Megan Goethals (Michigan)
(photo credit: Don Rich)
While a lot of attention on Saturday will be on a couple of sophomore guys in Kenosha, Senior Megan Goethals from Michigan could put on a show. Goethals is currently ranked #1, posting a PR of 16:54 5k to win Michigan State Championships by a minute and 15 seconds. That time was good enough to post the fastest 5k time for any high school girl in the nation this year. Goethals is no stranger to Kenosha. She won Footlocker Midwest Regional last year in a time of 17:31, barely edging out Missouri’s Emily Sisson. Goethals then went on to finish 3rd at Footlocker Nationals, only behind Jordan Hassay and Ashley Brassovan who are among the best the sport has ever seen.
Emily Sisson (Missouri)
Sisson has been a part of Footlocker for 3 years, looking to go to Nationals for her 4th consecutive year. As a freshman, Emily was victorious at Kenosha with a time of 17:13. She went on to place 3rd as a freshman, the highest place for her at Footlocker Nationals. Her sophomore year she again had a successful trip to Kenosha, finishing 4th at regionals, and 23rd at Nationals. Her junior year was more of the same with a 2nd place finish behind Goethals but she placed 29th at Nationals. Sisson has had a great past few months. She won the 5000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals in a time of 16:34. She has been dominant this year, winning the Missouri State Class 4 Championship with a time of 17:56, winning by more than a minute over a very talented field. Just to show how amazing that race was, 2nd place finisher in the state race, Chelsey Phoebus, finished 5th at Nike Midwest Regional. Despite all this, Sisson is currently 15h in the National Rankings.
Katie Flood (Iowa)
The Downing Catholic tandem is one of the best 1-2 punches ever. Flood and Ashley Decker lead the Dowling Catholic girls to win Nike Heartland Regional last year, finishing 1-2. Last year Decker finished 6th at Footlocker Regionals and 18th at Nationals. Flood is currently entered and should be in the top pack on Saturday. She did not run last year but is one of the favorites to earn a ticket to San Diego.
Kelsey Lakowske (Colorado)
With an undefeated season and 3 sub-18 times in the altitude, it's no mystery why Kelsey is highly regarded going into this race. The junior from Boulder improved her time at state by over a minute and looks ready for a national caliber field. Kelsey won the Colorado State Championships, finishing 50 seconds over 2nd place, Eleanor Fulton, who went on to win Nike Southwest Regional. Lakowske has yet to compete at a National event and should be in the mix on Saturday.
Diane Robison (Missouri)
Emily Sisson’s teammate, Diane, is a proven elite runner in her own right. Diane qualified last year, finishing 10th at Regionals and 36th at Nationals. She finished 3rd at the Great American XC Festival, one of the biggest meets in the nation with a time of 17:37. Diane struggled on a hot day at state and finished 7th. Expect Diane to be back to her dominating fashion on Saturday.
Lavinia Jurkewicz (Illinois)
The Illinois state champion finished 8th at Nike Midwest, barely missing a spot in Portland. She is registerd for Footlocker and should be in the hunt on Saturday.
Kayla Beattie (Illinois)
Another state champ from Illinois had a disappointing race at Nike Midwest finishing 32nd. Look for her to compete well in Kenosha.
Avery Clifton (Kansas)
Kansas’s State Champion has posted solid 4k times throughout the year. She holds a best time of 13:48 in the 4k. She opted out of Nike Heartland Regional but look for her to have a solid race.
