5. Sadie Engelhardt
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School: Ventura, Calif.
Year: 2025
2023 Notable Finishes: CIF Division 2 XC State Champion, New Balance Nationals Indoor Mile Champion, CIF Division 2 1600m State Champion, New Balance Nationals Outdoor Mile Champion, HOKA Festival of Miles Women's Mile Runner-Up, Brooks PR Invitational 800m Champion,
Analysis: Well we know what she is capable of doing on the track, but how well does that translate to rolling hills and uneven surfaces? The short answer is really well. Engelhardt is coming off another historic track season, one that saw her become the first-ever high school girl to break the 4:30 barrier in the mile, running 4:28.46 to finish runner-up at the HOKA Festival of Miles. The Ventura standout also ran 2:03.48 over 800m, making her the fastest girl in either event in the country.
Last fall, Engelhardt more than held her own against pure long-distance runners, winning a CIF State title and posting a 6-1 record ahead of NXN. She went as fast as 16:39.3 over 5000m, the sixth-fastest time ran in 2023. She finished 26th in her NXN debut, running 18:14 in less-than-ideal conditions.
Only time will tell if Engelhardt can keep up with some of her out-of-state competition, but if she's within striking distance with 400m to go, there is no one faster than her.
College Commitment: North Carolina State University
COROS MILESPLIT50
PRESEASON GIRLS INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKINGS
*Click on the athlete names below for analysis on each
RANK | ATHLETE |
|---|---|
| 25 | Jessica Jazwinski, Hart (Mich.) |
| 24 | Sophia Rodriguez, Mercer Island (Wash.) |
| 23 | Evelyn Prodoehl, Lakota West (Ohio) |
| 22 | Libby Dowty, Indian Creek (Ind.) |
| 21 | Katelyn Rupe, Salina Central (Kan.) |
| 20 | Chloe Huyler, Lakeridge (Ore.) |
| 19 | Macy Wingard, Denton Braswell (Texas) |
| 18 | Paige Sheppard, Union Catholic Reg. (N.J.) |
| 17 | Holly Barker, Trabuco Hills (SS) (Calif.) |
| 16 | Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery (NC) (Calif.) |
| 15 | Chiara Dailey, La Jolla (SD) (Calif.) |
| 14 | Jaelyn Williams, Eastlake (SD) (Calif.) |
| 13 | Isabella Keller, Effingham (St. Anthony) (Ill.) |
| 12 | Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa (Mich.) |
| 11 | Ella Hagen, Summit (Colo.) |
| 10 | Gianna Rahmer, Eldorado (N.M.) |
| 9 | Claire Stegall, Nolensville (Tenn.) |
| 8 | Abby Faith Cheeseman, The Webb School (Tenn.) |
| 7 | Rylee Blade, Santiago Corona (SS) (Calif.) |
| 6 | Zariel Macchia, William Floyd (N.Y.) |
| 5 | Sadie Engelhardt, Ventura (SS) (Calif.) |
| 4 | Emily Wisniewski, Crescent Valley (Ore.) |
| 3 | Jane Hedengren, Timpview (Utah) |
| 2 | Addison Ritzenhein, Niwot (Colo.) |
| 1 | Elizabeth Leachman, Boerne Champion (Texas) |