Tallahassee's Mizereck Tenth at Foot Locker Nationals

As rain fell on Tallahassee on December 12, it also poured on San Diego where the best prep runners in the United States were running in the unofficial national championship of high school cross-country running, the Foot Locker nationals. After two loops and five kilometers of hills, mud, and water, Leon High senior Matt Mizereck was tenth in 15:37. Mizereck was the top finisher from Florida and the fourth-best finisher from the South.

At the front of the race Lukas Verzbicas of Sandburg High was making Foot Locker Nationals history by becoming the first sophomore to ever win the boys' race. Verzbicas' 15:08 put him almost 90 meters ahead of runner-up Matthew McElroy (15:23), who just edged out Wade Meddles (15:24) of Sierra Lutheran High. Texan Craig Lutz was fourth, ending speculation that Lutz might become the first runner to ever win both the Nike Cross-Country Nationals and the Foot Locker Nationals.

Foot Locker Nationals was the last race of Mizereck's high school cross-country running career. Over the last four season, Mizereck won three straight FHSAA-3A state titles and led Leon High to three straight FHSAA-3A team championships. His collegiate academic and athletic career will commence next fall at the University of Florida; he signed with the Gators earlier this month.

The top ten finishers at Foot Locker Nationals:

1 Lukas Verzbicas           10 MW,Orland Hills,IL     15:07.8
2 Matthew McElroy           12 WE,HuntingtonBch,CA    15:22.6
3 Wade Meddles              12 WE,Gardnerville, NV    15:24.0
4 Craig Lutz                11 SO,HighlandVllg,TX     15:29.6
5 Brian Shrader             12 WE,Flagstaff, AZ       15:30.9
6 Jake Hurysz               12 SO,Mebane, NC          15:31.9
7 Tyler Byrne               12 MW,Georgetown, IN      15:33.1
8 Kirubel Erassa            12 SO,Grayson, GA         15:34.2
9 Shane Moskowitz           12 WE,Bremerton, WA       15:34.5
10 Matthew Mizereck         12 SO,Tallahassee, FL     15:36.8

Links:

• Complete 2009 Foot Locker Nationals coverage at milesplit.us
  http://ca.milesplit.us/articles/31687