Foot Locker Cross Country Championships

NEW YORK, November 27, 2004 – Christopher Barnicle of Newton, Mass., and Nicole Blood of Ganesvoort, N.Y., won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., today. Three of Blood's teammates from Saratoga Springs High School also qualified.
    A pack of runners led the boys’ race with the lead exchanging constantly. On the downhill, nearing the two-mile mark, Barnicle, a senior at Newton North High School, pushed to the lead and gave a final kick in the last quarter-mile to win the race and set a personal record of 15.27.
   Corey Thorne of Portsmouth, N.H., also gave a big kick in the final leg of the race to outrun Bobby Papazian of Pittstown, N.J. Thorne placed second in 15:36 and Papazian placed third in 15:37.
    Barnicle just missed qualifying for the National Finals last year, placing 10th in the 2003 Northeast Regional. Thorne, a senior at Portsmouth High School, is a returning finalist, placing fifth in last year’s Regional and 17th at the National Finals.
    Most of the girls’ race was led by three former National Finalists: Aislinn Ryan of Bellvale, N.Y., led at the start, followed by 2003 Northeast Regional Champion Nicole Blood, and Chantelle Dron of Candia, N.H. Halfway through the race, Dron fell back and Blood and Ryan battled for the lead. At the last mile, Blood surged ahead for the win in 17:41. Ryan finished second in 17:46 and Hannah Davidson of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., placed third in 17:52. Dron finished ninth in 18:30.
    Blood, a junior at Saratoga Springs High School, is a three-time National Finalist, placing ninth in the 2002 Finals and seventh at the 2003 National Finals. Ryan, a junior at Warwick Valley High School, placed third in last year’s Regional race and 12th at the National Finals. All eight girl national qualifiers are from the state of New York.
    The runners enjoyed good course conditions, with sunny skies, strong winds and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 40s.

Girls