MileStat.com\'s Brandon Miles interviews West Springfield senior Mike Spooner after earning his first trip to Footlocker Nationals with a fifth place finishing run of 15:06 at Footlocker South in Charlotte, North Carolina. Spooner was the second finisher of three Virginians who qualified for San Diego.
MileStat.com: Mike, how did you feel the race went for you today? Expectations coming in as a probable top ten finisher, did you feel any pressure knowing that?
Mike Spooner: I knew going into it that it was my last year with my senior year. The past two years, I have not been a veteran runner and went out real hard and died back. I was in it at the mile marker, but after that I just started fading. This year I went out a lot slower and more conservative and put myself in the race at the mile marker and moved ahead from there. This course doesn\'t really favor me. Its a really flat course and I need hills everywhere, so my main mission was just to get out of here and go onto California and try to be the number one South finisher there.
MileStat.com: As you were saying with the hills, you had to get out fast and how did you feel the race plan went for you?
Spooner: Yeah I did not plan to lead, but I had to toss that in there for pride sake because I love to lead. Leading when I did kept me back in focus because when I would usually fade out and lose ground. I just stayed with those top guys and they carried me to where I needed to go. I could cruise it in and save a little bit of juice for two weeks from now.
MileStat.com: How are you excited to have two fellow Virginians with you? Kind of surprised with Thomas Porter getting the tenth spot. You are the lone senior of the group there. How excited are you to being joined by those two guys in San Diego?
Spooner: The best part is I don\'t have to be racing against them. I\'m racing with them now. Great part about this is I think Griff and I have what it takes to finish really really high. Especially on that kind of course suits us. Its just a tough guy course. Griff and I are going to tag up. I don\'t want to spill anything yet, but we are starting to work on something to take down the other guys and make the South look really good.
MileStat.com: Well best of luck two weeks in San Diego and congratulations on your race today.
Spooner: Thanks a lot.