By Donna Dye

The Cross Country season comes to a close with the Footlocker Championship this year in Balboa Park, San Diego California. Getting to the finals means qualifying in a regional meet by being one of the first eight finishers. Runners compete in the South, MidWest, West and Northeast regionals. In a field of good and seasoned runners, that is no easy task.

The Northeast Regional is run on one of the most difficult courses in cross country, Van Cortlandt Park on the edge of New York City. Saturday, was a cloudy and cool to cold day. The championship races are held in the middle of several races run during the day; family, friends, classmates and fans line the sidelines cheering for sometimes one and sometimes all. Parents pace on the sidelines, engaged sometimes in nervous chatter and even grandparents get in on the nerves game. And then when it's all over, kids smile or cry while parents celebrate or comfort. It's all in a day on the road to Footlocker Finals.

Now onto the Meet!

The Winners
- Girls

1st Place in the Champion Race Arianna (Ari) Lambie-MA with a time of 17:34. This is the second year of cross country running for Ari switching last year from playing soccer. Last year Ari focussed on the team. This year her goal was to get to Foot Locker Nationals. Next year Ari will be running for Stanford. Returning to California means returning to the state where she was born and to Palo Alto where she spent the first two years of her life.

Ari with Coach Henry Phalen

1st Place-Ari with parents - Dad, Fred and Mom, Trudy

The Winners
- Boys

1st Place--Brendan Fennell-NY- surrounded by his parents, family and fans

The Proud Parents--Irene and Tom Fennell

The Fennells (Mom, Dad and Granddad) get congratulations and instructions for finals in San Diego from Jeanine Zocks, Foot Locker meet representative and director.