Hedengren Runs Seventh-Fastest HS Time At LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course, Bowen Fifth-Fastest; Bloomington North IN Boys, Carmel IN Girls Make It An Indiana Team Sweep

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photos by Bobby Goddin

RESULTS | RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Doctors are still trying to figure out what exactly is wrong with Jane Hedengren.

On an Indiana autumn Saturday in which leaves were turning colors, she gave them something else to ponder after she turned in an historic cross country performance.

The Timpview UT senior won in a runaway in the girls Race of Champions in the Nike XC Town Twilight meet. Her 5,000-meter time of 16 minutes. 50.63 seconds was seventh-fastest ever on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course.

Libby Dowty of Indian Creek IN was second in 17:00.79, a record for an Indiana girl. Abby Faith Cheeseman of The Webb TN was third in 17:13.22 and sophomore Isabella Keller of Effingham St. Anthony IL fourth in 17:15.33.

Hedengren suggested she has latent effects of a summer illness, prompting tests on her red and white blood cell counts. In a recent workout in which she was supposed to run 5:35 pace, she said, a 6-minute pace caused her pulse rate to climb to 193.

“I think it will all work out,” she said. “We just don’t know what it is right now.”

Thus it was incongruous to see absence of strain as she blew through the opening downhill mile in 5:17. She never relented on a course that features a 500-meter uphill grade to the finish line.

Something about the Hoosier state served as an elixir.

“I actually have loved Indiana. It’s, like, a very cute state,” Hedengren said. “I love this race. Great environment, amazing course.

“I was actually thinking about that while I was running today. The course is just so historic, the amount of amazing athletes who have run here before me. I was just so inspired, running here.”

The high school course record is 16:31.1 by Rachel Forsyth of Ann Arbor MI at last year's NXR Midwest. And those winning NCAA titles here include two Olympic medalists, Shalane Flanagan and Sally Kipyego.

Hedengren was second in the Brooks PR 2-mile last June in 9:48.77 – No. 7 on the all-time combined indoor/outdoor high school list. Coincidentally, the BYU recruit should return to Terre Haute for the 2026 NCAA Championships.

Dowty’s time bettered the state record of 17:02.3 by Lily Cridge of Bishop Chatard at the 2022 NXN Midwest Regional. Dowty led through much of the first mile, dropped back and surged at the end. She was fourth at Nike XC Town last year in 17:09.5.

She is to race here again in the state meet Nov. 2 and NXN Midwest Regional Nov. 17.

“I’ve raced a few of these girls at national tournaments, but it was cool seeing them here in Indiana,” said Dowty, who upset Nikki Southerland to win last year’s state title. “Being able to compete against them is an amazing opportunity.”

Also in the top five was Julia Score of Bishop Chatard, fifth in 17:15.94.

Keller is from nearby Effingham, Ill., just 83 miles west. She was third here as a freshman in 17:06.5.

“It’s easy to get caught up with the crowd,” Keller said. “I tried to get out and not get trapped. I was kind of boxed in at the beginning.”

Indiana teams took eight of the top nine spots, led by Carmel, ranked 20th nationally. The Greyhounds scored 172 points off an 11-17-30-31-83 finish. Sadie Foley was their top finisher in 19th in 18:14.24.

Prospect IL was second with 197, Brebeuf Jesuit third with 253, Noblesville fourth with 254 and Columbus North fifth with 257.

Tennessee’s Jack Bowen wins boys race

Jack Bowen of McCallie TN might not have the preseason credentials of his peers. He had the guts, though, and thus the glory. The 392-mile trip from Chattanooga paid dividends.

Bowen ran his first mile in 4:35, built a lead and held on to win in the boys 5K. He finished in 14:41.68, or No. 5 on the all-time course behind four times from the memorable 2022 NXN Midwest Regional.

 In other words, no boy had run this fast this early on this course.

Not something you’d expect from someone whose track credential – if you call it that – is a 4:14.14 at 1,600m. He was second at Tennessee’s state cross country meet last November in 14:52 and has committed to North Carolina.

 "My coach told me he wanted me to push this race. So I pushed it,” Bowen said. “I was definitely feeling it at the end. It was a good effort.”

It was a genuinely national field, featuring runners from nine states among the top 11 finishers.

T.J. Hansen of Freeland MI was second in 14:43.40, Will Sheets of Covington Catholic KY third in 14:44.47 and Ben Crane of New Trier IL fourth in 14:49.62.

Rounding out the top 10 were Alex Bruns, St. Xavier OH, 14:52.03; Dylan Maloney, Plainfield South IL, 14:53.80; Sam Quagliaroli, Fishers IN 14:54.97; Charlie Vause, Rio Rancho NM, 14:59.44; Jackson Nolan,  Evansville Reitz IN, 15:03.03; Evan Noonan, Dana Hills CA, 15:06.06.

Noonan won California’s state 3,200 last May in 8:43.12.

Bowen said he felt himself tightening up at the finish in a bid to hold off Hansen.

“I was like, ‘Man, I’ve come this far. I’m not going to give it up now,’ “ he said.

He said he liked the course – “this is the first time I’ve run pretty much anything like it” – but conceded he wasn’t always sure where he was.

“Which might have helped me, honestly,” Bowen said. “I wasn’t sure how long I had to go. So I kept my head down and kept pushing.”

Hansen, a Colorado recruit, has run a 4:04.28 mile and finished 10th at NXN nationals last year.  He looked hopelessly out of it before closing on Bowen.

“I really honestly found a gear that I’ve never seen myself before the last 400 stretch,” he said.

He called this a “revenge season,” saying he has never trained so long or so hard.

“I just can’t express how bad I want it,” Hansen said. “I plan on winning NXN. That’s my overall goal.”

Indiana teams took the top four places, albeit with jumbled rankings. 

Bloomington North, ranked third in the state, won emphatically with a score of 169 points: 14-17-20-58-60. Caleb Webb was its top finisher, 20th in 15:25.17.

Columbus North, ranked fourth, was second with 219 and top-ranked Brownsburg third with 233. Second-ranked Noblesville finished fourth with 294, the same total as St. Xavier OH.

McCallie was eighth.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.