Double or nothing: BYU's Jane Hedengren wins 2nd national title with 3K gold

PROVO — Jane Hedengren thought winning a national championship was so nice she did it twice.

Less than 24 hours after her 5,000-meter national title, the BYU freshman cruised to a meet-record time of 8 minutes, 36.61 seconds in the 3,000 meters to claim her second individual championship at the NCAA indoor track and field championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Hedengren strolled past runner-up Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico by nearly 7 seconds. New Mexico's Marion Jepngetich finished third in 8:44.00.

The first-year collegian from Timpview High dubbed a "Jane-erational talent" by BYU head coach Diljeet Taylor broke the previous meet record of 8:41.50 established by Florida's Parker Valley two years ago.

And she did it less than 24 hours after finishing more than three seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in the 5,000-meter final Friday night, eradicating any feelings of uncertainty that may have (naturally) arisen ahead of her first collegiate indoor championships.

"I was feeling a lot of pressure, and just kind of freaking out for a few weeks coming into (the championships)," Hedengren told the media after Friday's 5,000-meter final. "I kind of let that go (Thursday), and realized I am going to control what I can control — and that's my effort. I'm grateful to be out here with really strong women, and seeing what we can push each other to do."

Hedengren wasn't the only individual champion from BYU, though.

Carter Cutting claimed his first individual indoor title with a 3:58.94 finish in the indoor mile. The junior from Wilsonville, Oregon, entered the national championships as just the 10th-fastest mile runner in the NCAA, but held off Virginia Tech's George Couttie by 0.36 seconds in the thriller.

Michigan's Trent McFarland was third in 3:59.45 as the top-eight finishers all ran under four minutes.

"I wasn't coming in the favorite, and I don't think many people picked me to win it," Cutting told assembled media after the race. "But I just had people in my corner believing that I could do it, and instilled that belief in me.

"I just came out here and ran for God, and ran for the people around me and the people who supported me."

Cutting rolled to start his collegiate career, when the former two-time Nike Cross Nationals All-American became one of just five runners to break the four-minute mile in Utah when he crossed the tape in 3:59.39 at the 2025 Robison Invitational.

He went on to set the school record in the indoor mile in 3:52.84, but also started the season with a mysterious illness and what Cutting described as "personal issues." He and his roommates even caught a flu bug a week ago before he came out on top in Fayetteville.

"It was kind of rough," he said. "But I just trusted the process, and trusted in God's plan that it would all work out."

Arkansas clinched its second men's indoor team title in four years with two events to go, and Georgia won its women's championship since 2018.

Utah's Erin Vringer won her second All-American honor and first as an individual with an 11th-place finish in the 3,000 meters in 8:57.27. The junior from New Brunswick, Canada, ran the final 200 meters in 31.59 seconds for the fastest split in the race at any point.

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