Nike Team Nationals Gears Up for 3rd Annual Championship Selection as Runners Ready for the 2006 XC Season

Cross Country Club Championship To Draw The Top 20 Boys And the Top 20 Girls Teams from Around the Country and Kenya 


BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 16  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cross country runners across the country and one team from Kenya are preparing for the return of the Nike Team Nationals, on Saturday, December 2, 2006 at the Portland Meadows race track.  Following its third straight year, the Nike Team Nationals stands as the only national XC team championship offering USA Track and Field-registered clubs composed of the best high-school-age athletes and younger an opportunity to compete against each other in a team setting.

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Created to celebrate cross country as a team sport, the Nike Team Nationals is a non-for-profit event and collaborative venture between USA Track & Field, Nike, Eastbay and the National Scholastic Sports Foundation. Teams competing in the Nike Team Nationals will hail from regions across the country including the following: Northeast, Southeast, South, Midwest, Heartland, Southwest, Northwest and California.  For the first time, two Kenyan High School teams organized by Martin Keino, the son of legendary Kenyan runner Kip Keino, will be invited to participate in the event. Five boys from Kapcherop High School and five girls from Kapkenda High School, both from rural areas of Kenya, will be competing alongside top American high school XC runners. Since their XC season follows the international format, which starts in January, the boys and girls participating in NTN were selected based on their performance in a XC meet last February. Despite the different team backgrounds, one thing is certain; this will be a great cultural and athletic experience for all NTN participants.

"Our teams are traveling half-way around the world to compete in the Nike Team Nationals to celebrate a shared passion for cross country running," said Martin Keino, a former professional runner who is helping organize this opportunity.  "This unique race is a stepping stone for young runners to realize their personal goals while achieving success as a team."

Another first in this year's event is the Open Race, which will take place before the Championship Race. The Open Race will provide an opportunity for 35 teams that did not qualify based on their time to compete in this annual event and take part in the XC celebration. A winner from the boys and girls Open Race will also be awarded recognition.

"The original idea for the Nike Team Nationals grew out of Nike's long passion for running and our commitment to provide the highest platform for team cross country competition," said John Capriotti, Global Director of Athletics Sports Marketing.  "Looking forward to this year's event and future invitationals, our goal is to continue to grow in scope, as with the Open Race, and to celebrate cross country as a team sport in new and creative ways while recognizing the country's top youth runners."

Other highlights in this year's race include heated rivalries between Mead XC Club and Spokane XC Club -- both from Spokane, Washington and ranked #1 and #2 in the country.

In 2005, the Nike Team Nationals hosted a crowd of more than 5,000 to the Portland Meadows thoroughbred racetrack to see Saratoga Springs, NY boys and Hilton, NY girls each win their first Championship.

In addition to earning a spot to compete for the national title, runners will have the opportunity to experience a weekend of events related to the sport both on and off the course including educational seminars and activities.  Athletes will be given the opportunity to learn about career options, speak with NCAA representatives about college opportunities and rules, learn from world renowned coaches and athletes, and interact with other runners from around the country.

A live press conference following the race on December 2nd will be streamed live at http://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.  Teams are invited based on regional rankings, which are derived from a combination of competition performances at USATF events, affiliate high school competitions, and other non-sanctioned events.  The top two boy's teams and the top two girl's teams form each region, plus for four at-large selections each for boys and girls (comprising 320 runners total) will make up the 20-team field. The final selection of teams will be made throughout the month of November. For the first time this year an additional 35 teams will have the opportunity to compete in the Open Race prior to the main event.

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 http://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(R), 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.

For more information, go online to http://www.niketeamnationals.com/ or http://www.dyestat.com/ 

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