A week after running against the best in the state, Live Oak
High
’s cross-country standout Cobbie Jones ran with the best in the
Western U.S. at the Western Regional Footlocker Invitational on
Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.
A week after running against the best in the state, Live Oak High’s cross-country standout Cobbie Jones ran with the best in the Western U.S. at the Western Regional Footlocker Invitational on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.
Competing against about 180 runners in the “seeded” race, Jones finished in 77th place, a fine accomplishment considering the magnitude of the competition. The “seeded” runners are the top-ranked cross-country athletes from the entire western region, including Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada.
Jones chose to run in the more challenging race, rather than the sophomore race, so that she could have the experience of running with the best girls from all over the western states. Jones finished the race strong, passing more than 20 other runners the last 800 meters of the race.
The top 8 runners from this “seeded” race are selected for the National team which will then compete against the top 8 runners from the other four regions in the United States (Southern, Northern and Eastern regions).
The Footlocker Nationals will be held next week at Balboa Park in San Diego.
More than 4,000 runners ranging in age from high school to middle school participated in last weekend’s Western Regionals.
The Mt. SAC course consists of a very hilly and strenuous 3.1 miles, commonly known as a 5K.
Race directors recently decided to extend the course from the usual 2.95-mile course run at the Mt. SAC Relays every October to the longer 5K race for the Footlocker event.
Jones, a middle distance track star who competed at state in the 800 as a freshman last year, is more effective on shorter courses.
The week before, Jones competed at the State Cross-Country Finals in Fresno, finishing 50th overall.
The sophomore won the Tri-County Athletic League title and finished third at the Central Coast Section finals last month.
