Jane Hedengren Wins NCAA Cross-Country Regional Title
Jane Hedengren, a freshman runner for Brigham Young University (BYU), clinched the first position at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championship held in Salt Lake City on Friday. Competing in the women’s 6,000-meter race, Hedengren finished with an impressive time of 19:06.6, surpassing her closest competitor by nearly 42 seconds.
Women’s Race Overview
The runner-up of the race was New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei, who clocked in at 19:48.7. BYU’s Riley Chamberlain secured the third spot with a time of 19:52.8. This strong performance highlights BYU’s overall strength, as the team finished second in the competition, just two points behind New Mexico.
Team Performance and Coach’s Insights
BYU’s head coach, Diljeet Taylor, expressed satisfaction with the performances, noting that she gained valuable insights that will inform her choices for the seven women who will compete at the national championships next week. The competition saw six BYU runners finishing within the top 20, bolstering their team performance.
- Jane Hedengren: 1st place, 19:06.6
- Riley Chamberlain: 3rd place, 19:52.8
- Taylor Rohatinsky: 9th place
- Carmen Alder: 16th place
- Lexi Goff: 18th place
- Zariel Macchia: 19th place
Upcoming Nationals and Strategic Plans
With the national championships approaching on November 22 in Missouri, the team is focusing on a strategic plan to optimize their performance. According to Coach Taylor, the plan for Hedengren includes a careful approach for the initial 2K, allowing her to manage her energy effectively.
Additional Context on Hedengren’s Performance
This race marked Hedengren’s third outing in her collegiate career. In her debut at the Pre-National Invitational, she set a course record, followed by a dominant performance that led BYU to secure a third consecutive Big 12 championship, where she also broke the conference record for the 6,000 meters.
Coach Taylor proudly described Hedengren as a “Jane-rational talent,” illustrating her exceptional skills and consistent performance. Her accomplishments thus far set a promising stage for the upcoming national competition.
Other Historical Context
In the team standings among other Utah programs, the University of Utah placed fifth, while Utah State, Utah Valley, Weber State, and Southern Utah finished seventh, ninth, thirteenth, and seventeenth, respectively. The BYU men’s team also delivered solid results, finishing second overall, with top individual finishes from Tayvon Kitchen and Davin Thompson.
- Tayvon Kitchen: 5th place, 30:09.6
- Davin Thompson: 6th place, 30:09.7
This achievement has secured spots for both the BYU men’s and women’s teams at the upcoming national championships, underscoring the strong cross-country tradition at BYU and the promising future of its athletes.
