Christian Alvarado '14 heads to National Cross Country Championship
CT Post, Nov. 24, 2012
Fairfield Prep cross country coach Bob Ford Jr. could get used to this. For the second year in a row and the fourth in his career, Ford will be heading to San Diego in two weeks for the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships on Dec. 9.
This year he will be going with junior Christian Alvarado, who finished eighth in the seeded division with a time of 15:49.1 at Saturday's Foot Locker Northeast Regional race at New York's Van Cortlandt Park.
While there are four other divisions who competed Saturday -- freshman, sophomore, junior and senior -- only the top eight in the seeded race qualify for the national meet. The top eight in each division earn all-Northeast Regional honors. Alvarado, who won the Northeast Regional title in the sophomore division a year ago, was the top runner from Connecticut.
"You have to be a special talent to qualify for the national race," said Ford, who had Connor Rog last season and Brian McGovern in 1999 and 2000 qualify. "And Christian has been doing wonderfully in the postseason."
Other Fairfield Prep runners also fared well. They were senior Scott Ball, who was 15th with a time of 18:12 to earn second-team honors; juniors James Mullikan (21st, 18:04) and Matt Scholl (23rd, 18:08), who earned third-team honors; sophomore Andy Thane, who earned first-team honors after finishing eighth in his division with a time of 17:46; and freshmen George Crist (17th, 18:43) and Jack O'Connor (18th, 18:45), who both earned third-team honors.
Christian Alvarado '14 wins Jesuit Cross Country championship
By Bill Bloxsom, November 19, 2012, Fairfield Sun
Christian Alvarado of Fairfield Prep won the 2012 Jesuit Cross Country Championship at New York City’s Van Cortlandt Park on Nov. 17. His winning time of 12:55.19 for the 4K race was the only time under 13 minutes among a field of 69 runners. Tyler Spear of Loyola Blakefield (Maryland) was second with a time of 13:10.85.
For Alvarado, this Jesuit Championship win comes off a successful running of the New England Cross Country Championships in Cumberland, Maine, where Alvarado placed 9th and was named to the All New England team.
Next stop for Alvarado is the Footlocker Northeast Regionals at Van Cortlandt Park on Nov. 24.
Note: Photo is Alvarado's First Place win at the SCC Championship
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