2013 USATF Mid-Atlantic Youth 2K Cross Country Series

Here is Daniel Tulloch, the "Jamaican Flash", clowning around after winning the 2013 USATF Mid-Atlantic Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships for the second year in a row. Not only that but third grade is the first time he could qualify for the "Honor Roll" at his school and he done that as well as this. I have to say that I am impressed so he deserved a little leeway.

This event took place on Saturday November 9, 2013 in Belmont Plateau Park in Philadelphia, Pa. The Flash ran against two other "8 and Under" boys for the Mid-Atlantic Association Championship. This was a 2K race (1.25 Miles). Daniel won with a time of 9 Minutes, 21.73 Seconds. The second place male in his age group came in about 1 minute later.

The Flash destroyed his competition going up the first hill. Daniel practiced running hills in his 5K races over a three month period so the Philadelphia hills were nothing to Daniel. After the first quarter mile, it was obvious that Daniel and an 8 year old girl from Lewistown was the only competition in this event. They were running the same race but they were not running against each other. But we wanted Daniel to beat her anyway. The girl was determine to beat Daniel.        

As we cheered Daniel on and the coach and family of the girl supported her. They battled back and forth trading the lead in the race until the end when only 50 feet from the finish line, the girl about the same height as the Flash, got a serge of energy and passed Daniel just before the finish line.

As the coach and I approached Daniel at the finish, I notice that a spectator gave Daniel one of his shoes. Then Coach Lofton told me that Daniel ran out of his shoes about 1/2 mile before the finish line. I looked down at Daniel's feet and saw that he was not wearing any shoes. The Coach and Daniel walked back and found his other shoe. So Daniel fought a hard race against this girl from the Lewistown, Pa. area and destroyed his competition on grass that was frosty from last nights cold in his bare feet.  This is why I was very impressed.

But we did see that we have to make changes for the Region 2 meet. I better write up a check list to make sure that he goes to the bathroom and his shoes are secure as well as other things before he gets on the starting line.
   
This is the last "8 and Under" USATF Series that Daniel will participate in. Next year he will be in the "9 and 10" year old group. Next year he will run the 3K (1.86 miles) at this park for the Association Meet as well as the Region 2 meet (if he qualifies).

The course was hilly with twist and turns. This is the type of course that Daniel ran in three of his 5K races in the Harrisburg/York/Lebanon Area. He was in good shape to run this course.

http://www.mausatf.org/long-distance-running/Belmont-Plateau-course-maps.pdf

Look above at the link to the; 

USATF Mid-Atlantic Youth 2K XC COURSE

Belmont Plateau

Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA.

Daniel's St. Luke's Spirit Track Coach, the legendary Andrew Lofton said that we have three types of athletes today. The first is the person that has talent but never practice. They reach a plateau and never rises above it. The second is the person who has little talent but practice and eventually achieves success. The third is the person who has talent and makes a best effort at practice. They rise above all others. I am beginning to think that Daniel is the third example that Coach Lofton is talking about. 

Daniel's Next cross country meet will be the USATF Region 2 meet at;

USATF Mid-Atlantic Association / Region 2 -November 24, 2013, at Coopers Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania (North of Pittsburgh, Pa.)

https://www.cooperslake.com/home/index.php

This is the website for the Regional venue.

If Daniel makes the top 20 runners he will continue on to the December 14, 2013-National XC@ Shooting Complex San Antonio, TX.

http://www.nssa-nsca.org/index.php/nssa-nsca-national-shooting-complex/non-shooting-events/

This is the website for the National venue.

In the USATF Cross Country "8 and Under" competition since 5 years old, Daniel has run in 3 Association Meets, 2 Regional Meets, and one National Meet. If he goes to Nationals, it will be the second consecutive time for this event and the fourth consecutive time for Nationals that include Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track. 

The Meet Director

The Meet Director for this USATF Event has seen Daniel since he was 4 years old. The Director's name is Nelson Berrios from the Philadelphia Area. At an outdoor meet several years ago, I heard him ask Daniel as Daniel took his place to run the 800 Meter saying, "What is your name? I have been calling you Jamaica all this time because I don't know your name." When he would run at 5 years old, the children would see the word "Jamaica" on his shirt. When he would run, they would scream, "Run Jamaica!" This is how Daniel got the first part of his name, "Jamaican Flash." The word "Flash" came from the fact that since three years old, he would run around playing, calling himself the "Flash." That is when I found out that he has some talent.