BYU freshman Jane Hedengren showcased her talent at the NCAA Mountain Regional, finishing first with a time of 19:06.6 in Salt Lake City. She beat the runner-up, Pamela Kosgei from New Mexico, by nearly 42 seconds. Teammate Riley Chamberlain secured third place with a time of 19:52.8.
Despite Hedengren’s impressive win, the BYU women’s team finished second overall, just 2 points behind New Mexico. Coach Diljeet Taylor noted the data collected during the race would help decide which seven women would compete at nationals next week.
This race was only Hedengren’s third in college. In her debut, she set a course record at Gans Creek, the site for the upcoming national championship. In her next outing, she led BYU to its third consecutive Big 12 championship, breaking the conference record for the 6,000 meters.
Coach Taylor praised Hedengren, stating she’s a unique talent. “She’s proving that week in, week out,” Taylor said, referring to her outstanding performance.
The team had a strong showing, with six runners finishing in the top 20. Besides Hedengren and Chamberlain, Taylor Rohatinsky (9th), Carmen Alder (16th), Lexi Goff (18th), and Zariel Macchia (19th) contributed to the team’s success.
The University of Utah, Utah State, and Utah Valley all fielded strong teams too. Utah placed fifth, Utah State seventh, and Utah Valley ninth, while Weber State and Southern Utah finished 13th and 17th respectively.
On the men’s side, BYU also performed well, finishing second behind New Mexico. Tayvon Kitchen (30:09.6) and Davin Thompson (30:09.7) were the leading finishers for BYU, finishing just a tenth of a second apart in fifth and sixth places.
Both the BYU men’s and women’s teams qualified automatically for the national championship in Missouri, scheduled for November 22.
This underlines not just individual talent but also the strength of team dynamics at BYU. As the competition heats up, it will be interesting to see how these athletes perform on a national stage.
For further insights into cross-country dynamics and training, check out NCAA’s official site.
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