SAN DIEGO, CA - In 1979, the first year of the Foot Locker event (called Kinney Cross Country Championships), Eliza Carney of Tempe placed 7th in 18:11. The following year Millicent Anderson of Tucson placed 5th in 17:40. It would be 28 years before another Arizona female runner would make the top ten.
On Saturday, Jessica Tonn (pictured left), a junior from Xavier College Prep became the third Arizona runner to break the top ten at the Foot Locker National Championships and the 1st Arizona runner to make it to Nationals three times. Tonn's 10th place finish earned her All-American honors and her time of 17:53 is the second fastest time for an Arizona female runner in the 30 year history of Foot Locker.
.jpg)
At the start of the race Colorado runner, Allie McLaughlin went out at a blistering pace putting 30 meters between herself and th
e rest of the group. Tonn settled in at the back of the lead pack near 20th place and by the time she crossed the 2 mile mark, she had moved up to the 16th spot. She continued to pick off runners all the way to the finish as
she passed Emily Lipari from New York, at the tape, placing tenth.
It was the perfect ending to the cross country season.
.jpg)
The boys race went out a little different than the girls as the entire pack stay together for the first mile. Arizona runners Brian Shrader (Jr, Singua, pictured right) and Steve Magnuson (Jr, Ironwood Ridge, pictured right) were in 20th and 40th place respectively at the mile mark and moved to 13th and 33rd by 1.5 miles. As the race progressed Shrader and Magnuson continued to move forward as Shrader finished in 11th in 15:45 and Magnuson 24th in 15:59 . Shrader's 11th place finish earned him All-American honors and was the best finish by an Arizona male runner since Kenny Cormier won the event in 2004.. Congratulations Jessica, Brian and Steve! Well done!