AZUSA, CALIFORNIA, April 17 — As the crow flies, the distance from Arcadia to Azusa is roughly 10 miles. But within a span of 5 days, Timpview, Utah, senior Jane Hedengren covered half that distance in a record rampage. From her 9:34.12 2M to the 14:57.93 obliteration of the HS/US U20 standards in the 5000 here, the BYU commit is forging a name for herself in prep history that still has chapters to be written.
Year in and year out, the Bryan Clay Invitational reinforces its grip on attracting the best distance runners in the U.S., if not the world. It also has a knack for attracting the best preps to mix it up with their collegiate/pro peers. Such was the case in the women’s elite 5000, where Hedengren would tangle with the likes of meet record holder Hilda Olemomoi from Florida, New Mexico frosh Pamela Kosgei, Stanford’s Sofia Kennedy, Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour, future Hedengren BYU teammates Lexy Halladay-Lowry and Riley Chamberlain, and NAZ Elite pros Katie Wasserman and Abby Nichols.
Lucy Jenks was the designated pacesetter, but her duties were augmented by Wavelight technology, which was set at 15:00 pace.
Unsurprisingly, Jenks immediately shot to the lead. Surprisingly, Hedengren was first to follow. Jenks’ 71.8 would lead Hedengren, Kosgei, Kennedy, Olemomoi, Halladay-Lowry, Scrimgeour, Wasserman, et al.
The flock hung together essentially unchanged through 1600 (4:47.5) and 2000 (5:59.8).
But with 6 laps to go, Jenks stepped aside, leaving Hedengren to keep pace with the lights. She crossed 3000 in 9:00.2 and 3200 in 9:36.5, with Kosgei, Halladay-Lowry, Olemomoi, Kennedy, Nichols and Scrimgeour bunched behind.
With 800 to go, Kosgei and Halladay-Lowry increased the tempo and went by Hedengren. Then Halladay-Lowry moved to the lead with 500 to go.
At the bell, it was Halladay-Lowry a step ahead of Kosgei, followed by Hedengren 5 meters back, all of them clear of the pacing lights.
Halladay-Lowry maintained her advantage down the backstraight and with 200 left had Kosgei on her shoulder. Halladay-Lowry entered the homestretch leading, but Kosgei blasted past with 40 meters to go to win in 14:52.45, a breath ahead of Halladay-Lowry’s 14:52.93. The times moved to them Nos. 2 and 5 on the Collegiate all-time list.
Hedengren followed with her record 14:57.93, a time that, were she a collegian, would have made her No. 7 on that compilation.
Already a champion, but always a competitor, Hedengren confessed, “I wanted to compete to the best of my ability. I don’t get this opportunity very often.”
After waking up with a scratchy throat, T&FN’s High School Girls Indoor Athlete Of The Year summed up her record-setting week: “It was just a great opportunity to be out here and I’m so glad that my body was able to pull through and I was able to feel decent today.”
Knowing that she will be a huge part of the Cougar program next year, she affirmed, “I’m so excited for BYU. They’re just such great women. I’m excited to build my relationships on that team.”
The 5000 fireworks were complimented by fast times in other events, beginning with Oklahoma frosh Leah Jeruto taking the steeple in 9:34.71 over the 9:32.62 from West Virginia’s Sarah Tait. Mountaineers senior Tait returned later to take the Invite section of the 1500 in 4:12.66.
In the Elite 1500, Washington junior Chloe Foerster used a 62.75 final circuit to outkick Northern Arizona’s Maggi Congdon 4:05.75–4:07.23. Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan finished 3rd in 4:08.69.
CLAY WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(1.9): 1. *Lauren Jarrett (WiLC) 11.23.
800: 1. Michaela Rose (LSU) 2:00.22; 2. Maggi Congdon (NnAz) 2:00.27; 3. Sophie O’Sullivan’ (Wa-Ire) 2:00.61; 4. *Juliette Whittaker (Stan) 2:00.76; 5. Laura Pellicoro’ (Port-Ita) 2:01.19.
1500: 1. *Chloe Foerster (Wa) 4:05.75 (5, 6 C); 2. Maggi Congdon (NnAz) 4:07.23 (9, x AmC);
3. O’Sullivan 4:08.69; 4. Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 4:09.80; 5. Val Constein (Nik) 4:10.22; 6. Rose 4:10.38; 7. Lorena Rangel Batres’ (Mex) 4:10.40; 8. Laura Pellicoro’ (Port-Ita) 4:10.49; 9. Skylyn Webb (Sauc) 4:11.94.
St: 1. ***Leah Jeruto’ (Ok-Ken) 9:34.71; 2. Sarah Tait’ (WV-GB) 9:37.62; 3. Ankita Dhiyani’ (Ind) 9:42.34; 4. Colett Rampf Cribbs (USAr) 9:42.81; 5. **Karrie Baloga (NnAz) 9:44.09; 6. Rachel Anderson (MnDE) 9:45.08; 7. Ava O’Connor’ (Adams-Ire) 9:46.22; 8. **Taylor Lovell (BYU) 9:46.86.
5000: I–1. ***Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 14:52.45 (2, 2 C); 2. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 14:52.93 (5, 6 C);
3. Jane Hedengren (UtHS) 14:57.93 AJR, HSR (old records 15:13.26i Hedengren ‘25)
(36.64, 70.79 [1:47.43], 72.31 [2:59.74], 72.04 [4:11.78], 72.00 [5:23.78], 71.99 [6:35.77], 72.34 [7:48.11], 72.05 [9:00.16], 72.51 [10:12.67], 72.22 [11:24.89], 72.21 [12:37.10], 70.46 [13:47.56], 70.37) (9:00.2 at 3000 [2, 2 HS]);
4. *Hilda Olemomoi’ (Fl-Ken) 15:04.65;
5. Chloe Scrimgeour (Gtn) 15:05.40 (9, x C);
6. **Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 15:11.12; 7. Katherine Wasserman (NAzE) 15:13.77; 8. Abigail Nichols (NAzE) 15:18.87; 9. *Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 15:23.88.
10,000: 1. *Jenna Hutchins (BYU) 32:22.98; 2. Dana Klein (unat) 32:42.36; 3. Viviana Aroche’ (Gua) 32:45.91; 4. Eva Jess (Tx) 32:50.28.
100H(-0.7): 1. Maja Maunsbach’ (Mn-Swe) 13.34.
400H: 1. Yara Samantha Amador’ (Mex) 57.20.
4 x 100: 1. Puerto Rico’ 44.54.
4 x 400: 1. Northwest Missouri 3:37.19.
LJ: 1. Synclair Savage (Louis) 21-1¼ (6.43).
TJ: 1. *Brooke Moore (Mn) 42-2 (12.85).
SP: 1. *Hannah Richardson (Azusa) 54-9½ (16.70).
