How BYU's record-breaking freshman Jane Hedengren has captured national attention

track and field,jane hedengren,cross country,Featured - Sports

Jayden Barney

March 23, 01:05 PM March 24, 03:18 PM

It's hard not to bring up Jane Hedengren when talking about collegiate running.

The 19-year-old BYU freshman from Provo has set the bar high for runners nationwide. She holds multiple national titles, records and awards. She most recently won the NCAA 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter indoor championship titles.

"This year has been really cool with the addition of Jane Hedengren. She's leveling us up even more," said assistant coach Ryan Waite.

During the 2025 cross country season, she claimed the Big 12 championship record in the 6,000-meters with an 18:29.60 and placed second in the NCAA championship.

Her performance helped the team take first in the NCAA championship. She was named Big 12 Women's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year and Runner of the Year.

She began the indoor track season, breaking the NCAA indoor women's 5,000-meter record with a time of 14:44.79. She claimed the 2026 Big 12 championship title in the indoor 3,000-meter and was runner-up in the indoor mile.

She won the NCAA indoor championship titles for the 3,000-meter with an 8:36.11 and the 5,000-meter with a 15:00.12. She was named Big 12 Women's Outstanding Freshman of the Year and USTFCCA Mountain Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year.

"I don't think there's anything that brings more joy to her than being out there on the track, being out there on the roads, training and working hard," said Jane Hedengren's father, John Hedengren.

BEFORE BYU

Jane Hedengren's performance started to gain national attention her sophomore year of high school, after she won the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational in 2023 with a time of 4:35.

Among many recognitions, Jane Hedengren was the 2024 Nike Cross Nationals champion, 2024-2025 Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year and the 2025 Track & Field News High School Girls Athlete of the Year.

Her passion for running started much earlier than high school. When she was in sixth grade, she had the goal to beat the elementary school record.

For John Hedengren, the most exciting race he watched his daughter run was this mile race. He helped his daughter prepare for the race months before.

"Seeing that early on, for me, was exciting. To see that she loved the sport, and she would do something over months of time to prepare for some goal, and then had the mindset and drive to carry through with it," said John Hedengren.

LOOKING FORWARD

The outdoor season began on Saturday at the Utah Tech Invitational. Jane Hedengren will likely compete for championship titles later in the season at the Big 12 Championships on May 14-16 and the NCAA Championships on June 10-13.

Hedengren will also be running at the Robison Invitational on BYU campus April 29-May 2.

BYU's Jane Hedengren takes 1st place at NCAA 5000m championship

jane hedengren,byu womens track and field

Zach Hansen

March 13, 08:56 PM March 13, 08:58 PM

BYU star Jane Hedengren continued to add her name to the record books with another incredible performance in the NCAA women's track and field 5000m championships.

The Cougar freshman has performed at an unprecedented level since the beginning of the season, adding her name to both BYU and NCAA record books almost every meet.

Hedengren took first place in the 5,000m just beating out Doris Lemngole, one of the best NCAA womens track and field athletes, and a pseudo rival of Hedengren.

The Cougar freshman has had a eye-catching first year with the program, but she isn't satisfied with what she's already done.

It was discouraging not closing the way I wanted to, Hedengren said in an interview with the LetsRun Youtube channel after the meet. So today we [were] really focused on running relaxed.

Hedengren secured a time of 15:00.12, just beating Lemngole with a time of 15:03.42. This was a much-needed victory in the rivalry for the BYU freshman after coming in second to Lemngole in the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

It feels really special to be here with my team, Hedengren said to LetsRun. Im continuing to learn, theres so much to learn having some great people around me.

Hedengrens dominance makes it easy to forget that one year ago she was a senior at Timpview High School, showing just how much time she still has left to break collegiate records.

The freshman has had the chance to compete at multiple high level competitions in her first year at BYU, including the Big 12 cross country championships.

Hedengren looked calm and composed in her final lap for BYU, smiling once she knew she had finally created separation.

Hedengren also was awarded with the Big 12 women's Outstanding Freshman of the Year honor, highlighting her incredible first season.

Along with these Big 12 honors, Hedengren is also on the Bowerman Watchlist, highlighting the best collegiate women's track and field athletes across the country.

Hedengren will have the chance to break more records at the NCAA women's track and field championships before preparing for the outdoor track and field season, continuing her stellar season.

BYU track and field announces 2026 outdoor season schedule

track and field,james corrigan,jane hedengren,men's track and field,women's track and field

Jayden Barney

February 13, 12:35 PM February 13, 12:35 PM

BYU men's and women's track and field announced its schedule for the 2026 outdoor season on Thursday.

The Cougars are scheduled to perform at 13 different meets spanning from California to Arkansas and in Utah County.

Some notable meets close to home are the Utah Tech Invitational on March 21, the UVU Collegiate Invitational on March 26, the Weber State Spring Open on April 10, and the Robison Invitational taking place on BYU campus from April 29-May 2.

Later in the season, the Cougars will compete in the Big 12 Championships in Tucson, Arizona, on May 14-16. They will then head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the NCAA West Regionals on May 27-30. The season will end with the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13.

In the 2025 Outdoor Season, BYU sent 20 athletes to the NCAA National Championships. BYU runner and Olympian James Corrigan, who took first place in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:16.41, will return for his senior season.

