Indiana Claims 25% of FLMW Qualifiers for Nationals

Girls Race

In the girls' championship race, Mallory Weller and Libby Dowty positioned themselves strategically by the first mile, running side by side in 13th and 14th place with a split of 5:51, just one second off the 10th-place cutoff. By the two-mile mark, Dowty surged ahead, moving into 7th place with a split of 11:28, while Weller climbed to 10th in 11:33, taking hold of the final qualifying spot with just over a mile remaining.

Their measured start paid off in the closing stretch, as both runners overtook several competitors. Dowty crossed the finish line in 5th place with a time of 17:34.8, while Weller finished 7th in 17:40.4. Michigan's Victoria Garces, undefeated this season and fresh off an NXR Midwest victory, won the race in 17:14.6.

Dowty earned her second consecutive qualification for Foot Locker Nationals, while Weller punched her ticket for the first time. Notably, Weller joined an exclusive group of Indiana girls who have qualified for both FL Nationals and NXN in the same year.

Honorable mention goes to Julia Score, who also made a strong showing. Score, who qualified for NXN last year, moved up throughout the race to finish 13th. Ranked 7th among returners from last year's FLMW, Score looks poised for an exciting track season and senior year ahead.

Boys Race

The boys' race started with a challenge: a long uphill climb right after the gun. The lead pack was tightly bunched, with 21 runners separated by just two seconds at the opening mile, led by a 4:59 split. Among the Indiana runners in contention were Sam Quagliaroli, Jackson Nolan, Max Malloy, Noah Bontrager, Jackson Gackenheimer, and Liam Bauschke.

By the two-mile mark, the race dynamic shifted as Bauschke made a bold move into the lead, clocking a 9:52 split. Bontrager and Quagliaroli were close behind in 5th and 6th at 9:53, with Malloy trailing in 15th. As the final mile unfolded, positions shuffled rapidly in the lead pack.

Nebraska's Juan Gonzalez claimed the win in 14:58.8, with Bontrager was Indiana's top finisher, securing 6th place in 15:05.8. Quagliaroli followed closely, finishing 9th in 15:06.2. Bauschke's mid-race move between the 2.5-4K paid dividends, as he secured the final qualifying spot despite a slower closing mile. Impressively, for the second year in a row, Bauschke notched a new 5K personal best of 15:06.8 on the challenging Parkside course.

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Boys FootLocker Midwest Regional - National Qualifiers