Alexa Efraimson (HS junior) wins Dellinger Invitational

The Camas Team was at Sunfair in Yakima, Alexa in Eugene at the Dillenger meet.

There is a definite message here.

Alexa could have run in Yakima in the #1 runners race and went after Amy-Eloise Neale's great record there.

Clearly, she is headed in an elite direction and focusing on the National Championship (NXN). It appears her team is no longer in focus for her. The WIAA scrutinized a competition she did last spring, and Mike Hickey left Camas. The Efraimsons were very upset because the WIAA rules don't work for the Elite HS Runner. Something Amy-Eloise Neale and Katie Knight had to struggle through. Neale and Knight selflessly chose to run for their teams, and try and work between the blurred lines drawn by the WIAA.

Alexa Efraimson is headed in the Mary Cain direction, and I think it's a good move.

CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER wrote:

The Camas Team was at Sunfair in Yakima, Alexa in Eugene at the Dillenger meet.

There is a definite message here.

Alexa could have run in Yakima in the #1 runners race and went after Amy-Eloise Neale's great record there.

Clearly, she is headed in an elite direction and focusing on the National Championship (NXN). It appears her team is no longer in focus for her. The WIAA scrutinized a competition she did last spring, and Mike Hickey left Camas. The Efraimsons were very upset because the WIAA rules don't work for the Elite HS Runner. Something Amy-Eloise Neale and Katie Knight had to struggle through. Neale and Knight selflessly chose to run for their teams, and try and work between the blurred lines drawn by the WIAA.

Alexa Efraimson is headed in the Mary Cain direction, and I think it's a good move.

Thanks for that update.

Not really a huge surprise that Efraimson beat those girls, especially because some of them - like Neale - are frosh and Alexa was competitive with them last year. At NXN last fall, she beat Neale and wasn't far behind Knight. In the spring and summer, she was really better, especially with that 4:15 1500 and 3rd at World Youth. Has any other girl or woman, LOL, in that field beaten 4:15? Doubt it and if so, not by much. Cain, Baxter and some other preps could have won that race.

Also, unfortunately, some of the good (or formerly good) gals in that race, like Flood, have regressed.

IArunner wrote:

Noticed Stephanie Jenks a sophomore from Iowa finished 7th as well. She took highs school XC off this fall after competing in London in September at the world junior triathlon championships.

This was the 3rd week in a row that Steph Jenks has ran. NC 2 weeks ago, Griak (D-II race) in MN last week, and now U of Oregon. This race was by far her best performance.

I'm curious, how much of what you just typed out do you actually know, and how much of it did you just speculate?

I don't know why the WIAA would have scrutinized Efraimson running in the Oregon Preview last spring, because it was completely within the WIAA rules. I also seriously doubt that was a factor in Mike Hickey returning to the college coaching scene. And I thought the Efraimson's were partial to Mike Hickey's coaching because they thought he was a good coach and his training was working for Efraimson, not because they saw him as a way to get away from high school training and competition. I'd be surprised if Alexa Efraimson was done with competing for her high school, ala Cain.

Hmmmm well, not to point out the obvious, but 16:35 is a legit time. Dellinger is a fairly fast course, but still, that ought to be worth 16:10 or so on the track. That's knocking on elite territory. And all at the tender age of 16.

ifififi wrote:

Not really a huge surprise that Efraimson beat those girls, especially because some of them - like Neale - are frosh and Alexa was competitive with them last year. At NXN last fall, she beat Neale and wasn't far behind Knight. In the spring and summer, she was really better, especially with that 4:15 1500 and 3rd at World Youth. Has any other girl or woman, LOL, in that field beaten 4:15? Doubt it and if so, not by much. Cain, Baxter and some other preps could have won that race.

Also, unfortunately, some of the good (or formerly good) gals in that race, like Flood, have regressed.

You should do more research. Katie Flood is the 2012 NCAA champ over 1500m, with a pr of 4:11.

You guys should stop kidding yourselves. This was a quality field, and when coaches have their athletes dog it, they don't go out and run 16:30s.

Rob,

The 1500 meter is a sanctioned event within the WIAA. Washington HS athletes are not allowed to compete against college athletes at college scoring meets during the regular season,in sanctioned events. If she ran the steeplechase it would be fine, that's an unsanctioned event in Washington state. She can run against college athletes indoors, the indoor season is unsanctioned in Washington state.

