This is the Jakob moment for women’s NCAA track and field
I would go further and state this is the "Jakob moment" for all of US women's distance running.
A young women with historically supreme fitness -- now with a kick she used with surgical precision to dispatch one of the world's best distance runners.
The US has had several milers with those skills, starting with Mary Decker thru Jenny Simpson on thru today with Nicki Hiltz.
Also in the Steeple with Emma Coburn & (briefly) Courtney Frerichs.
But in the longer distances?
Excluding the 10,000 because we're probably still a couple years out from seeing Jane in that event, Shelby Houlihan's 4th last year in Tokyo was the highest finish ever by a US woman in the 5000. And, it took Shelby several years after moving up from the mile to accomplish that.
Given Jane's long, lean build along with all the aforementioned racing skills, she sure looks to me like she's becoming the American version of Italian Nadia Battocletti -- the only woman on the planet so far who has proven a non-African-born woman can win medals against the East African superstars.
So, yes, very insightful to call this a "Jakob moment." The race where Jane first combined her otherworldly fitness with tactics and a kick to take down one of the world's best distance runners in a championship race.
I'm happy for Jane, but she's not the first US female distance runner to beat strong African competition in the NCAA. In the previous 10-11 years alone, Molly Seidel, Karissa Schweizer, Dani Jones, Katelyn Tuohy, and Parker Valby won NCAA championships in XC, indoors, and outdoors. Four of those five women won the 3k-5k double indoors.
Although US women haven't medaled in the 5k, we've had several do it in the 10k and marathon. Jane is phenomenal, and she might turn out to be the best female 5k and up distance runner the US has ever produced. But let's not forget Deena Kastor, Shalane Flanagan, Lynn Jennings, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and all the other American female greats who paved the way.
And just like that, she evolves again! We hadn't seen a lethal kick from Hedengren until now... Lemngole was absolutely helpless. Hedengren usually looks pretty laid back when she races, but she went full terminator this time!
I would go further and state this is the "Jakob moment" for all of US women's distance running.
A young women with historically supreme fitness -- now with a kick she used with surgical precision to dispatch one of the world's best distance runners.
The US has had several milers with those skills, starting with Mary Decker thru Jenny Simpson on thru today with Nicki Hiltz.
Also in the Steeple with Emma Coburn & (briefly) Courtney Frerichs.
But in the longer distances?
Excluding the 10,000 because we're probably still a couple years out from seeing Jane in that event, Shelby Houlihan's 4th last year in Tokyo was the highest finish ever by a US woman in the 5000. And, it took Shelby several years after moving up from the mile to accomplish that.
Given Jane's long, lean build along with all the aforementioned racing skills, she sure looks to me like she's becoming the American version of Italian Nadia Battocletti -- the only woman on the planet so far who has proven a non-African-born woman can win medals against the East African superstars.
So, yes, very insightful to call this a "Jakob moment." The race where Jane first combined her otherworldly fitness with tactics and a kick to take down one of the world's best distance runners in a championship race.
100% that’s the comp. Battocletti stayed low mileage until her low-20s and took off afterwards. Both have pretty good speed. There’s still a long way to go to get to the necessary 14:20 fitness to medal, but this is another huge step forward after the 14:44.
Why can’t the clickbait title read ‘dominant’ NOT ‘dominate’,
I ask, is it that hard for the lrc founders to spell or conjugate?
Thanks we fixed it.
But you think it's clickbaity? She dominated Doris. Very impressive. What's wrong with this title: "BYU's Jane Hedengren Wins First NCAA Title, Dominant 5000m Victory in 15:00.12"
I'm happy for Jane, but she's not the first US female distance runner to beat strong African competition . . .
Although US women haven't medaled in the 5k, we've had several do it in the 10k and marathon. . .
And, you underscored my point.
I mentioned past/present superstars in the mile & Steeple.
Should have mentioned Madeline Manning, Kim Gallagher, Raevyn Rogers, and Athing Mu in the 800.
You mentioned all the 10,000 & marathon greats.
But the 5000? Shelby is the only contender for a global medal the US has ever had in this event, yet she still came up 2 seconds short of a bronze. And, she never showed this kind of potential or talent when she was still a teenager at Arizona State. Took her another 10 years or so to get to where she was in Toyko last September.
Tonight, at age 19, Jane showed all the fitness & racing skills necessary to win championships it took Shelby & the other runners mentioned -- save Athing -- years to develop.
