Foot Locker

Mid-way through the Boys 2000
Foot Locker Championships !

-photo by John Brabbs , RMDC -

BOYS H.S. CHAMPIONSHIP
December 9th, 2000

Interviews and Photos by John Brabbs

Orlando, FL : Rockford's Dathan Ritzenhein took the lead around 1500 meters and never looked back, on his way to his second straight National Championship. On a hot and sunny morning in Orlando, Dathan completed the 5K course in a time of 14:35, beating second place Alan Webb by 20 seconds.

Walt Disney World's Oak Tree Golf Course provided the perfect setting to watch the future of U.S. running. Rockford's Dathan Ritzenhein who dominated Michigan High School cross country during the fall, showed the same stuff at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Finals. Dathan took the lead at the 1500-meter mark, cruising through the first mile in 4:47. He then led the charge through the next mile with a 4:33 pace dropping the pack, Dathan said after the race that he didn't want it to come down to a kick. After 2 mile's Reston's Alan Webb was the only runner within striking distance. Ritzenhein slowed down over the last mile, but still managed to put 20 seconds between himself and Webb. A tired Ritzenhein crossed the finish line in 14:35, followed by Alan Webb in 14:55 and California's Ryan Hall. When Dathan was asked after the race how it felt to win a second title, Dathan said, "it's just as great as the first time." Dathan's goal all season was "thinking about how great it was to win last year."

After winning the Michigan Division 1 High School state final's team title, which was another goal of Dathan's. He said it felt so great after placing 2nd as a team for three years in a row. The state of Michigan will miss the exciting cross country finishes that Dathan has provided for the past 4 years, when he travels to Boulder to run for Colorado University. Next season Dathan will be trying to help CU onto a Division 1 XC National Championship. Over the next 6 months Dathan will continue his successful high school career by trying to lower his times in the 3200 meters on the track. Dathan is looking forward to running the USATF February Winter Junior XC Nationals in Vancouver, Washington in a bid to qualify for the USA Junior World team. The World XC Finals will be held in Ireland during March.

Reston, Virginia's Alan Webb was a little disappointed with his finish. Webb came to Orlando with the plan to hang with Dathan. After the slow first mile in 4:47, it definitely looked like it played into Webb's hand. When Webb was asked what happened in the race he said "He (Dathan) just ran away from me." The critical part in the race for Webb came at around the 2 mile mark when Webb said "I put a surge in and got within a couple of meters and ran out of gas." Webb said "I didn't step up to the plate, I was planning on running more of an even pace". He is now looking forward to the Track season and next fall where he will run XC for the University of Michigan.

The talented junior from Novi Tim Moore felt relax for the 1st mile and then continued to push through the rest of the race and "with about 600 left I just laid it out on the line and went for it and caught a couple of guys." Tim's late surge help propel him to an 8th place finish. Tim could be a favorite to win this race in 2001.

The senior from Saline Sean Moore didn't have the kind of day he would have liked. After the race a disappointed Sean said, "that second mile really killed me." Sean finished in 24th in a time of 15:43.