Hedengren, a junior at Timpview High in Utah, edges Boerne Champion of Texas sophomore Leachman by 15:32.5 to 15:32.6 margin in Bob Day girls sweepstakes race for top two 3-mile cross country efforts in U.S. prep history; Race highlighted by records with five athletes under 15:50 and nine sub-16 marks

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ken Martinez

IRVINE, Calif. – Jane Hedengren didn’t even know if a recent illness would allow her to make it to the starting line for the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race at the 42nd Woodbridge Cross Country Classic presented by ASICS America.

Elizabeth Leachman wondered if enduring a side stitch in the middle of Saturday night’s competition would compromise her pursuit of the finish line at Orange County Great Park.

Despite the challenges, both competitors and Nike Elite Camp members wound up relying on each other during the final mile to produce the fastest 3-mile girls cross country race in U.S. prep history.

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

As the athletes battled with each step during the final 50 meters, Hedengren – a junior at Timpview High in Utah – relied on her long stride to emerge victorious against Boerne Champion of Texas sophomore Leachman by the narrowest of margins in one of the meet’s all-time classic conclusions.

Hedengren prevailed in 15 minutes, 32.5 seconds, just ahead of Leachman in 15:32.6, the top two all-time U.S. high school 3-mile cross country performances.

Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura High in California, who had produced the U.S. prep standard of 15:42.6 to win last year’s sweepstakes race, significantly lowered her own all-time effort and took third in 15:37.4.

Rylee Blade, a junior at Corona Santiago High in California, finished fourth in 15:42.0, as the race showcased the top four all-time female 3-mile cross country efforts by U.S. prep competitors.

Hanne Thomsen, a junior at Santa Rosa Montgomery in California, was fifth in 15:48.0.

All of the top five sweepstakes finishers are still eligible to return to Woodbridge next year.

Prior to Saturday, only Engelhardt and former Mira Costa of California standout Dalia Frias – the 2021 sweepstakes winner in 15:43.5 at SilverLakes Sports Complex – had eclipsed the 15:50 barrier on any of the Woodbridge courses in meet history.

Only 10 female competitors had celebrated sub-16 efforts at Woodbridge before Saturday’s race, but that total nearly doubled with a record nine athletes achieving the feat.

Engelhardt became the only female performer in meet history to achieve a pair of sub-16 performances.

Bethany Michalak of Air Academy produced the fastest performance by a Colorado girls competitor at Woodbridge, securing sixth in 15:52.2, taking down the 2016 mark of 15:53.6 established by former Nike Cross Nationals champion Brie Oakley of Grandview.

Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley High finished seventh in 15:56.8, becoming the fastest Oregon female athlete ever to compete at Woodbridge, smashing the 2019 performance of 16:33.6 by Sunset’s Lucy Huelskamp at SilverLakes Sports Complex.

Chiara Dailey of La Jolla earned eighth in 15:58.6, the best mark achieved by a San Diego Section female athlete in meet history.

Holly Barker of Trabuco Hills High in California, a Laguna Hills transfer, added to her Woodbridge resume by taking ninth in 15:59.6. Barker boasts the fastest opening-night performance in meet history with her 16:27.4 effort from 2021 at SilverLakes Sports Complex.

Molly Farrell of Marshall High became the first female athlete from Illinois to achieve a sub-17 performance at Woodbridge, taking 34th in 16:50.0.

Abigail Errington, a junior at South Pasadena High in California, won the girls varsity rated race in 16:45.2, the only sub-17 effort in the race.

Gweneth Williams of El Toro was the top freshman overall at the meet, running 17:06.7 to take third in the rated race, ahead of Mariah Hook from Air Academy and her 17:10.6 effort in the sweepstakes competition.