Meet features premier experience for all competitors
RICHMOND, VA – When the Nike Team Nationals preseason rankings were released earlier this week it confirmed what McDonald's X-Country Festival at Maymont meet organizers had suspected: The high school invitational field for this year's meet on September 30 will be one of the strongest in the country.
The Elite Invitational Boys Field will feature an astounding 7 of the top 10 teams in the Nike Team Nationals (NTN) Southeast pre-season poll. No less than ten of the teams entered were first or second in their state meet last year. In the Girls Invitational Division, 5 of the top 10 NTN pre-season teams will compete. No fewer than 8 of the 10 teams entered in this division were state champions or runners-up in 2005.
In the Boys Invitational Division, Trinity, KY (2nd in the preseason rankings), Clarke County, VA (3rd), Jefferson Sci/Tech, VA (5th), Brentsville, VA (6th), Hermitage, VA (7th), W. Springfield, VA (8th) and Chapel Hill, NC (10th) are already registered or have committed to run.
The Girls Division will be just as tough. Eleanor Roosevelt, Md (1st), Tatnall, DE (2nd), Brentsville, VA (5th), Morgantown, WV (8th) and Chapel Hill, NC (9th) have all indicated their intentions to compete.
While the strong invitational fields will draw much attention, the real draw of the McDonald's X-Country Festival at Maymont is the premier meet experience it delivers to all participants and spectators. In addition to live music and a race festival featuring national vendors, all competitors will receive a free meet t-shirt and post-race food. Top-notch awards will be available to the top 15 individuals and top three teams in each division. At the conclusion of the day a king and queen of the festival will be crowned at the Grand Awards Ceremony. In addition, the meet will be covered extensively by milestat.com and will include stories, profiles of top competitors, photos and video.
The entry deadline for High School teams interested in the McDonald's X-Country Festival at Maymont is September 8, 2006 at 5 pm and can be done online at www.directathletics.com . Entry fees are due the same day. Checks should be make payable and mailed to:
Richmond Sports Backers
Attn: Nancy Jakubec
100 Avenue of Champions
Richmond, VA 23230
The McDonald's X-Country Festival is an event of the Sports Backers, organizers of the nationally acclaimed SunTrust Richmond Marathon and Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k. For general information, contact info@sportsbackers.org. For information about the Invitational Division, contact danielward@spsk12.net. All meet information is posted at www.sportsbackers.org.