Utah Standout Wins NXR Southwest By 41 Seconds, Runs 15:50 At Toka Sticks; Herriman Boys, Vista Nation Girls Win Regional; Kaden Evans Runs 14:24

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

See. Jane. Run. 

Wow. 

A year ago, when Jane Hedengren was out with an injury, she could only have dreamed about a day like Saturday. 

At Toka Sticks Golf Course in Mesa, Ariz., the senior running for T-Birds XC ran one of the most exceptional performances in high school girls cross country history. She ran a time of 15:50.0, the fastest recorded time for a high school girl ever on a 5,000-meter course. 

She beat the reigning Nike Cross Nationals champion, Addison Ritzenhein, who was second, by 41 seconds. 

"Race day is a special opportunity to see where you're at, and this was a unique opportunity to compete against some amazing girls," Hedengren said. 

Hedengren will make her first appearance at Nike Cross Nationals and Saturday's performance will mark her as one of the favorites. 

Vista Nation XC Club scored 59 points with its best team performance of the year and will also go to Portland seeking a championship. Keeghan Edwards finished fifth and Claire Guiberson was eighth to lead the way. Perhaps most importantly, Juliet Frum was 13th after placing 52nd in the Colorado state meet. 

The preseason No. 1 will likely go into NXN as the team to beat. 

Ritzenhein of REAL Training ran 16:31.7 for second and another Coloradoan, Delaney Reuter, was third in 16:42.8. 

Ella Hagen from Colorado will return to NXN after finishing fourth in 16:48.6 and Rosie Mucharsky from Angels on Colfax Racing Team (Colorado) got the final individual slot, in sixth, with 16:54.0. 

Defending NXN champion Academy XC of Colorado Springs is also an auto qualifying team after scoring 129 points. Chamorra Cooper finished 10th and Tessa Walter was 18th to lead Academy.

At-large selections are possible for Fossil XC of Colorado and Lone Peak of Utah. 

In the boys race, No. 1 Herriman XC of Utah remained unbeaten in its pursuit of a second Nike Cross Nationals championship. The group scored 74 points to defeat No. 3 REAL Training, which was second with 90. 

Kaden Evans from American Fork XC Club ran conservatively early before joining the lead pack and then hammering to to the lead and putting the field away in the last mile. Evans, who followed former teammate Danny Simmons as a regional champion, ran a winning time of 14:24.3.

American Fork XC Club was third with 122 points and is a leading candidate to lock down an at-large selection. T-ville of Utah was fourth with 223 points and is less certain.

Evans was one of 24 boys who broke 15 minutes on course. 

Kyle Steadman of Mountain View XC Club was three seconds back in second place and will return to NXN, where he was 37th last year.  

Charlie Vause of Rio Rancho XC Club was third in 14:30.1 and will give New Mexico representation at nationals. 

Oliver Horton of Colorado Cougars stepped up with a big performance to get fourth in 14:30.3 and Aiden Le Roux of CO United TC, the early leader in the race, held on for fifth to earn his spot at NXN. 

Herriman went out conservatively and trailed REAL Training by 19 points after the first mile. But the team closed with a rush and Jackson Spencer (seventh), Tayshaun Ogomo (ninth) and Micah Tang (11th) all ran under 14:50.

Quinn Sullivan (12th) and Ryder Keeton (15th) led REAL Training, which won the matchup at No. 5 with Herriman, 29th to 41st.