Why NY XC Rocks

Paul Limmer — the long-time coach at Long Island's Mepham High — talked with Alex Lohr of Flotrack about the dominance of New York State girls' cross country.

Limmer — who coached at Mepham from 1963 to 2000 — won more than 700 dual meets. His coaching career included a Foot Locker Champion (Christine Curtin in 1982), three Penn Relays Championships of America and a national record in the girls' distance medley relay which stood for 20 years.

How dominating have the New York girls been at Nike Cross Nationals? Try seven straight titles — every one since the meet's inception. Champions included Saratoga Springs and Hilton before Fayetteville Manlius reeled off five straight. Additionally, New York girls finished second in four of the seven years with California and Colorado the only other states to grab silver.

The New York boys have had success as well, ranking second-best in meet history behind Illinois. The Land of Lincoln has produced two champions, two runners-up and a third-place team while New York has had one champ (Saratoga Springs in 2005), two runners-up and a third-place team. For a full list check out this article on TullyRunners.com.