12-09-2017 FOOT LOCKER CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Dylan Jacobs First Place 15:19 National Champion
Complete Foot Locker National Championship results
2017 Foot Locker National CC Championships website.
Complete Foot Locker National Championship results
2017 Foot Locker National CC Championships website.
Dylan Jacobs Foot Locker National Champion
Winning Foot Locker Nationals was a goal of mine from the moment I learned about the race as a sophomore. To qualify for the meet, you have to finish in the top 10 of one of the four regional competitions—Illinois races in the Midwest region, consisting of 13 states. The course is incredibly hilly and usually muddy due to the race being at the end of November in Kenosha, Wisconsin. When I raced my junior year, I was inexperienced but running with the most confidence I have ever had. I finished first and had enormous expectations going into the national race a couple of weeks later. The national race is an incredible trip held in San Diego, California. They treat all of the athletes exceptionally well, and we all stay at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado. I recommend you look it up if you have not been there before. Unfortunately, I could only place 11th and had to wait for my senior year to accomplish anything else. Even though I had to be patient, I was determined and ready to put in the work from the second I stepped on the plane to head home after my junior year.
Going into my senior season, one of the main goals I talked about with Coach O’Malley was winning Footlocker Nationals. I knew I was one of the top returners after my junior year, but more importantly, I was ready to take the next step. However, going into the regional race my senior year, I was filled with doubt and uncertainty. I was on a streak of tough races but had a great workout the week before and felt like that could be my breakout race before the national meet. As the race went on, I knew it was not going to be easy to qualify. I went out with the front pack, but I could not go with them as the leaders started to separate. At that point, I knew that qualifying was all that mattered, and I was determined to stay in the top 10, but more importantly, finish the race strong to gain confidence for the future. I was able to pass a couple of people in the last mile and finished in 5th place. After the race, there was more disappointment than excitement. I knew that finishing 5th in the region was not putting me on track to win nationals, but I also knew that my overall goal wasn’t to win that race, only to qualify. Doing so allowed me to reach the larger goal I had set for myself earlier in the season. Unfortunately, I had another disappointing performance at the Nike National meet a couple of weeks later. Coach O’Malley and I both realized something need to change. Since it was the week before the Footlocker National meet, we both knew my fitness wasn’t going to change, so all I could do was change my mentality. That week, we had a complete reset. I stopped worrying about my goals, and instead, I focused on enjoying the moment. I remember one conversation in particular with O’Malley that week where he said, “This is your last high school cross country race. Just go have fun.” I needed to hear that more than anything. I wasn’t running for the right reasons in those previous races. I was running for myself. I needed to run for the people who got me there. My teammates, coaches, and family were all that mattered. I would have never been in that position without them, and that is what’s important. Every race, a runner represents their entire program. In that race, I was not only representing the Sandburg Cross Country program, but I was also trying to add to the legacy that so many have left before me.
For the few of you who don’t know Lukas Verzbicas, he is arguably and, in my opinion, the best high school distance runner of all time. He won the Footlocker National meet in 2009 and 2010 and was someone who had records I was always chasing during my high school career. I was unable to reach many of the times he ran during his high school career, but winning Footlocker was still a possibility. One of the best parts about chasing an idol like Lukas was his popularity within the sport. He was signed with New Balance, one of the sponsors for the Footlocker National meet during my senior year of high school, and he was going to be at the race. They always bring some older representatives from each region, and due to his massive following, he was one of them for the Midwest. Running in front of him was more proof of the historic legacy of the Sandburg Cross Country program.
As I arrived in San Diego on Wednesday, December 6th, I was feeling very loose. I could tell that my mindset was changing, and I was out there to have fun. I still was motivated for the race and wanted to run well, but I was more focused on enjoying my last race with my family and coaches who came out to support me. A couple of days before the race, I was handed a ton of letters. I had no clue what they were about, but O’Malley told me not to open them until the night before the race. Before I went to bed that night, I started opening these letters and was overcome with emotion. Every note was from one of my coaches, teammates, or former teammates. They emphasized how much they believed in me and loved me. They also wrote that no matter what I did in the race the following day, they were proud of me. I will remember reading those letters for the rest of my life. I can’t even describe the feeling and motivation it gave me knowing the confidence every person had in me going into that race. I was ready!
