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Photos: Alaska's fastest distance-running girl of all time

Kenai High School's Allie Ostrander is a relaxed runner, head up, feet landing light and straight, knees raised, arms pumping. She's economy in motion -- what a longtime Palmer track coach calls smooth and balanced. And she's fast, very fast.

In fact, no Alaska high school girl has ever run distance races faster. Among the state records she owns heading into her final state championship meet next weekend are the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters -- having already laid waste to long-standing marks of such luminaries as Kristi Waythomas and Kris Smith. Ostrander's times consistently rank among the best in the nation for high school girls.

"I wonder how fast she can go," says Waythomas, whose 3,200 record was set 29 years ago when she was Kristi Klinnert of Kodiak. "It's so cool to see her run so well and continue the legacy. It's really fun to see a new generation coming up. It's refreshing."

In a matter of months, Ostrander will head to Boise State, the victor in a recruiting battle against such running powerhouses as the University of Oregon. Ostrander was with her best friend and sister, Taylor, when she made her decision on where to enroll.

"She said, 'I think I want to go to Boise, I think that's my school,' " Taylor recalled. "It's a testament to her character.

"It's Oregon, it's a legend, it's Steve Prefontaine's school, Tracktown USA -- people say, 'You gotta go.' At 18, she was mature enough to step back and say, 'What do I want? What will make me happy?' That speak loads about her."

READ MORE: Allie Ostrander raises the bar for young Alaska distance runners

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