Mike knows the rules now, may not have known them last spring when he was still with Camas. 5K XC is sanctioned by the WIAA, so running against college athletes at a scoring meet is troublesome to the WIAA and HS athletic directors.

There is no question that Mike has been good for Alexa, the Efraimsons trust him and they should, he's a fine man and a good coach.

I know Mike and he is really good at coaching and knows how to motivate people to excel. His style is not for every type of runner, you have to be serious about getting better and put in the work. Efraimson responds to his style and she is getting better every year. Just wait and see what happens to the Clark College team. They will excel and talented people will want to run for him.

I know you were talking about Alexa Efraimson in this thread but Stephanie Jenks from Iowa has forfeited her HS eligibility for XC by competing in collegiate events against collegiate runners. She can compete in track and field as she has not run in collegiate track and field competitions. The bylaws for competition are clear in Iowa and I would think the bylaws for HS competition are clear in Washington (WIAA) as well, she can probably compete in track and field in HS this spring.

Most high school associations are screwed up, working only for the benefit of themselves, and against any benefit of the young people they're supposed to be helping to improve.

Good for those athletes, parents and coaches who strike out on their own to look out for the best interests of the young.

CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER wrote:

Rob,

The 1500 meter is a sanctioned event within the WIAA. Washington HS athletes are not allowed to compete against college athletes at college scoring meets during the regular season,in sanctioned events.

Exactly - the Oregon Preview is not a scored meet, so it is completely within the rules for a high school athlete to participate in it.

(note: NO team scores or points scored in any event, though the 1500m flight that included Efraimson would have been the only one that mattered)

It's just a matter of time before the dyanamics of the team, separate coaching and Alexa's superior talent force her to leave the Camas team. A difficult moment will come when they name their team for state and that 7th girl will have to explain to her parents that she'll only be the alternate at state. Then you'll see some motivation to clean up this nebulous arrangement. Alexa should just get out on her own and train with Mike.

I assure you Mike Hickey was scrutinized for the Oregon Preview and as one that has been there, just the scrutiny is enough make you want to resign. Especially when you have other offers. My Statement earlier is speculation, pure speculation.

I'll tell you though, it will be a very special day when the head coach of the high school team accepts and supports everything the elite runners private coach wants for that athlete. A very special relationship indeed.

It's great to see Alexa pressure the system into rethinking it's policies.

http://usa.milesplit.com/articles/113907-alexa-efraimson-declared-ineligible-for-hs-competition-reinstated-on-appeal#.UmbZPPmkolS

Saucony Elite 50 #1 Alexa Efraimson (Camas WA) was declared ineligible for the rest of the HS season by the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association recently for her participation in the Bill Dellinger Invitational on October 5th. Alexa ran unattached and won the race against an elite collegiate field with a time of 16:35.

Update that came in as this article was being drafted: Alexa and her parents appealed the ruling and she was reinstated on Thursday, October 17th, and will be allowed to compete.

Statement from Alexa: "After a few meetings, my parents and I have appealed my eligibility and I have been reinstated, so I can compete now!"

The WIAA has a guideline for competing on or against a professional or college team, however, it is not clear how this pertains to individuals.

The guideline most in question is as follows: 18.23.5 A high school student forfeits any remaining high school eligibility in that sport by competing on or against a professional or college team.

Blessed are the Papermakers wrote:

A difficult moment will come when they name their team for state and that 7th girl will have to explain to her parents that she'll only be the alternate at state.

What's wrong with that?

pos wrote:

Blessed are the Papermakers wrote:

A difficult moment will come when they name their team for state and that 7th girl will have to explain to her parents that she'll only be the alternate at state.

What's wrong with that?

What's wrong with Alexa returning to the team after being coached by the fired, former coach and replacing a girl that had run the regular season meets as a member of the varsity team? It doesn't matter to me but her parents are going to be upset and that's when this arrangement is going to end or be straightened out.

Meh....it is the WIAA...anyone that has worked around them knows that all you have to do is lob a lawyer at the WIAA and they cave. ALWAYS. Want an illegal transfer to take? Send in a laywer. Want a 5th year of eligibility even though you have already done all four years of athletics? Send in the lawyers. The WIAA will cave. They always have, they always will.

Proves once again that Oregon/Washington are the Iten of American distance running.