Oregon`s Blood Wins Pan-Am Junior 3,000m Title

Blood earned her spot on the U.S. team after she won the USA junior outdoor title two weeks ago (9:27.81) by more than 10 seconds.

Photo: goducks.com

SAO PAULO, Brazil - In her third appearance for the U.S. National Team, University of Oregon freshmen Nicole Blood won the Pan American Junior Championships 3,000m title Friday in second day action.

The Simi Valley, Calif., product won her first event title (9:22.35) by 3.74 seconds over Marie-Louise Asselin (second, 9:26.09) and Jessica O’Connell (third, 9:56.33) of Canada.

Blood earned her spot on the U.S. team after she won the USA junior outdoor title two weeks ago (9:27.81) by more than 10 seconds.

That victory was the second American junior national track title of her career after she won the 5,000m in 2005, and she also won the U.S. junior cross country title in February 2006.

She competed in the 2005 Pan American Junior Championships in 2005 and was also the top American finisher in that race (second overall, 16:55.17).

A pair of Duck freshman teammates - Kenny Klotz and A.J. Acosta - will compete in the Pan Am Junior 10,000m and 1,500m finals Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Duck freshman-to-be Matthew Centrowitz will also compete in the latter event with Acosta.

Klotz and Acosta were USA junior champions and Centrowitz was a runner-up.

Great story! Thanks for the coverage.

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