Alexa Efraimson falls short in medal bid & fades to sixth at world juniors...
EUGENE--Alexa Efraimson (left/photo by Paul Merca) didn't make the two hour car trip from Camas down Interstate 5 to Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon just to play it safe in the finals of the women's 1500 at the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships.
Instead, the reigning US junior champion decided to run from the front and position herself for a medal.
Her strategy worked to perfection for 1400 meters, as she was positioned within striking distance of eventual winner Dawit Seyaum of Ethiopia and her teammate Gudaf Tsegay.
However, as they came off the Bowerman Curve and entered the home straight for the final 100 meters, Seyaum and Tsegay pulled away from her, along with Sheila Keter of Kenya, while the rising senior faded and dropped back to sixth place.
Seyaum, the world's fastest junior this season, ran 4:09.86 for the win, with Tsegay second in 4:10.83, and Keter third in a PR 4:11.21.
Stanford-bound Elise Cranny, the USA junior cross country champ from Colorado, caught Efraimson to finish fourth in 4:12.82.
Efraimson finished in a time of 4:13.31.
Afterwards, Efraimson expressed no regrets on her front-running strategy.
"I gave it everything I had. It was a tough race but everyone did a great job. As far as what comes next, I'll see how the next year goes. I gave it all that I've got and that's all I have to give."
"In the last 100 I started to fall off. But I don't think I could have done anything else. I just wanted to go out there and not be afraid of anyone or anything."
Complete results from the final day of the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships are available here.
FERMIN FINISHES FIFTH IN HER HEAT AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES
In Glasgow, Scotland, Washington State University alum Shawna Fermin, representing Trinidad & Tobago, finished fifth in her first round heat of the women's 400.
Fermin ran 54.10 as Christine Day of Jamaica won the heat in 52.25 to advance to Monday's semi-finals, along with the second and third place finishers in each of the six heats.
Fermin is scheduled to run as part of Trinidad & Tobago's 4 x 400 meter relay team on Friday.
Also scheduled to compete on Friday is reigning Pac-12 pole vault champ Jax Thoirs of the University of Washington, who is representing Scotland. Thoirs, a native of Glasgow, will be competing in his home town.
NOTE: The IAAF and USA Track & Field contributed to this report.
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