Foot Locker Cross Country Championships

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The High School Cross Country National Championships ("XC Championships"), formerly known as the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and now the Brooks XC Championships, is a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly served to find the best prep (high school) cross country athlete in the country. The event began in 1979 by the F. W. Woolworth Company, which initially branded it as the Kinney Cross Country Championships, (for the Kinney Shoes division) at Morley Field Sports Complex in Balboa Park in San Diego, California, before Woolworth rebranded the event in 1993 to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships for Woolworth's sporting goods company. For most people associated with the sport, the name was just shortened to Foot Locker or even abbreviated in agate results as FL (the ticker symbol of the company today). In 2021 the event was rebranded as the Eastbay Cross Country Championships and then again as the Champs Sports XC Championships in 2022 after the Foot Locker owned company, only to return to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 2023. The event is the longest-running national cross country race for high school students.[1] On August 21, 2025, it was announced the series would be no longer be supported and hosted by Foot Locker. [2] Days later on August 29, 2025, Brooks and Fleet Feet announced that they would be continuing the series under a new name and sponsorship.[3] On December 13, 2025, the first Brooks XC Championships national event was held in Balboa Park.

Regional championships

Annually there were a total of four regional championship races (usually in late November), that lead up to the XC Championships in San Diego in December.

Northeast Regional Championships[4]

The Northeast Region, now the Northeast XC Championships, comprised most of the states in New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont) plus Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia.[5] After being held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York for its first 30 years, in 2009 it moved to Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park, Long Island, before moving back to Van Cortlandt Park in 2012. In 2023 the event moved to Franklin Park in Boston, MA.

Midwest Regional Championships[6]

The Midwest Region, now the Midwest XC Championships, comprised the heartland states and was once the largest region in the series, which has states including: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan. This event is held at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside yearly in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

South Regional Championships[7]

The South Region, now the South XC Championships, was made up of states in the southern and southeastern United States including: Florida, Texas, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Louisiana. The South Region event is held annually at the Larry McAfee Cross Country Course in Charlotte, North Carolina, located within McAlpine Creek Park.[8][9]

West Regional Championships[10]

The West Region, now the West XC Championships, was considered by many to be the most potent region with the most runners appearing at the XC Championships. States included in the west: California, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Wyoming, and Overseas Military. This regional race is generally conducted at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California and is generally a week later than the other three regional races.

National Championship

The XC Championship was held annually in San Diego's Balboa Park (though it has been held in Orlando, Florida on seven occasions), just as it started in 1979. A total of 40 elite cross country runners raced 5 kilometers (3.1 mi), for superiority in both individual and regional standings. The top ten runners from each region were invited to the national championship in San Diego, with each region also sending two alternates. From 1981–2004, the race had 32 runners, with each region sending eight. In 1979–1980, there were 35 runners from five regions. Starting in 2025, Brooks and Fleet Feet introduced "Golden Ticket" qualifiers to the XC Championships, which brought the total runners (including the 10 qualifiers from each region) to the best 50 boys and 50 girls.[11]

Race divisions

The number of divisions vastly differs on the region, however there are races set aside for specific age groups and sometimes one or two open events for athletes not in high school (parents, fans, supporters) to compete in.

Common regional divisions

  • Seeded/Championship Girls
  • Seeded/Championship Boys
  • Freshman Girls
  • Freshman Boys
  • Sophomore Girls
  • Sophomore Boys
  • Junior Girls
  • Junior Boys
  • Senior Girls
  • Senior Boys

Additional regional divisions (may vary annually between regions)

  • Open races for both boys and girls
  • Masters for both men and women
  • 7th and 8th grade
  • Ages 10 and under
  • Ages 11 and 12
  • Ages 13 and 14

Courses

The XC Championships started off as a small event in San Diego, California in 1979. The races moved to Orlando for the 1981 and 1982 national championships, but quickly was moved back to Balboa Park in San Diego in 1983. Additional races run in Orlando were held in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001, before returning back to Balboa Park again in 2002.

Orlando, Florida

The Orlando course was extremely flat, but deceivingly slow in terms of runners' times. Patches of grass and sand were scattered throughout the flat, 5,000m course.

All-Time Orlando Kinney/FL Cross Country Championships Record—Boys: Dathan Ritzenhein, 14:29, 1999

All-Time Orlando Kinney/FL Cross Country Championships Record—Girls: Amber Trotter, 16:24, 2001

San Diego, California

Balboa Park in San Diego has served as the most frequent venue for the national championships. The course is winded in a figure-8 fashion through the Morley Field portion of the nearly 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) park. There is no shortage of hills and mounds, which makes this course the definitive cross country course. (Although the San Diego venue has always been Balboa Park, the XC Championships in 1979 and 1980 were run on a course other than Morley Field—a course on the western edge of Balboa Park.)

