Leah Esposito of Carroll took the lead ahead of Oregon’s Ally Aschbacher in the last 150 meters and never looked back to win the women’s 1500 meters Friday afternoon in the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field.
This is the second consecutive year Esposito and Aschbacher finished 1-2.
Esposito, who finished with a time of 4 minutes, 30.91 seconds, stayed steady in the middle of the pack until the last 300 meters, where she and Aschbacher narrowed themselves to the front. By the end, Esposito had a 40-meter lead as she crossed the finish line ahead of Aschbacher.
Aschbacher finished nearly two seconds ahead of her personal record with a time of 4:33.81.
Oregon freshman Kelly O’Neil started out ahead through the first 400 meters, but finished sixth with a time of 4:40.61.
