{M3
{M0Noel Bateman, a standout athlete from Aquinas Institute, capped his illustrious high-school cross-country career by placing 24th in the Foot Locker National Championship. The race was held Saturday, Dec. 10, in San Diego, Calif.
Bateman covered the 5,000-meter course at Balboa Park in a time of 15 minutes, 43 seconds. That placed him near the middle of a 40-runner field that included the top runners from across the United States.
The Aquinas senior was the first Rochester-area boy in 10 years to qualify for the national event. Bateman had become eligible by finishing third in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional race on Nov. 26 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. Top-10 finishers from the regional moved on to the national final.
On Nov. 12, Bateman won the state Class B title after placing second last year and fifth as a sophomore. One week prior to the state meet, Bateman earned his second consecutive Section 5 Class B crown.
Bateman is also a championship distance runner for the Little Irish in indoor and outdoor track.
