Alexa Efraimson will win NXN 2013

I'm for Alexa all the way, but if Baxter wins in these conditions she is legitimately the GOAT.

You called it, dude!

She made it look easy.

flaglite wrote:

You called it, dude!

+1

Efraimson's kick was killer. Great time in these conditions, too.

she absolutely threw down. she was getting dropped and dropped but she kept clawing her way back and then just f-ing destroyed in the last 400.

she also looked the best over the hay bales and the little up-down hills. she always closed on or gapped baxter when they went over those.

awesome race. she'll be a good steeplechaser i think. 1500-5k too

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

She made it look easy.

Anything BUT. She looked like she was hanging by a thread with 800 to go, but MAN what a kick she has. Cranny was incredible as well.

Whoa. Speed kills indeed. I wonder if Baxter just didn't have it in her to open it up like she needed to.

erik wrote:

I wonder if Baxter just didn't have it in her to open it up like she needed to.

That's an excellent working hypothesis. I was thinking that maybe she threw the race for cash, or was blinded by a swarm of cold-resistant fruit flies in the latter stages, or was feeling the effects of a hex put on her by a ten-foot-tall gypsy from Niwot, Colorado. But I admit that the possibility that she was simply outrun has the be considered as well.

I am a fan of racing and that was a GREAT race!

Major props to Baxter for her impressive high school racing record. Prior to today, she showed up at every single race, running on the same course and in the same conditions as everybody else, and came out the victor. Certainly no shame for a sub-17:00 on the national championships course!

But I think most of us knew that on a FAST course that was not a slop fest, a kicker who can maintain contact would be Baxter's undoing. Efraimson just dropped the hammer, wow! To see that stride and that turnover at that stage in the race was just amazing to watch.

It's a shame we didn't have Cain in this race or have these weather conditions last year. Whether you are a Cain/Baxter/Cranny/Efraimson fan, it would have been something to watch the dynamic of the four of them together.

We should just be thankful to have such great depth at the high school girls level for the first time in a LONG time.

Head Wound Harry wrote:

erik wrote:

I wonder if Baxter just didn't have it in her to open it up like she needed to.

That's an excellent working hypothesis. I was thinking that maybe she threw the race for cash, or was blinded by a swarm of cold-resistant fruit flies in the latter stages, or was feeling the effects of a hex put on her by a ten-foot-tall gypsy from Niwot, Colorado. But I admit that the possibility that she was simply outrun has the be considered as well.

i'm going with the gypsy from niwot possibility

Alexa fan wrote:

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

She made it look easy.

Anything BUT. She looked like she was hanging by a thread with 800 to go, but MAN what a kick she has. Cranny was incredible as well.

Nah she wasn't hanging by a thread. She was in control the whole time. Classic Withrowning at the end though.

erik wrote:

Whoa. Speed kills indeed. I wonder if Baxter just didn't have it in her to open it up like she needed to.

Baxter is a heel striker which prevents her from having a great kick. In college Oregon will work with her to tweak her form just a tiny bit.

If the course conditions had been muddy and sloppy rather than a frozen surface I think Baxter would have run away with this race.

Head Wound Harry wrote:

erik wrote:

I wonder if Baxter just didn't have it in her to open it up like she needed to.

That's an excellent working hypothesis. I was thinking that maybe she threw the race for cash, or was blinded by a swarm of cold-resistant fruit flies in the latter stages, or was feeling the effects of a hex put on her by a ten-foot-tall gypsy from Niwot, Colorado. But I admit that the possibility that she was simply outrun has the be considered as well.

Do tell, why are runners not usually able to "open it up".

I could have sworn that usually happens when a runner is too spent to offer anything more, which sounds alot like...getting outrun.

Now that comment does imply that Baxter might not have had her best day...but if you get beat on a bad day you still got outrun.

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

Nah she wasn't hanging by a thread. She was in control the whole time. Classic Withrowning at the end though.

Don't be silly, Efraimson was barely hanging on. Her strategy was to be in striking distance at the end and use her kick to win the race.

fasdfadf wrote:

It's a question of speed. The only way Sarah Baxter can win is to break away from 1.5-2.5 miles. I don't believe she's aerobically strong enough to break the other two. She'll be eaten up in the last 800m.

5k isn't long enough to favor a strength runner up against the kind of speed the other two have. Alexa will match Sarah stride-for-stride and run her down when it matters. The only question is whether Cranny will be there as well. My guess is yes. It will be between those two.

Ding ding ding

I agree Efraimson barely hung on to Baxter and Cranny towards the end, which makes her win all the more impressive IMHO. She may have surprised Cranny, as she said on the awards podium, however, Cranny had time and distance to respond to Efraimson. Efraimson simply ran like a tiger today and it was impressive. These three young ladies are all so impressive that it was a privilege and joy to watch them race each other. I look forward to watching their careers in the future. It's going to be exciting! They are making U.S.A.'s future look bright in distance running.

Penny Sparks wrote:

I agree Efraimson barely hung on to Baxter and Cranny towards the end, which makes her win all the more impressive IMHO. She may have surprised Cranny, as she said on the awards podium, however, Cranny had time and distance to respond to Efraimson. Efraimson simply ran like a tiger today and it was impressive. These three young ladies are all so impressive that it was a privilege and joy to watch them race each other. I look forward to watching their careers in the future. It's going to be exciting! They are making U.S.A.'s future look bright in distance running.

Agree 100%. All three girls were very impressive and should do well in college.

Baxter is going to be a Duck. Any info on where Cranny and Efraimson are headed?

Looks like that WOW was legit after all. Sub-4:10/4:30 is on the chopping block in 2014. Alexa is going down as the best all around HS girl ever.