North Central’s Allie Janke takes 22nd at Foot Locker National Championships, Erinn Hill finishes in 33rd

SAN DIEGO – A pair of Spokane runners took to the national stage on Saturday, as North Central’s Allie Janke and Erinn Hill competed in the 40th Annual Foot Locker Cross Country Championships at Balboa Park.

Janke finished 22nd in the 40-girl field with a time of 18 minutes, 15 seconds on the 5,000-meter course.

“Well the first mile was really fast. I knew the first mile would be a fast split, and that caught me a bit by surprise,” Janke said in a news release. “So just with that fast of a first split, my legs felt a little tired.

“I definitely learned a lot from the race, being comfortable running my own race, maybe staying back and moving up and sticking to what I know.”

Hill crossed the finish line in a time of 18:56.2 to claim 33rd place.

Sydney Masciarelli of Northbridge, Massachusetts won the event with a time of 17:00.3.

Janke, the 2018 State 3A champion, placed second in the regional qualifying meet last weekend in Walnut, California. Hill, the 2017 State 3A champion, placed ninth.