Relying on triathlon background, Sievers looks to build on breakthrough track campaign, highlighted by strong efforts at Nike Outdoor Nationals to challenge for cross country state title and develop into one of country’s top competitors

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Jaci Sievers has never really been interested in doing the bare minimum.

The rising senior from Elkhorn South High in Omaha, Neb., grew up playing multiple sports, but it wasn’t until her parents noticed a sign at their local gym for triathlons. The idea of a multi-sport race, including swimming, biking and running, sparked an interest.

“I started at 8 years old, and I really enjoyed them,” Sievers said of trialtons. “But running was always my favorite part.”

Nearly a decade later, Sievers has placed her sole focus on the craft of running, developing into one of the most versatile distance runners, not only in the Midwest, but nationally.

This past summer at Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., she was one of just three girls to place in the top 10 in the finals of both the mile (4:51.04) and 2-mile (10:22.18), challenging all-time state marks in both events.

Sievers heads into the fall with sights set on winning her first state cross country title and advancing to a national meet.

“I think she loves to compete,” Elkhorn South head coach Tim Ebers said. “That goes a long way when you step on the line and you’re not too fixed on where I place; that’s huge.”

Sievers’ path to distance running started because of triathlons. She knew in middle school that she wanted to expand her running and join the track team.

Until last year, Sievers juggled both running and triathlons.

She competed for the Z3 High Performance Triathlon Team based out of Des Moines, Iowa, traveling across the United States for competitions. In July 2021, she placed 18th at the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Championships in 1:06:15.

With her senior year approaching, she made the decision to dedicate more time and energy to running, after finishing the 2021 season ranked 14th overall for junior elite triathlon competitors.

“When I decided to focus more on running, I knew I wanted to take it more seriously, and I knew I’m getting closer to graduating high school and I want to do this at the next level in college, so I’m definitely going to have to step my game up a little bit,” Sievers said. “So I just started taking training a lot more seriously.”

Sievers’ improvements from her sophomore to junior years were eye-catching.

As a sophomore in 2020, she finished seventh (19:06.6) in the Class A state cross country championship meet. Last year, she won the metro championship and district title, prevailing by the widest margin of victory at 62 seconds.

Sievers placed second at the state meet to Fremont senior Elli Dahl, now at the University of Nebraska, clocking 18:27.50. She just missed qualifying for the Eastbay Championships, placing 11th at the Midwest Regionals in Wisconsin, running a personal-best 5-kilometer effort of 17:40.5.

“She’s a champion of the little things,” Ebers said. “She does lifting, she does band work, she takes care of her body, and has a great mindset. We just stress the process, and she’s such a mature kid, it’s been fun to see her really progress in this last year.”

For Sievers, giving up one of her first loves wasn’t an easy choice, but one that has paid off, clearing a path for her running to take off. 

“It was hard to give it up, just because it was a big part of my life for so long, but I’m happy to have made the decision. I was a little tired of getting in the pool early every day. I definitely don’t miss that,” she said with a laugh.

Sievers still swims, with her triathlon background playing a pivotal role in her development as a runner.

The versatile endurance work of swimming and biking has allowed her to flourish as a middle-distance athlete.

Ebers calls her one of the strongest runners he’s ever had. Sievers participated in draft legal triathlons —  a style of racing that allows athletes to draft off each other by riding closer to one another on the bike leg of the triathlon, but is a little more high risk.

“I definitely think the endurance and just the mental side has helped, because those races can be very nerve-racking,” Sievers said, “There's definitely a lot that can go wrong, crashes and lot of crazy things that can happen, so the stress of that was stressful, but I think it taught me a lot of how to go through difficult situations and now I can transfer that to cross country and track. Even though there’s not too many things like that that can go wrong, it helps me to keep a positive attitude during races.”

Sievers carried that confidence and the momentum of a breakout cross country season over to the track during the spring. In March, she ran a then personal-best 4:57.86 in the mile at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet in New York.

During the outdoor season, she lowered her 1,600 (4:51.67) and 3,200 (10:27.74) times drastically as she won Class A state titles.

Ebers said Sievers’ all-in attitude has also allowed her to continually progress. He pinpoints the state meet last May when she made the decision to triple at the state meet – running the 1,600, 3,200 and 4x800 relay to help her team.

“She said, ‘Hey that sounds good, let’s go for it,’” Ebers said. “I think that type of mindset has allowed her to continuously improve.”

Sievers wrapped up her track season in June in Oregon, producing personal-best times in the mile and 2-mile. She ended the season ranked No. 20 nationally in the 2-mile (10:22.18), including eighth overall among juniors.

“It was definitely super fun,” Sievers said of the experience of competing at Hayward Field. “I think the atmosphere added a lot to the experience when you get to Hayward. It’s crazy, especially being from Nebraska, it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

Although Sievers’ personality can be described as laid-back, and even a little shy at first, she’s ready to embrace the spotlight and continue to progress into her final year of prep competition.

“I think she just has a really high ceiling,” Ebers said. “We’ll continue to work to get better every day and fine tune some things, and add a little bit more to her workload. I’m excited to see what she can do, and help her along the way to be the best she can be.”