DOWN THE HOME STRETCH — Jane Hedengren closed out her high school career on a cold, soggy track the only way she knew how: with (another) national record.
Then she made way for a Timpview High School teammate to do the same.
Hedengren secured her "GOAT" status, at least in the modern era of high school cross-country and track and field, while Timpview teammate Lily Alder proved her ascension is just getting started when the Provo duo — both of whom are committed to BYU — set a pair of national records at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
First, the distance starlet and Gatorade national cross country athlete of the year beat her own record pace of 8 minutes, 40.99 seconds to reset the U20 record in the 3,000 meters in 8:40.03.
"It did feel like a victory lap, especially with a lot of uncertainties coming in," she said after the race, per DyeStat. "I just wanted to be bold out there and run as strong as I could."
Jane Hedengren will not be denied.
— RunnerSpace (@runnerspace) June 22, 2025
Another US HS record gone.#NikeOutdoorNationals 3000m.
⏱️ 8:40.03@nsaf_trackpic.twitter.com/BkqG1pmFIV
Hedengren owns U.S. high school-aged records in the following events, as noted by DyeStat:
- 1500 meters — 4:04.68
- 1600 meters — 4:21.81
- Mile — 4:23.50
- 3000 meters — 8:40.03
- 3200 meters — 9:14.65
- Two mile — 9:17.75
- 5000 meters — 14:57.93
- 5000m (cross-country) — 15:50.01
Lily Alder of Timpview (UT) wins the Nike Outdoor Nationals championship mile in a time of 4:39.20 pic.twitter.com/DoDzwrCd5r
— West Coast XC (@westcoast_xc) June 22, 2025
So with one more mile championship to go in Eugene, Hedengren metaphorically passed the baton to the next generation, and Timpview teammate Alder picked it up in the mile.
The rising senior at Timpview closed her final lap in 1:05 to win the Nike outdoor national championship in 4:39.20.
"Next year's going to be really fun. I think a lot of people are going to step up," Alder told RunnerSpace.com after the race. "I'm taking a lot of what I learned this year from a lot of really good runners, and I'm excited to step up and see who is there with me."
Utah middle schooler Angelina Alder, who runs for Roadrunners TC in Provo, also broke the girls' sixth-grade national record in the mile with a time of 4:50.52.
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