All-Time Balboa Park San Diego/CA Cross Country Championships Record—Boys: Reuben Reina, 14:36, 1985

All-Time Balboa Park San Diego/CA Cross Country Championships Record—Girls: Melody Fairchild, 16:39, 1990

Past results

In addition to a national champion being crowned in each gender division, the top 15 finishers in each gender division receive All-American honors and an overall team champion were declared based on which region had won the meet.

More information National Champions, Boys ...
National Champions
Boys Girls
Year Athlete Time Grade Region State Video Athlete Time Grade Region State Video Course
2025 Jackson Spencer[12] 15:10.7 12 West UT Video on YouTube Natasza Dudek[13] 16:55.5 10 Midwest MI Video on YouTube San Diego
2024 Tamrat Gavenas[14] 15:23.9 12 Northeast MA Video on YouTube Elizabeth Leachman[15] 17:31.1 11 South TX Video on YouTube San Diego
2023 Drew Griffith[16] 15:06.9 12 Northeast PA Video on YouTube Elizabeth Leachman[17] 16:50.7 10 South TX Video on YouTube San Diego
2022 Kole Mathison[18] 14:56.6 12 Midwest IN Video on YouTube Karrie Baloga[19] 16:49.2 12 Northeast NY Video on YouTube San Diego
2021 Riley Hough[20] 15:11.4 12 Midwest MI Video on YouTube Natalie Cook[21] 17:15.0 12 South TX Video on YouTube San Diego
2019 Josh Methner[22] 15:08.8 12 Midwest IL Video on YouTube Zofia Dudek[23] 16:45.0 12 Midwest MI Video on YouTube San Diego
2018 Cole Hocker[24] 15:13.7 12 Midwest IN Video on YouTube Sydney Masciarelli[25] 17:00.3 10 Northeast CT Video on YouTube San Diego
2017 Dylan Jacobs[26] 15:19 12 Midwest IL Video on YouTube Claudia Lane[27] 17:03 11 West CA Video on YouTube San Diego
2016 Reed Brown[28] 15:01 12 South TX Video on YouTube Claudia Lane[29] 17:04 10 West CA Video on YouTube San Diego
2015 Andrew Hunter[30] 14:55 12 South VA Video on YouTube Weini Kelati[31] 17:09 11 South VA Video on YouTube San Diego
2014 Grant Fisher[32] 15:03 12 Midwest MI Video on YouTube Anna Rohrer[33] 17:13 12 Midwest IN Video on YouTube San Diego
2013 Grant Fisher[34] 15:07 11 Midwest MI Video on YouTube Tessa Barrett[35] 17:16 12 Northeast PA Video on YouTube San Diego
2012 Edward Cheserek[36] 14:59 12 Northeast NJ Video on YouTube Anna Rohrer[37] 17:25 10 Midwest IN Video on YouTube San Diego
2011 Edward Cheserek[38] 14:52 11 Northeast NJ Video on YouTube Molly Seidel[39] 17:22 12 Midwest WI Video on YouTube San Diego
2010 Lukas Verzbicas[40] 14:59 12 Midwest IL Video on YouTube Aisling Cuffe[41] 16:53 12 Northeast NY Video on YouTube San Diego
2009 Lukas Verzbicas[42] 15:08 11 Midwest IL Highlights Video on YouTube Megan Goethals[43] 17:07 12 Midwest MI Video on YouTube San Diego
2008 Solomon Haile[44] 15:15 12 Northeast MD Video on YouTube Jordan Hasay[45] 17:22 12 West CA Video on YouTube San Diego
2007 Michael Fout[46] 14:50 12 Midwest IN Video on YouTube Ashley Brasovan[47] 17:20 11 South FL Video on YouTube San Diego
2006 Chad Hall[48] 15:20 12 West CA Video on YouTube Kathy Kroeger[49] 17:29 10 South TN Video on YouTube San Diego
2005 AJ Acosta[50] 15:02 12 West CA Jordan Hasay[51] 17:05 9 West CA San Diego
2004 Kenneth Cormier[52] 15:22 12 West AZ Video on YouTube Aislinn Ryan[53] 17:31 11 Northeast NY Video on YouTube San Diego
2003 Matthew Withrow 14:55 12 Midwest IL Katelyn Kaltenbach 17:24 11 Midwest CO San Diego
2002 Chris Solinsky[54] 14:41 12 Midwest WI Zoe Nelson[55] 17:30 10 West MT San Diego
2001 Timothy Moore[56] 14:50 12 Midwest MI Amber Trotter[57] 16:24 12 West CA Orlando
2000 Dathan Ritzenhein[58] 14:35 12 Midwest MI Sara Bei[59] 16:55 12 West CA Orlando
1999 Dathan Ritzenhein 14:29 11 Midwest MI Victoria Chang 17:05 12 West HI Orlando
1998 Jorge Torres 15:17 12 Midwest IL Erin Sullivan 17:35 12 Northeast VT Orlando
1997 Abdirizak Mohamud 15:22 12 Northeast MA Erin Sullivan 17:22 11 Northeast VT Orlando
1996 Abdirizak Mohamud 15:21 11 Northeast MA Kristen Gordon 17:34 12 West CA San Diego
1995 Abdul Alzindani 15:11 12 Midwest MI Kim Mortensen 17:12 12 West CA San Diego
1994 Matt Downin 14:58 12 Northeast NH Julia Stamps 16:41 10 West CA San Diego
1993 Adam Goucher 14:41 12 Midwest CO Erin Davis 17:11 9 Northeast NY San Diego
1992 Brendan Heffernan 15:13 12 Northeast NJ Amanda White 17:34 12 Northeast MD San Diego
1991 Corey Ihmels 15:03 12 Midwest ND Liz Mueller 17:21 11 Northeast CT San Diego
1990 Louie Quintana 15:07 12 West CA Melody Fairchild 16:39 12 Midwest CO San Diego
1989 Bryan Dameworth 14:49 12 West CA Melody Fairchild 17:05 11 Midwest CO San Diego
1988 Brian Grosso 15:03 12 Midwest MI Celeste Susnis 17:14 11 Midwest IN San Diego
1987 Bob Kennedy 14:59 12 Midwest OH Kira Jorgensen 17:08 11 West CA San Diego
1986 Marc Davis 14:38 12 West CA Video on YouTube Erin Keogh 16:55 12 South VA San Diego
1985 Reuben Reina 14:36 12 South TX Video on YouTube Erin Keogh 16:43 11 South VA San Diego
1984 Scott Fry 14:50 12 Midwest OH Cathy Schiro 16:48 12 Northeast NH San Diego
1983 Matt Giusto 14:54 12 West CA Janet Smith 16:43 12 Northeast NJ San Diego
1982 Eric Reynolds 14:35 12 West CA Christine Curtin 16:58 11 Northeast NY Orlando
1981 Charles Alexander 14:51 12 South VA Connie Robinson 16:40 12 Midwest OH Orlando
1980 Jay Marden 14:53 12 West CA Ceci Hopp 17:12 12 Northeast CT San Diego
1979 Brent Steiner 15:05 12 Midwest KS Ellen Lyons 17:28 12 West ID San Diego
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Repeat national champions

