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LMG2804
Alright, before I get started, I have to say that all of this information is relevant to 2000. I didn't look at results for footlockers past 2000 because I thought the information would'nt be relevant and I'd have to calculate the scores by hand.
The south is far from the most difficult region to qualify for footlocker nationals. In fact, if you include both boys and girls together, I would say the south is the easiest region to qualify in.
Looking at footlocker results, (Because they score footlocker as a race between the regions) the south has not won a championship in the last 10 years, boy or girl. The girls came close in 2007, but lost on the sixth runner to the northeast.
Since 2000, the south girls have come in last more often than any other region, finishing last in 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000. The south boys have come in last the second most often, behind the northeast.
The regions that dominate the boy's race are the midwest with 6 titles, and the west with 5. The girl's race is dominated by the midwest as well, with 6 titles.
Although you have a large amount of data, it ignores things that are very relevant to cross country, such as participation. I think I'm safe in saying that in the southern region as a whole cross country is more discouraged than it is in the west. Also, your census data is counting for the entire range of the population. How does the population of high school students compare between regions? I'm betting that it would be different than your numbers report, due to skewed numbers of elderly retiring to the south.
Your data is a pretty poor indicator of how difficult it is to qualify in the south, it would only be logical that the most competitive region would be the one that would go on to win footlocker each year.
I think the south is improving greatly each year, with NC improving faster than most states in the region, and faster than most of the country as well. However, we are far from claiming that the south is the hardest region to qualify in.
If footlocker changes the regional configurations, they'd best change it so that the south has more area to draw on, and the west has less.
Footlocker Wins by region
Boys
Midwest - 2010, 2008, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2001
South -
Northeast -
West - 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2000
Girls
Midwest - 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2003,
South - 2007(tie with northeast, lost on 6th runner)
Northeast - 2007, 2002,
West - 2005, 2001, 2000
