Footlocker Northeast: Ruth White Headed Back to San Diego

On Saturday, Ruth White punched her ticket back to San Diego with a third-place finish in the Footlocker Northeast Championship race at Franklin Park in Boston. White who qualified for the 2022 Championship with a fourth-place finish moved up one spot to third this year.

Ruth positioned herself in the chase pack through the first 1k of the race, and by the mile marker started to chase the leaders Zariel Macchia of New York and Ellie Shea of Massachusetts the defending Northeast champion, and 2023 national runner-up.

White started to break away from the chase pack during the second mile as she started to close on the leaders, after bear cage hill Ruth pulled within a few meters. As they came by the finish line for the second time White had pulled even with Macchia and Shea as they hit two miles together and headed into the "Wilderness" part of the course.

When the lead gator emerged it was Macchia and Shea still running stride for stride with White dropping back and settling into third.

RESULTS

Macchia powered her way down the finishing stretch crossing the finish line at 17:13, Shea followed at 17:23 then it was White at 17:30, and Logan St. John Kletter crossed in the same time.

Ruth joins an elite group of Maine high school girls only Abbey Leonardi (3) and Sofie Matson (2) who have qualified for the Footlocker National Championship more than once. 

York senior Cary Drake the two-time Class B state champion worked her way up throughout the race to finish 15th (18:29). Also competing from Maine in the Girls Championship race was Jenna VanRyn of Camden Hills (78th - 20:08), Isabella Anderson of Camden Hills (98th -21:01), Emma Young of Cape Elizabeth (102nd -21:32).