At this point, no high school distance record is safe with Jane Hedengren on the track. Just four weeks after setting new marks in the ldquo;It was awesome,” Hedengren told, the 18-year-old from Provo, Utah, broke another high school record. This time, it happened in the 2 mile at the Arcadia Invitational in Arcadia, California.
On Saturday, April 12, the Timpview High School senior won the invitational race in 9:34.12, shattering the previous outdoor 2 mile record (9:41.76) set by Allie Zealand last year. She also improved on Mary Cain’s indoor record (9:38.68) set in 2013.
Hedengren broke away early against some of the best prep runners in the country. By the first 400 meters, she was already running solo about 50 meters ahead of the chase pack.
Clocking between 70 and 73 seconds for each 400-meter split, Hedengren blazed through the first mile in 4:46.47. She got into a more consistent rhythm in the last mile with a closing lap of 72 seconds. By the time she reached the finish line, Hedengren was almost 30 seconds ahead of the next closest runner.
“It was awesome,” Hedengren told DyeStat. “You don’t know when you’ll get another chance to do this when you’re feeling healthy and strong. Just trying to soak in this moment and make the most of them.”
Hedengren, who is committed to run for Brigham Young University in the fall, has certainly taken advantage of every opportunity to race this year. Last fall, she set a new course record on the grass while winning Nike Cross Nationals. In February at the Simplot Games, she clocked 9:37.50 in the 3200 meters. At the time, she became the second-fastest athlete Other Hearst Subscriptions.
In March, she reached another level with an incredible double at Nike Indoor Nationals in New York City. Hedengren kicked off the meet with a record-breaking performance in the 5,000 meters, running 15:13.26 to shatter the American junior (U20) record. Races - Places Why Trust Us. Running solo, Hedengren clocked 4:26.14 and took almost two seconds off the previous mark set by Sadie Engelhardt in February.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
