NXN Baxter vs Efraimson vs Cranny: Best Matchup Ever

agip wrote:

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/250914-Nike-Cross-Nationals-NXN-2013/video/725830-Pre-NXN-Grass-Loop-Repeats-with-Alexa-Efraimson

I have to agree on Efraimson -- she's looks and runs strongly and swiftly. If the race comes down to the last 400-500m, I don't see Efraimson losing.

I wouldn't say Baxter is like Joan Benoit in that Benoit was an absolutely tiny runner. She made Bill Rogers look big.

Hopefully race day will not be wet so these competitors can run fast.

jody wrote:

Is there a video from Efraimson vs Emma Bates race?

The finish is between 4:33 and 5:00.

And here's one showing Cranny's kick.

Efraimson and Cranny are very similar runners. And that's what makes this race interesting to me. Not just a duel between a front-runner and a kicker but two kickers who will have to watch each other as well as stalk the leader.

If the course is fast, not a mudder, than I'll go with Cranny or Efraimson, and Baxter for third.

I do think it will be close though, and Baxter could still win. Too bad the three of them won't be going to FLN.

backkick wrote:

I'll sign on for this year's race being the best 3-way matchup ever. 2008 Footlocker was a very good field but did not have the ingredients this one does.

whatthewhatthewhat wrote:

No, 2008 had THREE RETURNING Footlocker champions. This race only has one. This year is going to be an amazing matchup. But 2008's was a much more anticipated race.

Exactly. While I admire the topic creator's level of excitement, there is no need for them drown in their own hyperbole simply because they don't remember a better matchup.

Boy, you're an angry elf. Perhaps switch to decaf.Lets look at this field:Ephraimson: A win over an entire collegiate field including the NCAA runner up.4:38 1600.Baxter: Undefeated in her high school career including NXN victory over Cain.Cranny: #3 all time 1500.There has never been a field like that assembled. And please stop with what a great xc course footlocker is. Morley is a typical California park. You run around the tennis courts then around the pool. The hill is good but that's the only thing remotely cross country about it. Finally, the race in 2008 was not tactical. Check the splits. Saying the other years were won in faster times just proves my point. All three of these girls can run 16:30 at Morley.

skipping college wrote:

yet none of those b*tches will run Footlocker because it is almost a cross country course with some hills.

2008 was a tactical race, all 3 Previous winners of Footlocker had much faster times. Deal with it, the only true phenom Mary Cain isn't even running at NXN or Footlocker, she's moved onto way better things.

Actual Logician wrote:

All three of this year's favorites could beat Hasay's time at Foot Locker from 2008.

So that video showed a "kick" from Cranny? lol.

backkick wrote:

jody wrote:

Is there a video from Efraimson vs Emma Bates race?

http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=99935-Women-039-s-5k-FULL-RACE-Bill-Dellinger-Invitational-2013

The finish is between 4:33 and 5:00.

And here's one showing Cranny's kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al6v0ueajJw

Efraimson and Cranny are very similar runners. And that's what makes this race interesting to me. Not just a duel between a front-runner and a kicker but two kickers who will have to watch each other as well as stalk the leader.

Great three way matchup. Race strategy is gong to be what makes it interesting. Seems like Baxter would need to push the pace early, or maybe just the last mile. She can\'t leave it to sprint against the other two who are studs at 1500.

Cranny beat Efraimson head to head in the 1500 last year outdoor, by out kicking her.

Cranny\'s indoor mile title is impressive because she ran to win, she looked like she even had another gear when she was PRing by 15 seconds.

Should be a good race, if Baxter run her best race ever she will win, but if she doesn\'t have her best race one of the milers will take it.

[quote]get used to it. wrote:

So that video showed a "kick" from Cranny? lol.

[quote]

This is a video of her 4:15 1500M. She is towards the back on the last lap and kicks her way to third. She's an all around athlete...competitive swimmer since she was 8 and has grown up running at altitude (Boulder).

http://usa.milesplit.com/articles/104645-4-27-wknd-elise-cranny-3-at-4-1507-pleasantville-7-4071-nova-8-1745-cain-4-1077-nr-more#.Up-zoMRDuSo

Actual Logician wrote:

Lets look at this field:

Ephraimson: A win over an entire collegiate field including the NCAA runner up.4:38 1600.

Baxter: Undefeated in her high school career including NXN victory over Cain.

Cranny: #3 all time 1500.

A very, very impressive field, no one is denying that. What we are saying is that 2008 had three previous champions, something that has only occurred once.

Why are we talking about a girls race?

Actual Logician wrote:

Ephraimson: A win over an entire collegiate field including the NCAA runner up.4:38 1600.

Stop this exaggeration. The entire collegiate field wasn't trying to beat her. It was a workout for them.

Bomb Japan wrote:

Why are we talking about a girls race?

Because we are stright. Looks like a great race.

Only one of the 2008 girls broke 4:40/10:00 on the track, this time around there are three that have/will, one of which is a world jr medalist. Plus there are none of the ED's in the top three that were rampant in 2008, the most afflicted year ever.

ososo wrote:

figure outer wrote:

Think about it, for the first time in U.S. history, we have four girls under the age of 18 who could place in the top ten at NCAA's. The most phenomenal class of U.S. preps....ever.

Could they really all four place in the top ten? Who would they have beaten?

Certainly ANY of these girls could be in the NCAA top ten. Unlikely all four on any given day, but talent is there, as demonstrate by Efraimson v. Bates, and Cain v. everyone.

gbc wrote:

I'm not asking for a fast time, just a half decent course where conditions factor into the race, but don't control it.

You will get that this year, unless you consider cold to control a race. Portland is experiencing record lows for this time of year, but while something in the 20s is a big adjustment from California, unlike the mud, I don't think it will "control" the race.

shall see wrote:

hope you are right and it lives up to the hype. I see Baxter winning by 45 seconds pulling away.

acting like beating college girls at a rust buster for them is some great achievement.

Baxter beat Mary F'ing Cain who was in the Olympics.

Think you mixed up Olympics and World Championships

Baxter is going to crush the field. She made Cain her ****, and she'll do the same with these inferior runners.

I agree with the above poster. I predict Baxter takes it out easy...for about 3/4mi. Right when the kickers are settling into the pace they're hoping the entire race stays at, Baxter will open her legs wide and show us all her class, as it were.

My guess is Cranny over Efraimson ~30s back of Sara, unless one or both of them really try to go with her, in which case the gap will be larger and they could finish outside the medals (more likely for Cranny).

figure outer wrote:

Only one of the 2008 girls broke 4:40/10:00 on the track, this time around there are three that have/will, one of which is a world jr medalist.

Did you even look up the facts? What a ridiculous statement, NONE of this year's girls have gone sub 10. And you can't predict the future; possibly none of them will ever accomplish it (Chelsey Sveinsson, Amber Trotter come to mind.)

2008 track

Jordan Hasay: 9:52

Ashley Brasovan: 10:15

Kathy Kroeger: 10:24

average: 10:10

2013 track

Sarah Baxter: 10:06

Alexa Efraimson:10:55

Elise Cranny: 10:38

average: 10:32

Alexa and Elise are primarily milers but even then, they are currently both slower than Jordan Hasay was after her junior year.

I'm looking forward to this year's NXN girls final more than the boys but calling it the best lineup ever is incorrect.