When it comes to women’s distance running, two names have set the gold standard: Katelyn Tuohy and Parker Valby. Tuohy, with multiple NCAA records indoors and outdoors, and Valby, a five-time NCAA champion and SEC Female Athlete of the Year, have redefined excellence on the track. Together, they’ve become the faces of a new era in American distance running. But just as their reign seemed untouchable, a new contender has burst onto the scene, threatening to shake up their dominance and rewrite the narrative.

Enter 19-year-old Jane Hedengren, the prodigy who’s rewriting the rules of distance running on her own terms. “She has done everything to prove she’s the best at every distance,” said Timpview High School track coach Jaimie Ribera about Hedengren. When she shattered the national high school records in both the 5,000 meters (14:57.93) and the mile (4:23.50), the track and field world, and her rivals, knew they were witnessing something special. And it’s not just her competitors who felt the tremors; track insider Coach Rob believes Hedengren is here to rock the floor.

Talking about Katelyn Tuohy and Parker Valby, Rob explained that their era has been nearing its end. Jane Hedengren is already knocking on the door. Indeed, she hasn’t claimed major titles yet, but after smashing Tuohy’s high school records, the potential is impossible to ignore. Caitlyn Tuohy certainly dominated most of her career, but in her freshman year, things were difficult for her. “But her freshman year in college, she didn’t look like this. She wasn’t dominating out of the gate in cross country—she just wasn’t,” said Coach Rob.

Now comes Parker Valby, who has been known for steady evolution. In her first cross-country season, she was competitive and finished in the NCAA top 30, but she wasn’t a clear favorite at all. However, by the second year, she was dominating the tracks, even challenging Caitlyn Tuohy directly, often finishing one-two with her and taking track titles Tuohy didn’t win. The very next season, Valby appeared unstoppable, winning race after race, but she needed momentum to reach that level; this was not the case for Hedengren.

Talking about Hedengren’s performance, Coach Rob explained, “So, this is why this race, this first race of the Jane Hedengren era, was so intriguing. I mean, that’s what I’m expecting it to become. The first race—it was just not what I expected out of the gate, because we’ve seen phenoms in the past, like the other women who held the records. Coming out of her junior season, she might be one of those truly elite prospects.”

On October 16, Jane Hedengren made a statement in her NCAA cross-country debut, dominating the Pre-National Invitational at Gans Creek with a blistering 6K performance that left her competition in the dust. As her career is just starting, Jane is already making a name for herself, but what’s next? Well, her team has a proper roadmap for her.

Jane Hedengren is coming to break Parker Valby and Katelyn Tuohy’s records

Back in September, Nike released a six-minute feature spotlighting BYU freshman Jane Hedengren, offering glimpses into her journey through interviews with her, her parents, and her former coach, Jaimie Ribera. Speaking about the video, Jane said, “This is such a gift, and I just want to see how far I can take it.” Her father, John, recalled discovering her talent back when she was in the sixth grade, “You see a kid going after a big goal, a big dream. Even though she got discouraged, she got back up,” he said.

Ribera echoed the sentiment, adding, “She has done everything she needed to do to prove she is the best at every distance.” This 2025 season has been really remarkable for her, earning titles like the 2025 Deseret News Female Athlete of the Year, Gatorade National Girls Track and Field and Cross Country Player of the Year, and the ESPY for Female High School Player of the Year.

“It means a lot,” she told the Deseret News after her ESPY win. “I think, coming into this year, there’s a lot more that happened than I initially had anticipated, and so I was just really grateful that I was able to stay healthy and work hard and enjoy the process and kind of see what was capable for this year.” Well, with her NCAA debut behind her, Hedengren’s rise is just beginning. Regardless, what is your opinion about her? State your thoughts in the comments below.