* Jenna Hutchins broke the national record at the 2020 RunningLane Cross Country Championships
Photo Credit: MileSplit Alabama
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Over the last few years, the RunningLane Cross Country Championships have seen some of the fastest all-time performances, including both high school national records. Not only are times fast at the top, but athletes from top to bottom exceed their expectations and leave Huntsville, Ala. on a high note.
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Following Nike's decision to cancel Nike Cross Nationals in both 2020 and 2021, the team at RunningLane stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.
In 2020, the inaugural championship meet saw 848 athletes travel down to Huntsville, Ala. for a chance to end the year with a PR, and that's exactly what went down.
On the boy's side, Cherry Creek (Colo.) legend and NCAA champion Parker Wolfe broke the tape in 14:26.94, the No. 13 in prep history at the time, with 31 more boys breaking 15:00, and another 121 dipping under 16:00
However, the story of the first edition of the championship meet was far and away Jenna Hutchins, the Science Hill (Tenn.) standout who became the first high school girl to ever break 16:00, running 15:58.42 to cap off her undefeated season.
The following year, the meet had evolved into the biggest championship meet in the country, with entries seeing a 133% increase, nearly eclipsing 2000 athletes.
The meet also expanded from three total races to seven, adding the Boy's Blue and Bronze divisions, as well as the Girl's Silver and Bronze.
Even with the meet expanding, all eyes remained on both Gold divisions as the Newbury Park (Calif.) boys and Flower Mound's (Texas) Natalie Cook made the trip down to 'PR'ville'.
Though Cook didn't break 16:00 like Hutchins did the year prior, the senior still ran the No. 2 mark in history at the time (now No. 3), clocking 16:03.93 as 20 total girls broke 17:00, and over 100 went below 18:00. High school stars and current collegiate standouts were scattered throughout the results, including Riley Stewart (Stanford), Chloe Foerster (Washington), and Grace Hartman (NC State).
However, by far the most notable race in meet and high school history was the one that followed, the Boys Gold.
Photo Credit: Bobby Reyes/MileSplit Colorado
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The field that stepped up to the line that misty day was arguably the fastest ever assembled. Anyone who was anyone in the distance running scene was on that starting line, including Newbury Park (Calif.). The Panthers weren't good or great, they were legendary.
After the gun went off, the only thing you could see was a collection of four checkered-blue singlets leading the charge from the get-go. Colin Sahlman, Leo Young, and Lex Young went on to finish 1-2-3, running 14:03.29, 14:05:07, and 14:05.49, the three fastest times in prep history. Aaron Sahlman finished sixth in 14:14.38.
Not only did the trio break Dathan Ritzenhein's 21-year-old record, they all bested it by more than five seconds. Niwot's (Colo.) Zane Bergen even joined in on the fun, running 14:09.91 to put four boys under the record.
In the end, Newbury Park cemented itself as the dynasty of all dynasties, and they did it at RunningLane.
After the dust settled, 72 total boys had broken 15:00, and 194 more broke 16:00.
In the two years following the record-breaking performances, the RunningLane Cross Country Championships have seen hundreds of teams and over 4500 athletes compete, even adding more high school divisions and a community race to the festivities.
In less than two months, the fifth edition of the RunningLane Cross Country Championships will bring thousands of athletes back to John Hunt Cross Country Park, all ready to chase fast times and end their season with a bang.