Foot Locker Midwest Boys Preview

With Thanksgiving, football, and Black Friday shopping taking over this weekend, it means it is time for Foot Locker National qualifiers to be run. This Saturday, the best individuals from 11 states will compete for the top 10 spots in this year’s national race in San Diego. Here is a look at the top individuals out of the Midwest competing for the right to race in December.

Patrick Perrier- Illinois- Perrier is a returning qualifier, one of only two underclassmen to do so. He finished fourth in last year’s race in a blazing fast time of 15:03 and finished 19th at Nationals. He recently had a DNF at NXN Midwest, but is entered and should be the favorite going into the race.

Jesse Reiser- Illinois- Reiser has had a tremendous postseason, with highlights including a runner-up finish to Perrier at the Illinois state meet and second in awful conditions at NXN Midwest. He may skip this event since he has already qualified to NXN Nationals, but if he is in the field he will be tough to beat.

Zack Smith- Illinois- Smith was third behind our first two runners at the Illinois state meet, but he did qualify to NXN Nationals with a fifth place finish. He should be among the top runners in the meet.

Jackson Bertoli- Indiana- Bertoli is the Indiana state champ. He ran 15:32 at Lavern Gibson to win in early November. After a bit of a rough race at NXN Midwest he will look to bounce back at Kenosha. He was 13th in the race last year and has run 15:16 already this season.

David Dalton- Indiana- Dalton was second to Bertoli at the Indiana state meet. He has not raced since, but should be among the top finishers at the meet.

Josh Evans- Iowa- Evans is the Iowa state champ in 15:19. He recently ran 15:35 to place 8th in the NXN Heartland Regional race, narrowly missing out on qualifying to nationals. He brings a 15:10 5k PR and 4:10 mile PR to the table, which means if he is close at the end his speed could punch his ticket.

Grant Fisher- Michigan- Fisher is the Michigan LP State Champ in 15:13 and was 20th last year in this race. While only a junior, Fisher has been running with the big boys for a while. He boasts a win at the Portage Invite in 15:10, a ninth place finish in the 1500 at the World Youth Championships in 3:52 and a 9:04 3200m PR. While he hasn’t raced since state, he looks to be a strong contender to get to San Diego and the best underclassmen in the field.

Keenan Rebera- Michigan- Rebera was also a state champ in Michigan. He comes into this race boast a 5k PR of 15:08 and has only lost once all season. Like Fisher, the junior has not raced since the state meet, but is a strong candidate to punch his ticket.

Obsa Ali- Minnesota- Ali is the state champ for Minnesota, where he clocked 15:15. He has already qualified for NXN Nationals and is a strong contender for the individual crown here as well. He could join a very elite crowd as a qualifier to both NXN and Footlocker.

Mark Hadley- Ohio- Hadley is a state champ for Ohio, clocking 15:10 at National Trails Raceway. He is undefeated this season and has run as fast as 15:07. He skipped NXN Midwest to focus on this race, where his goal is to run sub-15.

Toby Hardwick- Ohio- Hardwick was runner-up to Hadley at the state meet in 15:21. He followed up that performance up with a strong third place showing at Mid-East Cross Championship.

Garrett Crichlow- Ohio- Crichlow had a bit of a rough state race and was ninth at the Ohio state meet in 15:44. He rebounded nicely to win the Mid-East Cross Championship in 15:45. He comes in boasting a 1600 PR of 4:11, which should help him stay right in the hunt for a spot to San Diego.

Addison DeHaven- South Dakota- DeHaven was the state champ for South Dakota in 15:34. He followed that up by crushing the course record at NXN Heartland in 15:08. He is a strong option to win this race after finishing 23rd a year ago, which would give him the rare feat of winning both regional qualifiers.

Olin Hacker- Wisconsin- Hacker was state champ in Wisconsin, clocking 15:46. He has only lost once all season, at the Roy Griak Invitational to Obsa Ali. He also beat Addison DeHaven in that race, giving him a real shot at pleasing the hometown crowd with a qualifier.