Posted: November 21, 2007

Athletics: National Club Teams Get Ready To Compete In Ntn Regional Team Championships

Nike Athlete Participation and Digital “Webisodes” Added Benefits for Participating Teams BEAVERTON, ORE (November 2, 2007)–Regional championships for Nike Team Nationals (NTN), the highly successful national cross country club team championships, will kick off November 10 in three out of nine regions across the U.S. “Nike Team Nationals brings together the finest cross-country teams in America to celebrate the sport, the spirit of teamwork and the individual commitment and perseverance of young athletes,” said Melanie Strong, Brand Manager for Nike Running in the U.S. “It’s our privilege to be able to support these committed athletes with a premium team experience that we hope will be the pinnacle of their cross-country season.” This year, to highlight the addition of the regional qualifying events, a Nike elite athlete will be featured at each of the seven regional championships. Matt Tegenkamp, Dathan Ritzenhein, Adam and Kara Goucher, Abdi Abdirahman, Bernard Lagat, Dan Lincoln and Shalane Flanagan will host the regional championships, as well as accompany their region’s winning teams to Portland and serve as a captain throughout the Nike Team Nationals weekend. Nike athletes Alan Web, Alan Culpepper, and Lauren Fleshman will also be on hand to spend time with teams in Portland so that the athletes can get a sense of what it takes to reach the pinnacle of their sport. The top two high school girls and boys teams from Kenya will also be a part of the Dec. 1 championship, competing in the open race. In another new feature this year, fans and runners throughout the country can view each qualifying race through unique “Webisodes,” which will debut on Niketeamnationals.com on the Wednesday following each regional championship. The excitement of the regional events will culminate in a live webcast on niketeamnationals.com on Dec. 1 featuring Alan Culpepper and Lauren Fleshman who will be the on-the-ground reporter. Last year, over 90,000 people logged on to www.niketeamnationals.com to view the webcast. Regional Qualifiers NTN changed its format to regional qualifiers this year as part of a continued effort to provide the highest platform for club team cross-country competition. Known as the country’s pinnacle youth running experience, the Nike Team Nationals stands as the only national XC championship offering XC clubs composed of the best high-school-age athletes an opportunity to compete against each other in a team setting. With each region given two automatic bids to the NTNs, regional events are more than just a qualifier for Nike Team Nationals. Competition at each race consists of the best teams in the area and success is a product of a collective effort. In addition, there will be four national at-large invitations selected by the NTN selection committee, increasing this year’s field to 22 teams. The regional championships begin November 10 with three of the nine regions. See below for a full schedule of regional championship meets. NTN Regional Championships Schedule November 10 (Webisode Live Nov. 14) Heartland Sioux Falls, SD – Yankton Trail Park Midwest Terre Haute, IN - Lavern Gibson Championship Cross-Country Course Northwest Boise, ID - Eagle Island State Park November 17 (Webisode Live Nov. 20) Southwest Tempe, AZ - Kiwanis Park South The Woodlands, TX - Bear Creek Park and Soccer Complex November 24 (Webisode Live Nov. 28) Southeast Hoover, AL - Veterans Park at Valleydale Road Northeast / New York Wappingers Falls, NY - Bowdoin Park December 1 (LIVE Webcast) Nike Team Nationals Portland, OR - Portland Meadows For more information, go online to www.niketeamnationals.com or www.dyestat.com. About Nike Team Nationals The Nike Team Nationals is a part of the larger Nike Nationals championship series which includes the Nike Outdoor Nationals and Nike Indoor Nationals. The series of events was established in 2004 to help strengthen the national circuit for high school cross country and track and field competition. Following in the tradition of European cross country meets, the event will again feature a multiple loop race course with man-made obstacles built on the inside of the horse race track. Spectators will be able to enjoy a continuous live view of the race from the venue’s enclosed 3,000-seat grandstand. Again this year the Nike Team National event is providing coaches handheld computer devices, utilizing FinishLynx tracking technology (created specifically for Nike Team Nationals), to see team scores posted to a live leader board every kilometer. The technology was first introduced in the races’ inaugural year and provides instant feedback on a teams' position in the race allowing coaches to adjust strategy in the midst of the event. In addition to real-time race tracking, event data is then transferred to live to dyestat.com and to www.niketeamnationals.com following the completion of the race so spectators, participants and coach can replay the race of select teams and/or individuals exactly how it was run. About Nike NIKE, Inc based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide varied of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse, Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan®, which designs, markets and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest