Been there, done that, figures Rush-Henrietta All-American Mickey Burke.

So this week, with his senior season creeping to a close, he’s taking the other fork in the road that is the great divide in postseason high school cross country.

Saturday Burke will join Penfield senior Katie Lembo at the Foot Locker regionals in the Bronx to try and qualify for an expenses-paid trip to Foot Locker’s 45th national championship in San Diego. He needs a top-10 finish, and as of mid-week, he was top-seeded.

A year ago Burke was second at the Nike Cross regionals in Poughkeepsie and a Section V all-time best 13th at the ninth Nike nationals in Portland, Ore.

Both events’ qualifiers for participants from the Northeast have been on the same day since Nike qualifiers began in 2007, so hard choices must be made for top runners.

“The history of Foot Locker is something I’ve thought about a lot,” Burke said. “Most all of the great runners have done it, and no R-H (boys) runner has ever made the finals.” R-H’s Anita Kelly was 14th at nationals in 1980.

Lembo, like Burke the All-Greater Rochester Runner of the Year as a junior, was third at Foot Locker regionals and 21st at nationals last fall.

“She really never considered switching to Nike,” said her coach, Dave Hennessey. “The whole San Diego experience is first class in every way, and to do that (qualify in Poughkeepsie for Nike) it would mean leaving her teammates this week.”

Hennessey and the Penfield cross country booster club have booked a Thanksgiving weekend trip to Foot Locker regionals, along with a shopping excursion into Manhattan, every year since the mid-1980s. This year they’re taking about 35 runners — freshmen to seniors.

“We’re loyal to Foot Locker,” Hennessey said, “and they’ve been really good to us.”

The Nike regionals, on the other hand, attract most everyone with a top team or top individuals, since both can qualify for Portland. Among Section V entries Saturday (running as clubs or individuals since school-name entries are not sanctioned) are Rush-Henrietta’s boys and girls, with Federations runner-up Alex Cooper and Nike nationals participant in 2012 Siobhan Quinn (59th); both Webster Thomas boys and girls teams; Victor’s boys team and Hilton’s girls.

Jim Castor, retired assistant sports editor of the Democrat and Chronicle, has covered cross country and road racing in the Rochester area for more than four decades. He can be reached at jcastor@jimcastor.com.