2014 Arcadia InvitationalApr 12, 2014 by Isaac Wood
Arcadia Preview: It's Alexa Efraimson's time to shine
Arcadia Preview: It's Alexa Efraimson's time to shine
Okay boys, move over, it's only fair that the race being billed as the best race at Arcadia gets its own preview.
The Girls 3200 meter run at the Arcadia Invitational will feature three of some of the top distance talent that the United States has produced in the last few years. Anna Maxwell of San Lorenzo Valley, California, Sarah Baxter (the three-time champion in the 3200m at Arcadia) of Simi Valley, California and oh yeah Alexa Efraimson, from Camas, Washinton, who is okay.
Just kidding. Alexa Efraimson is absolutely out of this world talented and should have an incredible opportunity to break the high school national record of 9:48.59 set in 1996. In fact, I'm going to not go out on a limb and say that she will break the record.
Here's why:
1. It's the perfect race to run fast
- The best night of high school distance running every year is Saturday night at Arcadia. The weather is usually perfect, the crowd is awesome and the atmosphere is incredible, you have to be there to witness.
2. The field is loaded
- Like mentioned previously Anna Maxwell (10:10.51), Sarah Baxter (10:06.74), upstart Bethan Knights (10:07.52) who "tied" Baxter a few weeks ago, Sarah Feeny (4:46 and 10:35 altitude times), Allie Ostrander (10:17), I could go on, but I won't. Do you see my point?
3. This is Alexa's year
- Yes, Mary Cain is unreal and one of the top distance runners in the country regardless of age, but Alexa hasn't been too far off from being just as dominant, especially on the high school scene. Beating Emma Bates earlier this year at Bill Dellinger Invite (XC) and finishing fourth in the 3k at the UW Invite where she was beaten by some pros and ran 9:00.16 for 3k, are just a few of her achievements this year (oh wait, NXN Champ too).
4. Alexa would love nothing more than to "chase records" of her own
- There's no one else in the world who is probably more sick of the Mary Cain comparison, and who could blame her. If Mary Cain weren't around, Efraimson could be the one with all of the national junior records and what not. This is her time to prove herself and solidify herself as one of the greatest if not the best prep distance runner of all time.
5. The record is 9:48 and the conversion to 3200m from 3k of 9:00.16 is…
- 9:39.86 If she can just duplicate her performance from indoors and the race doesn't get going too late, Efraimson will break this nearly 20 year old record and forever place herself among some of the all-time greats in female high school distance running.