Freshman star Jane Hedengren will also be continuing her hot streak into the outdoor season. Hedengren has already set the bar high, breaking the NCAA indoor women's 5000-meter record in December 2025 with a time of 14:44.79. She broke the NCAA No. 2 all-time record in the 3000-meter on Feb. 1 with a time of 8:34.98.

The full 2026 outdoor schedule can be found at byucougars.com.

Previewing the busy two-event weekend for the BYU womens track and field team

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Zach Hansen

February 13, 12:13 PM February 13, 12:33 PM

The BYU womens indoor track and field team is set for another busy weekend with the Don Kirby Invitational and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational both approaching.

The main distance runners on the womens team will be in Boston with coach Dijeet Taylor attending the prestigious meet.

This is the last set of meets for the Cougars before they head to Lubbock, Texas for the Big 12 Championships.

So far this season

BYU has had an impressive indoor track and field season thus far, especially from standout freshman Jane Hedengren who continues to set both BYU and NCAA records.

Hedengren recently competed at the Nike Track and Field Center in New York City and set the school record and No. 2 all-time NCAA time for the 3000 meter.

Hedengren continued to show why she is one of the top rising track and field stars with her performances this season, along with building an intriguing rivalry with Alabama star Doris Lemngole.

Hedengren will be competing at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, often considered one of the most noteworthy events for top track and field athletes across the country and professionally.

Along with Hedengren, the Cougars have had impressive performances from multiple athletes in the last few weeks.

BYU junior Jenna Hutchins notched the fourth best time in the 3000 meter for a Cougar earlier this season at the John Thomas Terrier Classic.

Standout performances also included Tessa Buswell securing the fourth best all-time time in the BYU 800 meter as well as Jacey Harkins-Farmer getting the seventh best 3000 meter time in BYU history.

Junior sprinter Paje Rasmussen also set a record for the No. 3 best time in the 200 meter, showing just how talented this BYU womens track and field roster is.

This BYU womens track and field team has the potential to be a special group, with an incredible mix of experience and young talent, like Hedengren.

Many of these Cougar athletes have the chance to continue to break records in the Big 12 Championship as well as the outdoor season, but it all starts this weekend with these two major events.

BYU freshman Jane Hedengren sets a school record, puts her name in the NCAA history books

jane hedengren,byu women track and field

Zach Hansen

February 03, 03:00 PM February 03, 03:02 PM

It was another impressive weekend for the BYU womens track and field freshman superstar Jane Hedengren.

Hedengren competed in the womens track and field 3000m where she placed third, but set the second best time in NCAA history for an American college athlete just behind Doris Lemngole.

Hedengren competed in the Millrose Games held at the Nike Track & Field Center in New York City along with some of the best professional, collegiate, and international track and field athletes.

This is not the first time that Hedengren and Lemngole have competed against each other, with Lemngole also winning the one on one in the 2025 cross country championship.

Lemngole is a 23 year old Kenyan and Junior at the University of Alabama, and won the Bowerman award in 2025 for top womens track and field athlete in the country.

Im just going to keep learning. This is a fantastic opportunity, Hedengren said to the LetsRundotcom Youtube channel after the race. [I] wanted to represent BYU well.

Hedengren has done quite a good job of representing BYU well in her first season with the Cougars.

In her short time with the Cougars she has also set the NCAA record for the fastest 5000m, which was held by Doris Lemngole.

These two track and field stars have the chance to build one of the best rivalries in the country, constantly trying to one-up the other.

Just continue to build with my team, Hedengren said. To just enjoy it, its so fun to be a collegiate [athlete], to balance school and running just learning as I go.

BYU women's track and field starts season fast with no signs of slowing down

women's track and field,jane hedengren

Jayden Barney

January 29, 11:13 AM January 29, 11:17 AM

The BYU women's indoor track and field team has started the 2025-2026 season breaking multiple NCAA records.

On Dec. 6, BYU's star freshman Jane Hedengren broke the NCAA 5000-meter record at the season opener in Boston, Mass. She was placed on the Bowerman Preseason watchlist, ranking among the top 10 collegiate athletes in track and field.

Hedengren became the first women collegiate athlete to run the 5000-meter race under 14:50, finishing with a time of 14:44.79. She ran at a pace of approximately 4:45 per mile.

Just days later on Dec. 10-11, BYU hosted a home track meet at the Smith Fieldhouse. Senior Zoey Bonds won the Pentathlon, winning three of the five events in 60-meter hurdles, high jump and long jump.

Bonds has been on a hot streak, setting a meet record at the Penn Elite on January 24 in the 60m hurdles.

The Weber State Indoor Invitational was held on Jan. 9-10. BYU's junior sprinter Paje Rasmussen broke a facility record, running the 55-meter dash in a lightning 6.85 seconds. She beat coach Tiffany Hogan's facility record by 0.05 seconds. She now holds the No. 2 record in program history.

Rasmussen also set two meet records at the Penn Elite in the 60m Dash with a and the 200m with a time of 23.71.

Rasmussen has also competed with the 4x400m relay team that broke a facility record at Weber State with a 3:46.54 and a set a meet record at the Penn Elite with a 3:37.64.

Moving forward, the team will compete at four meets before heading to the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, Texas. This week the Cougars will head back to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic and to Logan for the Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Invitational.

The Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational will be held in Boston will take place on Feb. 13-14.