Efraimson wins U.S. Junior 1500 meter championship

Add a national championship to Alexa Efraimson’s growing trophy case.

The Camas High School junior won the 1,500 meters at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships on Sunday in Eugene, Ore.

It didn’t come easy.

With the temperature at 90 degrees, Efraimson was locked in a tight duel with Elise Cranny, a Stanford-bound runner from Niwot, Colo.

Efraimson had just enough to hold off Cranny, winning in 4:16.87. Cranny finished in 4:17.40.

Efraimson and Cranny claimed the two berths to the IAAF Junior World Championships July 22-27 in Eugene. Efraimson will try to improve on the bronze medal she won at that meet last year in Ukraine.

This weekend’s meet gathered the nation’s best athletes under 20. Sunday’s 1500 figured to be a showcase event with Efraimson, the second fastest high schooler all-time at 4:07.05, and Cranny, the third fastest at 4:10.95. The fastest, Nike pro Mary Cain, withdrew from the 1,500 to focus on the 3,000, which she won on Saturday.

Sunday, a four-runner pack that included Efraimson, Cranny, Catherine Pagano and Bryn Morley moved ahead early.

With one lap to go, that pack was within about a second of each other. That’s when Efraimson and Cranny made their move.

With Cranny on her shoulder, Efraimson ran the final lap in 61 seconds. Morley and Pagano couldn’t keep up, finishing 10 and 13 seconds off the lead.

Skyview grad Gilbert wins 5,000

University of Washington redshirt freshman Colby Gilbert won the 5,000 meters Saturday to qualify for the World Championships.

Gilbert, a Skyview High School graduate, was part of a 10-runner pack that stayed together for much of the race. With two laps left, that lead pack had been reduced to five.

Gilbert won with a final lap of 55.91 seconds to finish in 14:21.46. He outkicked University of Houston runner Brian Barraza, who finished in 14:22.07.