Florida State Champion Returns To Foot Locker After Missing It Last Year, Elizabeth Leachman Beats Loaded Field By More Than 16 Seconds

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos and Interviews by Natasha Swanson

One year after having to shut down his season early, Patrick Koon rolled through McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C., and made sure that his senior season of cross country will conclude in San Diego. 

Koon, a three-time Florida Class 3A champion who made the national finals in 2021, will return as the Foot Locker South champion. He ran 14:48.7 on Saturday morning to win regional. 

"I came down with mono two weeks ago, so really I've just been trying to rest up and get ready for this," Koon said. "Last year I wasn't able to compete here, so it's a great feeling knowing that I'm able to go back (to nationals)."

Koon, a Stanford recruit, bided his time and used his energy when he needed it in the second half of the race. He won by six seconds. 

Riku Sugie from Kentucky placed second and was part of a fast day on the course. Eight boys ran under 15 minutes in the championship race and it took 15:03.5 to make the cut for nationals. 

Colin Eckerman (Tennessee), Berkley Nance (Virginia), Ty Steorts (West Virginia), Matt Ryan (Florida), Gabriel Schmid (North Carolina) and Brayden Marshall (West Virginia) were the others going sub-15.

Jake Liebert from South Carolina was ninth and Raghav Gopalakrishnan from North Carolina, who was 34th a week ago at NXR Southeast, was 10th. 

The girls race was also fast. Sophomore Elizabeth Leachman from Boerne, Texas, already the NXR South champion, won the championship race in 16:33.3 -- seven seconds away from Aurora Scott's 2004 course record. 

Leachman led six other girls under 17 minutes, including national finals returning competitors Abby Faith Cheeseman from Tennessee (second in 16:50.1), NXR Southeast champion Allie Zealand from Virginia (third in 16:50.4), Maddie Gardiner (fifth in 16:53.2) and Mary Bonner Dalton from North Carolina (16:53.8). 

Claire Stegall from Tennessee was fourth in 16:51.8. Samantha Humphries from Flower Mound TX ran 16:57.1 to qualify seventh. (Her twin sister, Nicole, was a finalist last year and placed 15th on Saturday). 

Virginians Reese Dalton and Zoie Lamanna were eighth and ninth, respectively. Jaynie Halterman was 10th and the third qualifier from Tennessee.