After finishing a surprising eighth at the Footlocker Invitational West Regional Cross Country Championship last weekend, San Lorenzo Valley High freshman Anna Maxwell will make an unprecedented trip to San Diego this weekend to compete in the Footlocker National Championship.
Maxwell, who entered the race seeded 43rd, took off from the get-go at Mount San Antonio College on Dec. 4 and finished in 18 minutes, 29 seconds, averaging a 5:57 mile pace over the 5-kilometer course.
Scotts Valley High’s Vanessa Fraser finished 26th in 19:17.
Maxwell’s time was eighth best of the 772 runners who finished the race and qualified her for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship at Balboa Park in San Diego on Dec. 11.
In Santa Cruz County history, only esteemed runners Alejandra Barrientos (1999) and Alex Dunn (2003) of San Lorenzo Valley and Brett Gotcher (2000) of Aptos have run in the national race.
“I’m super excited,” Maxwell said after a training session this week. “There are really cool girls going, and it will be a really good experience.”
Maxwell finished second in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League before winning the Central Coast Section Division IV championship and finishing third in the state in division IV.
“Anna is an extremely smart runner,” SLV coach Rob Collins said. “I can tell her exactly what to do, and she’ll do it. As a coach, that’s a blessing.”
The trip to San Diego is fully paid, and race organizers will put up the runners in the Hotel del Coronado, treating them to a dance and free gear, Collins said.
The televised race will be shown on ESPN in several weeks.
“The plan is we’d like to see her get in the 20s,” Collins said. “She’s running against 40 of the best runners in the country. If she runs a smart race, I think she’ll do well.”
Despite the excitement, Maxwell, who earned a spot on the San Lorenzo Valley High soccer team, is getting ready to join her teammates for soccer practices.
“I know she’s tired, too,” Collins said. “It’s a long season, especially for a freshman. I’m sure she’s looking forward for this week to be over.”
