Bronze for Aragon!

Frustratingly, the Ethiopian girl bullied Efraimson a bit, blocking the outside of the lane rather too blatantly. It worked out well for Aragon and her last lap

was beautiful.

Chet Manly wrote:

Now granted you can't always tell how old someone is just by looking at them but holy crap did Anbesa look old!

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/fantu-worku-from-ethiopia-adanech-anbesa-from-ethiopia-and-christina-picture-id579539490

Wow, now way she's U20.

jimmy bobby wrote:

Chet Manly wrote:

Now granted you can't always tell how old someone is just by looking at them but holy crap did Anbesa look old!

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/fantu-worku-from-ethiopia-adanech-anbesa-from-ethiopia-and-christina-picture-id579539490

Wow, now way she's U20.

I know it's only one picture, but the Ethiopian girls look a bit depressed.

I don't know......

Christina Aragon wins bronze medal in 1500 at World Junior Championships

Christina is the youngest of 3 daughters in the family with the 2 older attending the university of Dad's background: Notre Dame on athletic Track scholarships.

Chuck Aragon, a 3.51 miler and Athletic West athlete from the 1980's is the inspiring Dad of this bevy of incredibly impressive young women, BUT most of the reports I have seen TOTALLY MISS that Mom, Kathy was 10th ranked female 10k runner in the U.S. in her prime with a PR of 32:59 at that distance. While Chuck went on to a career as an M.D. anesthesiologist, Mom Kathy continued her mi-life running activity and was know to run local 10ks in Billings pushing a DOUBLE baby jogger and still record times in the 37-38 minute territory. Kathy has her career as a Physical Therapist and provides immense support and nurturance to this evolving athletic family.

Knowing them and Kathy particularly for more than 30 years, it would not surprise me IF Kathy could STILL turn a 40 minute 10k in her middle 50's.

Really "Like Mother Like Daughter" with Dad's super genes and support as a BONUS?

Nice job to the American ladies for legit gold/silver. Screw the cheating Ethiopians.

More along the lines of, "Like Father Like Daughter" and she so happened to get a bonus from the fact that her mother runs well, too. I'm pretty sure the 3:51 genes benefit her more than a 33:00 10k...especially in a 1500m.

My take on Efraimson is that she tends to push too hard too early, taking the lead before she needs to. She always seems to be dying a little the last 100, so maybe holding back a little longer would help.

Old Oregonian is absolutely correct.

Nothing against AE at all. But watch her third lap and early fourth. She worked extremely hard to get and stay up front. At least once, maybe twice, she almost looks like she's cranking up for a final sprint, when what should be her final sprint is still a few hundred meters away. She had to be at least partially, if not completely, shot by the time she reached the last 120 or so meters of the race.

Defections from Stanford\\\'s xc/t&f teams ended a year ago . . . 2015-2016 xc & tf rosters were stable . . .

Stanford will have Aragon, Cranny & Donoghu this school year . . . 3 of the top-7 US high school 1500m performers ever . . .

Milt admitted mistakes coaching Cranny her frosh year . . . much more conservative this past season which lead to her breakthru 4:09 for 2nd place at NCAAs . . . .

Expect Milt to be very \"gentle\" with Aragon . . . good chance she redshirts xc . . . likely will run as many 800s as miles/1500s once track rolls around.

Great race, she could have won if she kept her head down and relaxed face/upper body

Old Oregonian wrote:

My take on Efraimson is that she tends to push too hard too early, taking the lead before she needs to. She always seems to be dying a little the last 100, so maybe holding back a little longer would help.

Still worrying, though. With her 800 speed and PR 7 SECONDS faster last year, why on earth would she be dying? I have faith that this is just a blip - it happens - she still has lots of time to come back.

Don't know how Stanford does it on the Women's side they get basically any distance runner they want ruin them well at least make them slower injured or quit the sport yet ladies be lining up to run for them. Top 2 recruiting class ever single year yet doesn't ever even sniff top 10 indoors or outdoors. Hate to say it but that will be the last we hear of this girl.

You'd think she'd be more race savvy since she has raced pros often, but yeah she doesn't seem to pace the last lap well -- you have to go increasingly faster throughout the last lap. Efraimson does the high school thing where as soon as they hear the bell they start pushing -- guaranteeing that they'll have nothing left for the final straight.

She does seem to be getting Cain disease a little bit. No improvement this year. Her body hasn't developed dramatically like Cain's did.

This is the first US woman's medal ever in the 1500 at World Juniors. Previous best: Elise Cranny (4th) and Jordan Hasay (twice!) (4th). Congrats to Christina Aragon. But put this in perspective: there's a big difference between a 4:08 - 4:15 junior and a 3:59 - 4:03 elite senior. Most of the 1500m stand outs at world junior's never progress to the elite stage. The gap that must be bridged is huge (and Efraimson, Cranny, Cain, Hasay and others can provide testimony about that). We'll be lucky if only one of the current crop of phenoms gets there. But don't give up hope: SFH only ran 4:23 at World Junior's. Sarah Bowman ran 4:36.

Milt won't be coaching her. Liz Debole will. At least that was the case a month ago...I have that on VERY reliable word...

Omg that Ethiopian girl looks like she's 40. She looks depressed cause she knows she ain't under 20.

Congratulations to Christina Aragon! None of us here in Montana are surprised by anything the Aragon sisters do anymore, but this comes close! When I heard 'Aragon is in the picture' with 150 to go, I was thinking man, I've seen what happens next.

Congratulations also to Ephraimson, who put together a very impressive season and came close to putting an exclamation point on it here.

they call me flopro wrote:

Don't know how Stanford does it on the Women's side they get basically any distance runner they want ruin them well at least make them slower injured or quit the sport yet ladies be lining up to run for them. Top 2 recruiting class ever single year yet doesn't ever even sniff top 10 indoors or outdoors. Hate to say it but that will be the last we hear of this girl.

Runners get injured at all levels under all coaches. College age women who were great when younger often plateau, get worse, or are just over competing. This happens at all colleges and to those who skip college and have pro coaches (Cain). Stanford has so unfounded reputation. Like you said, if they are getting more blue chip recruits, one would reason to believe they are going to have more high profile athletes who don't pan out or have an injury here or there. Which again, happens everywhere.

Also, it's f*cking Stanford. Running is really nothing compared to a Stanford degree.

Sunseeker wrote:

Kindly explain why, in perfect conditions and well placed tactically, having run 2:00.99 just a few weeks earlier, and 4:03 a year earlier, Alexa would think it 'great' that she ran 4:06+ in what was (or should have been) her most important race of the year?[/quote]

Because she is still a kid.[/quote]

You are looking at her age, she has choose to move beyond that and see's herself as a pro and talks like an arrogant pro, "Im here to medal".

Learning tactics may have come with some time in the college ranks, racing x-country ,really development training vs trash talking.

Maybe the kid as you call her needs someone to sit down and talk with her about the reality of life.