Moments before the race, I was jumping with both excitement and nerves. I had the race plan from O’Malley and knew I was going to execute it. As the gun went off, I made sure to stay around 10th place for the first mile. I felt very comfortable with that positioning, and as we went up the first hill, my experience from the year before became essential. I was putting myself in a position to stay relaxed on the uphill and fly on the downhill. That is precisely what Reed Brown, the 2016 winner did, and I prepared for that all year. As the downhill came, I went, and around 400 meters later, I took the lead. I began to settle in, and at the 2-mile mark, Danny Kilrea came up on my shoulder. He has made a move at the 2 mile in almost every high school race, but this time he used the move to catch up to me. I knew if I kept my foot on the gas, he would not be able to hang on. We had 1,500 meters left, and all I could think about was winning. I put myself in prime position and had to finish the last four to five minutes for my dream to come true. During the final 1k, I slowly began to separate from Danny and knew as long as nothing terrible happened, I would win the race. As I came down the final straightaway, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a feeling I can never explain because it was magical. After a season of many ups and downs, I was finally able to accomplish something for the Sandburg program. I was able to achieve something so many dream about. After I crossed the line, all I remember are the smiles on the faces of my family and coaches. Being able to accomplish something for so many others was incredible. Having them out there meant the world to me, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done. However, the celebration never felt complete until I got home and saw my teammates. All of the work we put in the past four years made that moment possible, and having them cheering me on from across the country was in my head every step of that race. That type of support shows not only what the Sandburg program is about, but more importantly, the type of people they are. I could not have asked for a better group of teammates to have on my side during that season. One thing they should always know is I did not win the 2017 Footlocker National title. The SANDBURG CROSS COUNTRY TEAM did. The hard work and dedication we all put in is why I was able to finish 1st that day. Without them, none of that was possible.
The Foot Locker experience will forever have an impact on me. The first thing I will always keep with me is that when people are doing something for themselves, they will never reach their potential. Everything must be done for a larger purpose. That has stuck with me into my college days and is something I will always consider when toeing the line. The second thing I learned on this trip was always to enjoy your surroundings. I let go of this for most of my senior season and put too much pressure on myself. I wasn’t running for enjoyment anymore, and it was more about what other people expected me to do. Once I found that inner passion, primarily due to my support system, I reached my potential. These two points are crucial to remember at any level of running. Everyone must realize that they cannot accomplish their goals without the support of their family, coaches, and teammates. Thank you so much to everyone who helped support me along the way and allowed me to add to the historic legacy of the Sandburg Cross Country program. Go Eagles!
Winning Foot Locker Nationals was a goal of mine from the moment I learned about the race as a sophomore. To qualify for the meet, you have to finish in the top 10 of one of the four regional competitions—Illinois races in the Midwest region, consisting of 13 states. The course is incredibly hilly and usually muddy due to the race being at the end of November in Kenosha, Wisconsin. When I raced my junior year, I was inexperienced but running with the most confidence I have ever had. I finished first and had enormous expectations going into the national race a couple of weeks later. The national race is an incredible trip held in San Diego, California. They treat all of the athletes exceptionally well, and we all stay at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado. I recommend you look it up if you have not been there before. Unfortunately, I could only place 11th and had to wait for my senior year to accomplish anything else. Even though I had to be patient, I was determined and ready to put in the work from the second I stepped on the plane to head home after my junior year.
Going into my senior season, one of the main goals I talked about with Coach O’Malley was winning Footlocker Nationals. I knew I was one of the top returners after my junior year, but more importantly, I was ready to take the next step. However, going into the regional race my senior year, I was filled with doubt and uncertainty. I was on a streak of tough races but had a great workout the week before and felt like that could be my breakout race before the national meet. As the race went on, I knew it was not going to be easy to qualify. I went out with the front pack, but I could not go with them as the leaders started to separate. At that point, I knew that qualifying was all that mattered, and I was determined to stay in the top 10, but more importantly, finish the race strong to gain confidence for the future. I was able to pass a couple of people in the last mile and finished in 5th place. After the race, there was more disappointment than excitement. I knew that finishing 5th in the region was not putting me on track to win nationals, but I also knew that my overall goal wasn’t to win that race, only to qualify. Doing so allowed me to reach the larger goal I had set for myself earlier in the season. Unfortunately, I had another disappointing performance at the Nike National meet a couple of weeks later. Coach O’Malley and I both realized something need to change. Since it was the week before the Footlocker National meet, we both knew my fitness wasn’t going to change, so all I could do was change my mentality. That week, we had a complete reset. I stopped worrying about my goals, and instead, I focused on enjoying the moment. I remember one conversation in particular with O’Malley that week where he said, “This is your last high school cross country race. Just go have fun.” I needed to hear that more than anything. I wasn’t running for the right reasons in those previous races. I was running for myself. I needed to run for the people who got me there. My teammates, coaches, and family were all that mattered. I would have never been in that position without them, and that is what’s important. Every race, a runner represents their entire program. In that race, I was not only representing the Sandburg Cross Country program, but I was also trying to add to the legacy that so many have left before me.
