Sophomore Runs Meet Record 4:35.69 By 'Just Going For It' With Exciting Kick

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Howard Lao Photo

Jane Hedengren’s goal coming into the Brooks PR Invitational had nothing to do with placement. The sophomore’s distance runner’s focus was making sure at the end of the four-lap race, she had given her all. 

“My goal is make it hard for myself,” Hedengren said. “Keep the effort there and whatever the result came out, if I gave it, I was happy with my placement.”

On Wednesday afternoon at Renton Stadium (Renton, Wash.) Hedengren had reason to celebrate.

She crossed the line not only in first place but a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 35.69 seconds to win the girls mile title. Hedengren’s time broke the meet record of 4:36.24 that was established in 2022 by Juliette Whittaker, now at Stanford. 

Coming into a field featuring 4:37 miler Tatum David (Richland County of Olney, Ill.) and New York State champion Karrie Baloga of Cornwall Central, a Colorado commit, the sophomore Hedengren never counted herself out with her 4:41.08 PR mile.

From Timpview High (Provo, Utah), Hedengren, with her tall frame, asserted herself to the front pack and made sure she stuck with the leaders, never wavering.

With David, junior Bethany Michalak of Air Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Baloga all in the mix, Hedengren made her move on the backstretch. 

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“I was trying to get around with 240 meters to go and I was trying to get on the inside and I couldn’t do anything, so I had to go on the outside,” she said. “But I knew, I knew I had something left, I was feeling really good. So, with 150, I just tried to make a move, and I was like, ‘OK, just kick it in, do the best you can, that’s the only thing that stays in your control, is how you can perform that last 100, and how you manage to separate. (So) I was just really going for it.” 

Hedengren kicked it into overdrive and took the lead down the stretch holding off David to win the race in a US#1 mile time and No. 8 all-time.

David was right behind in PR of 4:35.87, No. 9 all-time, while Michalak was third in 4:37.39. All three also ran state records in the progress. 

The second, third and fourth finishers ran the fastest for place of any high school meet in history.

“I had big goals, I’m ambitious,” Hedengren said, who ran a six-second PR. “I’m just glad I could follow through with that result, just really kick it in the last 400 and stay attached to the group.”

Baloga was fourth in 4:37.52, while Jessie Secor of Louisville, Ky. was fifth in state-record 4:42.17.

Seven runners clocked under 4:45, after eight athletes achieved the feat in last year's race, which was the deepest girls mile competition in U.S. prep history.