Morley third in Foot Locker regional

Bigfork runner Makena Morley took third place in the West Regional Foot Locker Cross County Championships in Walnut, Calif., Saturday.

The victory in the five-kilometer race earned the freshman a trip to the national championship race in San Diego, Calif., next weekend.

Morley, who recently won the Montana Class B state championship in record time, finished the challenging course at Mt. San Antonio College with a time of 18:07 while averaging 5 minutes and 50 seconds per mile.

Flathead Coach Paul Jorgensen said he is aware of only five girls from Montana who have previously qualified for Foot Locker's national championship race.

Runners are required to finish in the top ten in one of four regional races to advance. Morley completed the course faster than 136 other runners Saturday. She crossed the finish line after Karlie Garcia of Roseville, Calif., (17.46), and Kelsey Braithwaite of Perry, Utah, (17:55).

"Now she's going to be bumping shoulders with some of the best runners in the country," said Jorgensen, who joined Morley and other local runners at the event in addition to assisting in training.

Glacier's Troy Fraley finished 29th in the boys race with a time of 16:24. Flathead runner Zach Perrin came in 47th at 16:35. Class A state champion Derrick Williams of Columbia Falls placed 54th with a finishing time of 16:44.

"Anything under 17 (minutes) is pretty good for that course," Jorgensen said.

The three Flathead Valley runners competed in a field of 214.

Flathead's Zoe Nelson won the regional championship in 2002.

Jorgensen sees some similarities between Nelson and Morley.

"Zoe was special. I think that Makena is special also," he said. "She's in the same league. So who knows what she'll do."

Girls

1. Karlie Garcia, Roseville, Calif., 17.56; 2. Kelsey Braithwaite, Perry, Utah, 17:55; Makena Morley, Bigfork, 18:07; 4. Sarah Robinson, Los Alto Hills, Calif., 18:11; 5. Jordan McPhee, Normandy Park, Wash., 18:13; 6. Nikki Hiltz, Aptos, Calif., 18:37; 7. Sydney Segal, Beverly Hills, Calif., 18:32; 8. Clare Carroll, Granite Bay, Calif., 18:33; 9. Cami Chapus, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 18:34; 10. Anna Maxwell, Felton, Calif., 18:38.

Boys

1. Danny Fahy, Carlsbad, Calif., 15:29; 2. Natahn Weitz, Spokane, 15:30; 3. Robert Farnsworth, Pocatello, 15:41; 4. Andrew Gardner, Spokane, 15:41; 5. Billy Gaudreau, Dana Point, Calif., 15:42; 6. Cameron Miller, Bakersfield, Calif., 15:43; 7. Luis Luna, Santa Rosa, Calif., 15:43; 8. C.J. Albertson, Fresno, Calif., 15:46; 9. Myles Smith, Lakewood, Calif., 15:47; Kevin Durham, Lake Forest, Calif., 15:50.

Also, 29. Troy Fraley, Glacier, 16:24; 47. Zach Perrin, Flathead, 16:35; 54. Derrick Williams, Columbia Falls, 16:44.