Parrish 25th at Foot Locker South

Posted Nov 28, 2009 by Bill Ward

Updated Nov 28, 2009 at 09:37 PM

Chamberlain senior Mark Parrish turned in one of the area’s best performances in recent years at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships by taking 25th in Saturday’s South Regional meet at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, N.C.

Parrish, last week’s Class 4A state finals runner-up, covered the 5-kilometer course in a personal best of 15 minutes, 15 seconds to finish as the fifth Floridian. Parrish said conditions were “ideal,” with temperatures near 50, little wind and firm, dry footing on the course.

Only the top 10 of the regional advanced to next month’s Foot Locker finals. Qualifying were Tallahassee Leon’s Matt Mizereck (fourth in 14:51), Jacksonville Bishop Kenny’s Colin Barker (eighth, 14:53) and Melbourne’s Brian Atkinson (10th, 14:57). With the top 10 all clocking sub-15 minute times, it was one of the fastest South Regional races in the event’s history.

“I think I could’ve done a little bit better but overall, I was pretty happy with how I ran today,” Parrish said. “The first mile was a very physical, tight race with a lot of pushing and shoving as guys tried to get position and I was trying mostly to key off the Florida guys when I probably should have been focusing on some of the out-of-state runners a little more.”

The boys winner was Craig Lutz of Highland Village, Texas, who ran a sizzling time of 14:34 to knock off nearest challenger Kirubel Erassa of Grayson, Ga., by nine seconds.

Also racing in Saturday’s elite division were Berkeley Prep’s Tyler Greathouse (96th in 16:03) and Michael Rosenbach (150th, 16:29).

In the girls race, Floridians Kathryn and Erika Fleuhr, twin sisters from the Community School of Naples who went 1-2 in the Class 1A state meet, grabbed second and eighth place in 17:09 and 17:20, respectively, to move on to the national meet. Also making nationals was 4A state champion Shelby Hayes of Winter Park High, who was fifth in 17:12. The girls winner was Chelsey Sveinsson of Addison, Texas, who ran 16:53.