 to join Abdirizak Mohamud from Boston English High winning consecutive crowns in 1996-97.

Tamrat Gavenas (Phillips Academy Andover, MA, 12/14/2024)

Gavenas, the only three-time boys finalist from Massachusetts in meet history, improved from 31st as a sophomore in 2022 to third last season, before securing the national crown.

A year after being shut out of a top-15 performance, the West Region produced four boys All-Americans for the first time since 2021, including Concord De La Salle High senior standout Trey Caldwell.

Vincent Recupero of Bishop Blanchet High in Washington earned eighth in 15:44.6, Yohanes Van Meerten from Flagstaff High in Arizona achieved 11th in 15:47.3, with Caldwell – the first three-time finalist from California since Louie Quintana of Arroyo Grande in 1988-90 – taking 12th in 15:47.9.

Vincent Recupero (Bishop Blanchet HS, WA, 12/14/2024)

Yohanes Van Meerten (#83, Flagstaff HS, AZ) and Trey Caldwell (#84, Concord De La Salle HS, CA, 12/14/2024)

Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain High in New Mexico captured 14th in 15:50.2 to complete the All-America quartet for the West.

Jaelyn Williams, a junior at Chula Vista Eastlake High and the first Foot Locker finalist for the program since 2017, was the lone girls All-American from the West Region, placing ninth in 18:04.9.

Williams became the fourth female athlete in California prep history to earn All-America honors during her career at both the Foot Locker final and Nike Cross Nationals. She is the only girls competitor from California among the quartet to place in the top 10 in both championship races.

Jaelyn Williams (Chula Vista Eastlake HS, CA, 12/14/2024)

Chiara Dailey, a junior at La Jolla High and a two-time All-American, was last among the 40 competitors at the mile mark and withdrew from the race shortly thereafter as a result of illness.

Williams, who secured seventh at Nike Cross Nationals to receive All-America recognition last year, extended the streak to four consecutive seasons that California has produced a girls All-American in the Foot Locker national championship race in San Diego.

Cassidy Armstrong, a junior at Ballard High in Washington, followed her West Regional title Dec. 7 at Mt. San Antonio College with a 17th-place performance in 18:21.7.

Cassidy Armstrong (Ballard HS, WA, 12/14/2024)

Adria Favero, a sophomore at Olympus High in Utah, finished 21st in 18:30.1.

Adria Favero (Olympus HS, UT, 12/14/2024)

Ayanna Hickey, a junior from The Bishop’s School, achieved 30th in 18:52.4.

A pair of freshmen made their debuts in the national final, with Tatum Flach of Park City High in Utah capturing 32nd in 18:57.8 and Sadie Krueger from Moanalua High in Hawaii securing 36th in 19:21.9.

Krueger became the first national finalist for Hawaii since 1999 and only the third female athlete to qualify in meet history.

Eleanor Raker of Galena High in Nevada, a two-time national finalist, finished 33rd in 19:00.5, improving from 35th last season.

Erika Kirk, a senior at Vista Murrieta High, placed 34th as the first competitor in program history to participate in the Foot Locker final.

Nicole Alfred, a senior at Rancho Cucamonga High and the program’s first athlete to race in the national championship in San Diego since 2017, achieved 37th in 19:31.8.

Max Douglass, a Corona del Mar High senior and the first male athlete to represent the school in the Foot Locker final, placed 18th in 15:52.6.

Tyler Daillak, a senior at Paso Robles High and the program’s first national finalist, followed his victory at the West Regional final by securing 23rd in 16:00.2.

Kade Brownell, a two-time national finalist from Mt. Spokane High in Washington, took 26th in 16;04.8, improving from 38th place last season.

Josiah Tostenson, a senior at Crater High in Oregon, earned a 28th-place effort in 16:07.7.

Clovis North High junior Conor Lott, the California Division 1 state champion, placed 30th in 16:18.4.

Aydon Stefanopoulos, a senior at Los Gatos High, achieved 35th in 16:30.4.

Juan Gonzalez of Fremont High finished second in 15:27.4, producing the best finish by a Nebraska male athlete in meet history.

Juan Gonzalez (Fremont HS, NE, 12/14/2024)

Gonzalez led six boys competitors from the Midwest Region to All-America honors and a 31-49 win against the Northeast lineup – led by Gavenas and fellow Massachusetts standout Jack Graffeo of Westford Academy, who took third in 15:34.5 – in the team showdown.

Jack Graffeo (Westford Academy, MA, 12/14/2024)

Leachman – the only Texas athlete to win consecutive championships in meet history – led the South Region, which had five athletes in the top 11, to a thrilling 35-36 victory against the Midwest in the girls team competition.

Victoria Garces of Midland Dow High in Michigan was second in 17:39.9, leading seven All-Americans for the Midwest.

Victoria Garces (Midland Dow HS, MI, 12/14/2024)

Since Nike Team Nationals was introduced in 2004, Garces became only the second female athlete in U.S. prep history to place second or higher at both Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker final in the same season, joining Rachel (Johnson) Tomajczyk of Plano Senior High in Texas in 2010.

Zariel Macchia from William Floyd High in New York took third in 17:49.6, becoming the third girls competitor in meet history to earn All-America honors all four seasons at the national final.

Zariel Macchia (William Floyd HS, NY, 12/14/2024)

Macchia joined Mel Lawrence of Reno High in Nevada in 2003-06 and Jordan Hasay from Mission Prep High in San Luis Obispo in 2005-08 in achieving the feat.

Macchia and Abby Faith Cheeseman from the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn., increased the group of female athletes to 27 in meet history who qualified for four national championship races.

Cheeseman, who placed 19th in 18:25.5, joined Kathy Kroeger of Independence High in 2005-08 as the only Tennessee girls competitors to advance to the national final all four years.

Macchia is the third New York female athlete to appear in four Foot Locker national championship races, joining Nicole (Blood) Freitag in 2002-05 and Shelby (Greany) Goose in 2005-08.

By Erik Boal