Like everyone else, I was stunned by the huge amounts of time Jane took off most of the distance event records her senior year in high school. Continued to be amazed by her fall xc performances followed by her tear thru the college record books this indoor season.
But now? Amazement at seeing Jane break class and age records left and right over the past 12 months has turned to belief she is now one of America's best 5000 runners -- possibly the best at the moment -- and has the potential to win medals on the global stage before her running career is over.
Can't recall thinking that of any other US 5000 distance woman since the 5000 began being contested in WCs & Olys back in the mid-90s.
I'm happy for Jane, but she's not the first US female distance runner to beat strong African competition . . .
Although US women haven't medaled in the 5k, we've had several do it in the 10k and marathon. . .
And, you underscored my point.
I mentioned past/present superstars in the mile & Steeple.
Should have mentioned Madeline Manning, Kim Gallagher, Raevyn Rogers, and Athing Mu in the 800.
You mentioned all the 10,000 & marathon greats.
But the 5000? Shelby is the only contender for a global medal the US has ever had in this event, yet she still came up 2 seconds short of a bronze. And, she never showed this kind of potential or talent when she was still a teenager at Arizona State. Took her another 10 years or so to get to where she was in Toyko last September.
Tonight, at age 19, Jane showed all the fitness & racing skills necessary to win championships it took Shelby & the other runners mentioned -- save Athing -- years to develop.
Like everyone else, I was stunned by the huge amounts of time Jane took off most of the distance event records her senior year in high school. Continued to be amazed by her fall xc performances followed by her tear thru the college record books this indoor season.
But now? Amazement at seeing Jane break class and age records left and right over the past 12 months has turned to belief she is now one of America's best 5000 runners -- possibly the best at the moment -- and has the potential to win medals on the global stage before her running career is over.
Can't recall thinking that of any other US 5000 distance woman since the 5000 began being contested in WCs & Olys back in the mid-90s.
Well stated.
Having just watched the race, it’s apparent that she still has massive untapped potential, which is remarkable. her form is fluid and easy, yet compact. she’s wildly fit, but you can tell from her gait in the last 1200 that she has more room for aerobic development, while still having more in the tank in this race.
We get overly excited about phenoms all the time. but this one can truly rewrite the American record book.
i have little doubt that she could be dragged to a time near 1430…already…
She did a fantastic job of tightening the screws in that last k, going 34.58, 34.12, 33.14, 31.81, and then cruising home in 32.62.
Which is roughly the same strategy Jane used back in December when she ran her 14:44 CR. Followed the rabbits thru 3000 in 8:59 then squeezed down the pace running low 35s then 34s then 33s.
Today, much slower, going thru 3000 in 9:15, kept those mid-high 35s going thru 4000 in 12:13, then the big squeeze down to a couple of 34s, a 33, the 31 back-breaker, then a 32 closer.
Just speculation at this point since she's so young, but Jane & Diljeet seem to have figured out the strategy for Jane to win 5000 championship races.
Let's see if she employees the same strategy tomorrow in the 3000.
That strategy has been used before by other runners and Hedengren could have led wire-to-wire, with a faster pace, if she had wanted to, and still won. She has good mile speed so there are multiple winning strategies available to her.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
The only bummer was the lack of excitement, the lack of understanding of the historic nature of what we are seeing from the TV announcers.
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I kind of wished for Kara Goucher in that last 400. I am so happy for Jane. I know the sit and kick is a valid strategy for those with finishing speed, but when a runner does it every race it is satisfying to see it backfire. Jane was ready for it. In Samuels interview after the men’s race he said he saw Jane pull away and it motivated him to do the same. Both of those races were so good!
The only bummer was the lack of excitement, the lack of understanding of the historic nature of what we are seeing from the TV announcers.
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I kind of wished for Kara Goucher in that last 400. I am so happy for Jane. I know the sit and kick is a valid strategy for those with finishing speed, but when a runner does it every race it is satisfying to see it backfire. Jane was ready for it. In Samuels interview after the men’s race he said he saw Jane pull away and it motivated him to do the same. Both of those races were so good!
Goucher would have definitely brought the hype. This is pre-race:
“There have been a lot of high school phenoms, and then they get a little bit better, but maybe they’re not on a trajectory that everyone has hoped for them,” Goucher said. “And so I was trying to think of someone who truly lived up to the hype. So then I did, I compared her to (Usain) Bolt.”
