While school may have been on break, New York's high school athletes were certainly not.  The week has seen some of the best early season times ever, as well as hosted some major meets in and around the state.

All eyes were meant to be on Futsum Zeinaselassie.  Previews had Zeinaselassie as the odds on favorite to win by a wide margin.  That all changed once the gun went off.  Nick Ryan of Fayetteville-Manlius took off quickly, as he tends to do during his races in his home state of New York.  Ryan's speed found him in the first position after the pack had converged, with about a 50 meter lead ahead of other national caliber athletes; Futsum included.

The Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) brings together the best teams in the country and pits them against each other on the most unique course available.  Portland Meadows will once again play host to the championship battle and the manufactured course that traverses the interior of a horse racing track will have all the traditional features of European style cross country racing; including plenty of mud.

Twenty-two of the nations' top teams and forty-five of the best individuals will make the trek to Portland, Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals. The teams are comprised of two winners from nine different regions and four “At-Large” berths, decided on by a team of Nike consultants.