Steve Murdock Wins 2006 Nike Team Nationals XC Title [Full Race] 

Prior to 2008, Nike Cross Nationals was called Nike Team Nationals. This is the race broadcast replay from 2006.
Full event coverage from 2006 is available at NikeCrossNationals.com. All free of charge.
From 2006 DyeStat recap:
Bridgetown PA (Coatesville) lives up to its NE#1 ranking in a big way, pulling away from a huge pack in the last inverval. Steve Murdock NY 16:38 wins. Ben Johnson NM and Michael Cybulski CA win Foot Locker Finals berths.
by Rich Gonzalez, co-editor, DyeStatCal
It took several months and one very special invitation, but the boys from Pennsylvania FINALLY trekked across state lines.
Bad news for those other 49 states.
Even with its frontrunner slowed by a slight off day, the depth displayed by the Bridgetown Cross-Country Club proved far more than the trusted national mega-powers could handle during a mud-stomping, lactate-building challenge at Nike Team Nationals III on Saturday afternoon at Portland Meadows.
Bridgetown, which gapped just 51 seconds while sporting the fastest 4th and 5th scorers in the entire race, shaved nearly 20 points off its running score in the latter half of the competition to win going away, 126-148, over runner-up Simi West of California and third-place Spokane of Washington (162). Steve Murdock, a senior from Clifton Park XC, won the race in 16:26 under very adverse course conditions.
Bridgetown came in under the radar
"We came in, I think, still a bit under the radar to some skeptics," Bridgetown coach Keith Andrew conceded, "but we came out of the mud as champions. It really hasn't settled in yet... This is a dream come true."
The winning squad, whose members competed for Coatesville High during the high school season, clearly shut the door on the top-notch competition over the race's last eight minutes. But the victory truly began taking shape more than 24 hours earlier.
As meet participants began their day-before course run-throughs, the soggy 5,000-meter layout took a major beating, wearing away at what had been a surprisingly manageable damp-grass, mud-packed infield layout at week's start. By early afternoon on Friday, deep streaks of paved mud became apparent along the course, signaling a downward change in the course's footing. By late afternoon, the scene had endured a massive change, with large sections of mud resembling a pig's trough. Firm spots were very few and far between.
Good mudders were confident
Being new to both the course and the NTN experience, Andrew and assistant coach Dave Lapp admitted they were concerned by those course developments despite mentoring a strength-oriented lineup quite familiar with challenging courses.
"But then last night the kids told us they were confident," added Andrew. "They told us, 'Coach, we're ready. We know we can run in the mud. We're set to go' After that, a calm came over us and I just had a great feeling about what was going to happen today."
Sean Ward and Owen Dawson provided great performances to finish 20th and 21st fo Bridgetown, with Tom Pannulla (32nd) and Jason Leonard (45th) closing out the scoring. As the 5th runner on the winning team, Leonard also earned the meet's "Golden Anchor" award. Andrew Mahoney and Chris Rosato rounded out the championship effort. All five of the team's scorers were seniors.
Simi West CA is second
Second was Simi West CA (Royal) which was victim to Hills' (Trabuco Hills) mind-blowing and historic effort at the recent California state meet. The key to the team's runner-up placing centered on junior Alex Routh's #2 finish in the team order, Routh, often the team's fifth scorer, was only 34 seconds behind Cybulski while on the slowest course this season.
"It was amazing... I was very proud of their effort," said Royal HS coach Ryan Luce, who was not allowed by CIF-SS rules to coach the team in the unsanctioned postseason event, but was permitted to attend the event and interact with the kids after the race.
Steve Murdock is class of the field
Murdock, who previously qualified to represent the Northeast Region at next weekend's FootLocker Cross-Country Championships, was easily the class of the field. Mired in the penultimate challenge of a six-week stretch of championship-type efforts, Murdock was content to share the lead over the first three kilometers as his pre-meet plan called for.
"Then it was time to go," said the Syracuse-bound senior and New York State champion. "When I made my move, it felt great. No problem at all with my legs or the mud."
Read full recap: archive.dyestat.com//?pg=us20...
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