Gomez 2nd in 1,500 at Junior Olympics

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - One day after winning the 3,000 meters, Kinsey Gomez of Coeur d'Alene High finished a close second in the 1,500 in the Young Women's (born in 1992 or '93) division at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics at Hughes Stadium.

Gomez, who will be a senior this fall, finished in 4 minutes, 38.71 seconds. Katherine Delaney led most of the way and won in 4:36.96.

"I was really happy, because the time I got would have been a sub 5-minute mile, which I never have done," Gomez said.

Gomez found herself in the back of the 12-runner pack on the first lap, as the others went out faster than she was used to. But she gradually picked off runners, passing the fourth-place girl with 300 meters left and the third-place girl with 200 left.

"It was a really fast pace, which was really good - I wanted to be pushed like that," said Gomez, who won state 5A titles in cross country, the 1,600 and the 3,200 as a junior. "I was definitely pleased with both events. I did what I came down here to do - I wanted to place in both. I wasn't expecting a sub-5 because I ran so fast (Saturday)."