T-birds won their cross-country state title. In Salt Lake City, near sugarhouse park, cheers of excitement and celebration can be heard from the cross-country state championship. Among these teams is Timpview, the 2-time defending champions. As the final racer crossed the finish line, the T-birds led the pack with a 60 point lead, securing them with a third consecutive state championship.
The sugarhouse state championship showcased many of Timpview best runners. One of these being junior Lily Alder. Alder ran a phenomenal time of 17:21.86, clocking her in as one of the fastest racers ever on the sugarhouse course. She beat all runners from other classifications by 14 seconds! However, Alder placed second…on her team!
Every team has its golden child, and Jane Hedengren is certainly the golden child of Timpview cross country. Hedengren can be considered one of the most dominant athletes in the history of high school sports, and she further proved this at the recent championship. Hedengren ran a record smashing time of 16:21.48, placing her a full MINUTE ahead of second place, who happened to be her teammate, Lily Alder. Her time broke the course record by 54 seconds, solidifying her as Utah’s greatest high school runner EVER.
While Timpview may have some very strong runners at the forefront of their team, every person on their team helped contribute to the victory. T-bird head coach Jamie Ribera strongly agrees with this. “When you have No. 1 and No. 2, that’s a great way to end a race,” Ribera said. “But Jane and Lily didn’t run in the region because of their schedules and we won the region without them. We have a strong team, one to 10. Everyone works hard and they’re great kids. This has been a really, really good group.”
Timpview cross country has had a long, successful three year run, however many wonder how bright the future of the team may be, especially considering the departure of senior Jane Hedengren. However Jane has left quite the effect on the team, and this effect will still be felt, even long after her departure. These girls have accomplished something huge so be sure to give them a congratulations!
