Alexa Efraimson vs NCAA

Don't forget Alexa Efraimson's PR for 1500m 4:03.39

NCAA All Time Top Ten

1500 METERS

3:59.90 Jenny Simpson (Colorado)

4:06.19 Hannah England’ (Florida St)

4:06.67 Sally Kipyego’ (Texas Tech)

4:06.75 Tiffany McWilliams (Mississippi St)

4:06.87 Emma Coburn (Colorado)

4:07.50 Sarah Brown (Tennessee)

4:07.69 Lena Nilsson’ (UCLA)

4:08.26 Suzy Hamilton (Wisconsin)

4:08.38 ————Simpson

4:08.54 Brie Felnagle (North Carolina)

**10 performances by 9 performers**

05/02/09

U.S. Additions

4:09.15 Vicki Huber (Villanova) 4:09.45

Jasmin Jones (Tennessee) 4:09.54

Elise Cranny (Stanford) 4:09.67

But the real questions: "would the CIS had been a better choice for Efraimson?" She would be ranked second this year.

The fact that it's a debate proves she made the wrong choice.

We question whether she did make the right choice. We wouldn't even be asking that if she was 2 time national champ, which she would have easily been according to everyone who thinks it was smart to go pro.

People don't get, her, cain, they all went pro with the idea that they would make it to Rio. They didn't. Failure and on top of that lost out on a lot of experience and learning both educationally and athletically that they would have gotten in NCAA.

She will end up ok because she is that talented and seems pretty driven, but I think she would be enjoying herself a lot more racing with a team in college and winning titles instead of finishing at the front of B level pro meets.

My view is that there are factors in this decision we can't know. Is she happy, for example? In the end, that is the most important issue at stake in the matter. NCAA is great for some athletes, not for others.

Jensen wrote:

...

People don't get, her, cain, they all went pro with the idea that they would make it to Rio. They didn't. Failure and on top of that lost out on a lot of experience and learning both educationally and athletically that they would have gotten in NCAA.

...

That's an assumption. Some top level athletes go to NCAA and totally get ignored by the coach or end up having to quadruple in meets and end their NCAA injured.

Yes, she failed, but maybe she would have failed even more in the NCAA. Remember, only one woman in the history of the NCAA went sub 4:06 during the season. XC, followed by indoor, followed by outdoor is very tough for a 1500m runner.

regression and isolation are not positive criteria.

Moron Games in Dublin?

Jensen wrote:

Failure and on top of that lost out on a lot of experience and learning both educationally and athletically that they would have gotten in NCAA.

How are her and Cain missing out educationally? Aren't they both in college but just not running in the NCAA?

How are they losing experience and learning athletically? They are both racing a lot. Possibly even more than some of the other top college runners. Seems like Efraimson and Cain are/were getting MORE experience and learning than their peers in the NCAA.

Cain is racing a whole lot.

Ke7 wrote:

How are her and Cain missing out educationally? Aren't they both in college but just not running in the NCAA?

*she and Cain

Efraimson and Tennessee Life wrote:

Don't forget Alexa Efraimson's PR for 1500m 4:03.39

NCAA All Time Top Ten

1500 METERS

3:59.90 Jenny Simpson (Colorado)

4:06.19 Hannah England’ (Florida St)

4:06.67 Sally Kipyego’ (Texas Tech)

4:06.75 Tiffany McWilliams (Mississippi St)

4:06.87 Emma Coburn (Colorado)

4:07.50 Sarah Brown (Tennessee)

4:07.69 Lena Nilsson’ (UCLA)

4:08.26 Suzy Hamilton (Wisconsin)

4:08.38 ————Simpson

4:08.54 Brie Felnagle (North Carolina)

There were a bunch of other runners who ran close to Alexa's time, but after the end of the NCAA season.

4:05.67 Sarah BOWMAN 7/13/2009

4:05.75 Lindsay GALLO 8/28/2005

4:05.81 Sonia O'SULLIVAN 8/3/1991

4:05.86 Susan KUIJKEN 7/27/2009

4:05.88 Leann WARREN 7/3/1982

4:06.43 Angela CHALMERS 6/27/1987

4:06.54 Marta FREITAS 6/30/2016

4:06.67 Cory MCGEE 7/13/2013

An interesting discussion.

However, who is to say Alexa would have run as fast within the confines of the NCAA -or the NCAA athletes would have run faster under the confines of being a professional. I think the comparison has to go beyond times and factor in a free education. Another factor is, the experience Alex has gotten as a pro, several of the NCAA athletes will get in a couple of years, but she will never get the NCAA experience.

Crdftffftftfftf wrote:

But the real questions: "would the CIS had been a better choice for Efraimson?" She would be ranked second this year.

Never gets old

Jensen wrote:

The fact that it's a debate proves she made the wrong choice.

We question whether she did make the right choice. We wouldn't even be asking that if she was 2 time national champ, which she would have easily been according to everyone who thinks it was smart to go pro.

People don't get, her, cain, they all went pro with the idea that they would make it to Rio. They didn't. Failure and on top of that lost out on a lot of experience and learning both educationally and athletically that they would have gotten in NCAA.

She will end up ok because she is that talented and seems pretty driven, but I think she would be enjoying herself a lot more racing with a team in college and winning titles instead of finishing at the front of B level pro meets.

Wouldn't the NCAA meets be equivalent to B level pro meets? So she would win against people less talented then she is, so what? She is going to school and by the sounds of her interviews, able to take a full class load or a part class load as need be. She isn't stressing to stay academically eligible and train at a high level as some athletes are.

Team atmosphere is great but pro track isn't a team sport. It seems other pros have mentioned how hard it is is go from doing everything as a team to bring on their own like Phoebe wright mentioned. Alexa gets to go to school and be with peers and still focus on her job of being the best she can be, not throwing it away for other runners and the sake of a team.

The goal was not RIO, although she was 1.5 seconds from making the team as a 19 year old. The goal has always been 2020. Coincidently, the US has never been as good as it is now. Did Mary and Alexa wake everyone up? Maybe.

It is quite funny that the arguments have changed as former rivals have faded. Now it's about fun! F#}+ Fun. In the end, the numbers and ackomplishments will speak for themselves.

Go AE!!!

True, but how many are still in college?

Jensen wrote:

Failure and on top of that lost out on a lot of experience and learning both educationally and athletically that they would have gotten in NCAA.

I never understand what you people are thinking. Do you assume that just because she skipped the NCAA, she doesn't get to go to college? That's.... not exactly how it works.

Now the next discussion will be if Mary Cain made the right choice.

Guess it doesn't count since it was after NCAA's ???), but wanted to note Dani Jones ran 4:08.42 in Portland the week after the Championships.