For the few of you who don’t know Lukas Verzbicas, he is arguably and, in my opinion, the best high school distance runner of all time. He won the Footlocker National meet in 2009 and 2010 and was someone who had records I was always chasing during my high school career. I was unable to reach many of the times he ran during his high school career, but winning Footlocker was still a possibility. One of the best parts about chasing an idol like Lukas was his popularity within the sport. He was signed with New Balance, one of the sponsors for the Footlocker National meet during my senior year of high school, and he was going to be at the race. They always bring some older representatives from each region, and due to his massive following, he was one of them for the Midwest. Running in front of him was more proof of the historic legacy of the Sandburg Cross Country program.
As I arrived in San Diego on Wednesday, December 6th, I was feeling very loose. I could tell that my mindset was changing, and I was out there to have fun. I still was motivated for the race and wanted to run well, but I was more focused on enjoying my last race with my family and coaches who came out to support me. A couple of days before the race, I was handed a ton of letters. I had no clue what they were about, but O’Malley told me not to open them until the night before the race. Before I went to bed that night, I started opening these letters and was overcome with emotion. Every note was from one of my coaches, teammates, or former teammates. They emphasized how much they believed in me and loved me. They also wrote that no matter what I did in the race the following day, they were proud of me. I will remember reading those letters for the rest of my life. I can’t even describe the feeling and motivation it gave me knowing the confidence every person had in me going into that race. I was ready!
Moments before the race, I was jumping with both excitement and nerves. I had the race plan from O’Malley and knew I was going to execute it. As the gun went off, I made sure to stay around 10th place for the first mile. I felt very comfortable with that positioning, and as we went up the first hill, my experience from the year before became essential. I was putting myself in a position to stay relaxed on the uphill and fly on the downhill. That is precisely what Reed Brown, the 2016 winner did, and I prepared for that all year. As the downhill came, I went, and around 400 meters later, I took the lead. I began to settle in, and at the 2-mile mark, Danny Kilrea came up on my shoulder. He has made a move at the 2 mile in almost every high school race, but this time he used the move to catch up to me. I knew if I kept my foot on the gas, he would not be able to hang on. We had 1,500 meters left, and all I could think about was winning. I put myself in prime position and had to finish the last four to five minutes for my dream to come true. During the final 1k, I slowly began to separate from Danny and knew as long as nothing terrible happened, I would win the race. As I came down the final straightaway, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a feeling I can never explain because it was magical. After a season of many ups and downs, I was finally able to accomplish something for the Sandburg program. I was able to achieve something so many dream about. After I crossed the line, all I remember are the smiles on the faces of my family and coaches. Being able to accomplish something for so many others was incredible. Having them out there meant the world to me, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done. However, the celebration never felt complete until I got home and saw my teammates. All of the work we put in the past four years made that moment possible, and having them cheering me on from across the country was in my head every step of that race. That type of support shows not only what the Sandburg program is about, but more importantly, the type of people they are. I could not have asked for a better group of teammates to have on my side during that season. One thing they should always know is I did not win the 2017 Footlocker National title. The SANDBURG CROSS COUNTRY TEAM did. The hard work and dedication we all put in is why I was able to finish 1st that day. Without them, none of that was possible.
The Foot Locker experience will forever have an impact on me. The first thing I will always keep with me is that when people are doing something for themselves, they will never reach their potential. Everything must be done for a larger purpose. That has stuck with me into my college days and is something I will always consider when toeing the line. The second thing I learned on this trip was always to enjoy your surroundings. I let go of this for most of my senior season and put too much pressure on myself. I wasn’t running for enjoyment anymore, and it was more about what other people expected me to do. Once I found that inner passion, primarily due to my support system, I reached my potential. These two points are crucial to remember at any level of running. Everyone must realize that they cannot accomplish their goals without the support of their family, coaches, and teammates. Thank you so much to everyone who helped support me along the way and allowed me to add to the historic legacy of the Sandburg Cross Country program. Go Eagles!
Coach Novak
This one was unforgettable. One of those times that you always remember – where you were, what you were doing, how it felt.
Two races. 40 boys and 40 girls. The best of the best from the entire United States. San Diego in December is just beautiful and a fantastic way to wrap up a long cross country season.
We had been there the year before with Dylan in 2016. He ran really well, maybe a little too aggressive early, but finishing 11th in the nation as a junior is very good. That was a fun race to watch and it was nice to get some experience on the course as a spectator. More importantly, Dylan got some really good experience.
