Cross-Country's Top Prize Squarely in Haile's Sights

Quiet and soft-spoken, Sherwood senior Solomon Haile has spent his autumn driven by a singular focus. Whether on solitary runs under a canopy of trees through Rock Creek Park, or during a dominant fall season of high school cross-country, Haile's sights have been set on the Foot Locker Nationals today in San Diego.

Haile has been talking about the race since early in a cross-country season in which he won every major race he entered, eight in all, lowering the course record in each new setting. His dominance at New York's Van Cortlandt Park, where he has won twice this season, not only established him as the top scholastic cross-country runner on the East Coast, but it also secured his spot in today's Foot Locker event, a rare animal in high school athletics in that it determines a true national champion. Begun in 1979, the event comprises a field of 40 runners, made up of the top 10 finishers from four regional qualifiers.

Since the meet's inception, no Washington area runner has finished higher than second in the boys' race. Since Solomon Haile started running cross-country for Sherwood, he's never finished lower than first. These streaks collide with Haile poised to earn his place in the area's running pantheon along the likes of early 1970s standouts George Watts of Edison and Gordon Oliver of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, and more recent stars such as Sharif Karie of West Springfield and Alan Webb of South Lakes.

"I can't wait to go there and do something special," Haile said this week.

With a field so deep and talented, winning does not come down to sheer speed. Strategy plays a role. It's typically tight, pack running and about 1 1/2 miles into the 5K course, runners enter a eucalyptus grove covered with wood chips. Here is where the boldest runners, raring to make their move, start jockeying for position.

"My senior year, my top goal of the year was to win Foot Locker," said Webb, who owns the American record in the mile and was runner-up at the 2000 Foot Locker. "There was really nothing else. Even though I didn't win, I felt like my approach and my aggressiveness led me to do a lot of the special things I did on the track later on."

Added Broadneck graduate Matthew Centrowitz, a five-time All-Met who was eighth at the 2006 event and now runs for NCAA champion Oregon: "It's one of the toughest races in high school running. One guy takes this part, another guy surges over here. Something always makes it exciting."

Webb offered Haile some cautionary advice.

"Even when you're running your state meet and just totally killing it, you can qualify for Foot Locker and be in the middle of the pack," he said. "Everybody there is talented and everybody there works hard. You have to be prepared for that. Don't expect to just run away."

But that is exactly what Haile's style has been in just his first cross-country season. Two of the 19-year-old's most impressive wins came at Van Cortlandt Park, where he dropped top-notch competition early. He won the Manhattan College Invitational last month by an astounding 21 seconds. Two weeks ago, he won the 5K Foot Locker Northeast Regional by 15 seconds.

Haile hasn't changed much in his approach for today's race. His routine now rarely includes long runs with his Sherwood teammates -- they've mostly moved on to indoor track. Only two other area runners are in the field today in San Diego: Mountain View's Thomas Porter and Edison's Leoule Degfae; they finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at the South Regional last month in Charlotte.

"There is no mystery. Hard work makes you more better," Haile said. "It's better when I train alone because I can push myself more."