Andie Cozzarelli, Kimberly Spano, Callan Fike, Marley Burns, and Heather Beichner look to lead North Carolina's girls at the Foot Locker South Regional.
Spano, North Meckenburg, who won the 4A NCHSAA race this year while setting a new course record is currently ranked 15th by Dyestat.com. Kimberly ran 18:28 at the Wendy's Invitational and 18:20 at Tanglewood to win the state title. She also broke 18:00 at McAlpine last year as a freshman!
Callan Fike of Athens Drive, last year's 4A champ, has battled an injury all season, but looks to be rounding into shape at the right time. Callan finished 3rd in the 4A meet and then most recently ran 11:08 at the Raleigh Running Outfitters 3200 meters. Callan broke 18:00 last year at McAlpine and she seems to be very close to that fitness level again.
Cardinal Gibbons\' Heather Beichner, won the 2A state title this year and ran the 3rd fastest time of the day at Tanglewood, 18:51. She typically doesn't get out very fast, but is able to maintain her pace throughout. Look for her to move through the field the 2nd half of the race. Beichner ran 18:38 earlier this year at McAlpine with a first mile of only 6:04.
Marley Burns of Carolina Day should also be with these ladies. Marley was the 2A NCISAA champ this year and also won the Tanglewood/4-Runner\'s Only Invitational. She beat Spano there only 3 weeks before the NCHSAA meet that Spano won. Marley ran 18:52 at Tanglewood this year, a good time on a tough course.
Andie Cozzarelli of Apex has been the runner-up the last two years in the NCHSAA 4A meet. Her time of 18:50 was the 2nd fastest time of the day at Tanglewood.
"I am very happy with my season, not satisfied, but I have improved from last year so that's something. I was bummed about states at first but now I'm just using it as something to work for. 2nd places are great, but 2nd place is 2nd place. It's not something you can settle for."
Andie is using her race at states as motivation to improve and run more aggressively. She won the 3200 meters in Raleigh recently and was very pleased with her performance.
"I was very happy with the Cardinal Gibbons race. I feel like it was a good motivator for Foot Locker and it gave me a lot of confidence for it. I was really surprised by the race. I didn't use my usual strategy; instead I lead and just took off. I didn't think about the race, I just let my legs do the running and didn\'t get my mind too into it. I also wasn\'t expecting to get so close to my pr while training for a 5k, so I was definitely excited about that."
Andie ran 11:02, just missing her PR of 11:01 from last track season. She has already run an impressive race at McAlpine this year. Andie finished 2nd in the Wendy's Invitational running a PR of 18:04. She was aiming for sub-18, but it wasn't in the cards on that day.
"I was running to break 18 at Wendy\'s but we had a hectic week, so I wasn\'t sure how I was going to run. I expected good competition, but my main priority was to break 18. My plan was just to run hard, try to keep on pace, attack the hill, and continue at that hard pace for the remainder of the race, but I couldn\'t hold it. I did finish strong though so I was happy about that."
Andie led going into the back mile, but was passed by the eventual winner, Jennifer Barbi of South Forsyth (GA), somewhere in the last mile.
Her goals for Foot Locker remain the same as Wendy's, BREAK 18 and give everything she has.
"I just don\'t like to settle with anything less than what I'm capable of. If I had to name my biggest strength, I would say my finish because I always take it hard to the finish no matter how dead I feel."
There is no doubt that she will give everything she has in the seeded race on Saturday morning. Look for these five girls, Spano, Fike, Burns, Cozzarelli, & Beichner, to lead the way for North Carolina on Saturday morning.
North Carolina has not had a girl qualify for the Foot Locker National Championships since Kate Merrill did in 2002. Fike & Burns are the only seniors of these five ladies, so hopefully we can start a new streak in the near future!