2017 had started off extremely well, including Dylan running 13:57 at the Peoria High Invitational at the end of September. But shortly before the State Meet, he came down with an illness and ended up finishing 6th at State. He ran ok at the Nike Midwest regional (finishing 4th) and at the Foot Locker Midwest regional (finishing 5th). At the Nike Nationals in Portland, he still struggled, but finished 13th overall. Not bad, but not the real Dylan Jacobs for sure.
With only one week to go until Foot Locker Nationals, Coach O’Malley made a decisive move. We knew Dylan was fit and well trained. We hoped any lingering illness was gone. So Coach O’Malley decided we would just “out-love” everyone. He got all of us (coaches, teammates) to write something to Dylan letting him know how much he meant to each of us and how much we loved him.
Eight Sandburg coaches made the trip to San Diego. We had a blast! The Friday before the race at Balboa Park is always a treat. We walk the course, enjoy the sunshine, talk with Dylan a bit and get to meet some of the elite pro athletes that are there working the meet. Dylan and I got a picture with U.S. Olympian Emma Coburn – although I later disappeared when it was tweeted out by Coach O’Malley (hahaha!).
Race day was beautiful – like it is almost every day in San Diego! Dylan was calm and focused. He knew the course and executed the race plan to perfection. The coaches spread out throughout the course, shouting encouragement. But he didn’t really need it. Dylan ran comfortably in the pack thru the first mile and then up the big hill. On the first downhill he made his initial move and the race strung out from there. At the 1.5 mile mark he made a big surge and dropped everyone. Danny Kilrea fought back to even things around 2 miles, but then Dylan re-took control, surged up and down the hill again and cruised the final 400 meters to victory. Cheering for him coming down that finish stretch was so exciting and having him break the finish banner held by two-time Foot Locker champ Lukas Verzbicas was a perfect Sandburg ending!
Saturday afternoon we all reconvened at the Hotel del Coronado to start the celebration. Dylan and Coach O’Malley took and dip in the Pacific Ocean. National Champion! Unforgettable!
This one was unforgettable. One of those times that you always remember – where you were, what you were doing, how it felt.
Two races. 40 boys and 40 girls. The best of the best from the entire United States. San Diego in December is just beautiful and a fantastic way to wrap up a long cross country season.
We had been there the year before with Dylan in 2016. He ran really well, maybe a little too aggressive early, but finishing 11th in the nation as a junior is very good. That was a fun race to watch and it was nice to get some experience on the course as a spectator. More importantly, Dylan got some really good experience.
2017 had started off extremely well, including Dylan running 13:57 at the Peoria High Invitational at the end of September. But shortly before the State Meet, he came down with an illness and ended up finishing 6th at State. He ran ok at the Nike Midwest regional (finishing 4th) and at the Foot Locker Midwest regional (finishing 5th). At the Nike Nationals in Portland, he still struggled, but finished 13th overall. Not bad, but not the real Dylan Jacobs for sure.
With only one week to go until Foot Locker Nationals, Coach O’Malley made a decisive move. We knew Dylan was fit and well trained. We hoped any lingering illness was gone. So Coach O’Malley decided we would just “out-love” everyone. He got all of us (coaches, teammates) to write something to Dylan letting him know how much he meant to each of us and how much we loved him.
Eight Sandburg coaches made the trip to San Diego. We had a blast! The Friday before the race at Balboa Park is always a treat. We walk the course, enjoy the sunshine, talk with Dylan a bit and get to meet some of the elite pro athletes that are there working the meet. Dylan and I got a picture with U.S. Olympian Emma Coburn – although I later disappeared when it was tweeted out by Coach O’Malley (hahaha!).
Race day was beautiful – like it is almost every day in San Diego! Dylan was calm and focused. He knew the course and executed the race plan to perfection. The coaches spread out throughout the course, shouting encouragement. But he didn’t really need it. Dylan ran comfortably in the pack thru the first mile and then up the big hill. On the first downhill he made his initial move and the race strung out from there. At the 1.5 mile mark he made a big surge and dropped everyone. Danny Kilrea fought back to even things around 2 miles, but then Dylan re-took control, surged up and down the hill again and cruised the final 400 meters to victory. Cheering for him coming down that finish stretch was so exciting and having him break the finish banner held by two-time Foot Locker champ Lukas Verzbicas was a perfect Sandburg ending!
Saturday afternoon we all reconvened at the Hotel del Coronado to start the celebration. Dylan and Coach O’Malley took and dip in the Pacific Ocean. National Champion! Unforgettable!