There have only been a total of six girls and five boys who have repeated as national champions. None have been national champions three times at the XC Championships.

Boys with two national championships

  • Grant Fisher won in 2013 and 2014
  • Edward Cheserek won in 2011 and 2012.
  • Lukas Verzbicas won in 2009 and 2010.
  • Dathan Ritzenhein won in 1999 and 2000.
  • Abdirizak Mohamud won in 1996 and 1997.

Girls with two national championships

  • Elizabeth Leachman won in 2023 and 2024
  • Claudia Lane won in 2016 and 2017.
  • Anna Rohrer won in 2012 and 2014.
  • Jordan Hasay won in 2005 and 2008.
  • Erin Sullivan won in 1997 and 1998.
  • Melody Fairchild won in 1989 and 1990.
  • Erin Keogh won in 1985 and 1986.

National Champions to win NCAA titles

There have been a total of sixteen National Champions to win NCAA Titles in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, or Outdoor Track and Field, including eleven men and five women.

More information XC National Champions and NCAA Champions, NCAA Outdoor ...
XC National Champions and NCAA Champions
NCAA Outdoor NCAA Indoor
Athlete XC Championships NCAA XC 1500 3000 5000 10000 3000SC Mile 3000 5000 University
Cole Hocker 2018 2021 2021 2021 Oregon
Dylan Jacobs 2017 2022 2023 Notre Dame / Tennessee
Weini Kelati 2015 2019 2019 New Mexico
Grant Fisher 2013, 2014 2017 Stanford
Molly Seidel 2011 2015 2015 2016 2016 Notre Dame[60]
Edward Cheserek 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, 2015 2015 2014, 2015 2015 2014,2016 2014, 2016 Oregon
Jordan Hasay 2005, 2008 2011 2011 Oregon
Chris Solinsky 2002 2006-07 2005-06 2007 Wisconsin
Dathan Ritzenhein 1999, 2000 2003 Colorado
Jorge Torres 1998 2002 Colorado
Adam Goucher 1993 1998 1998 1997-98 Colorado
Melody Fairchild 1989,1990 1996 Oregon
Bob Kennedy 1987 1988, 1992 1990 1991 Indiana
Marc Davis 1986 1989 1992 Arizona
Reuben Reina 1985 1990-91 Arkansas
Matt Giusto 1983 1988 Arizona
Ceci Hopp 1980 1982 Stanford
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Alumni

See also

References

External links

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