* Rocky Hansen (Christ School, NC) ran a state record in the 5k and a US No.1 14:20.90 at the Alexander/ASICS Invitational on Saturday morning.
Alexander/ASICS Invitational Live Results
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Rocky Hansen didn't let hurricane-related meet cancelations stop him from chasing state and national all-time history.
With Hurricane Ian -- now a post-tropical cyclone -- forecasted to make its way up the East Coast and into the Carolinas by the weekend, race plans for Hansen and his Christ School (NC) squad appeared up in the air earlier this week.
Plan A for Hansen and the Christ School (NC) squad was to travel to the Hagan Stone XC Invitational in Greensboro, N.C. on Saturday morning. That quickly fell through as less-than-ideal weather forecasts forced a meet postponement.
Then came a backup plan, as the Greenies of Christ School entered the Great American XC Festival set for Saturday in Cary, N.C.
Great American, too, found itself canceled due to worsening weather forecasts.
So then came the backup to the backup plan. Hansen and the team made the last-minute trip to Georgia for the Alexander/ASICS Invitational in hopes of toeing the line in a competition this weekend.
And good thing they did make the out-of-state trip, as Hansen raced his way to history.
14:20.90 to win the championship section at Alexander/ASICS broke the previous North Carolina state record of 14:44.00 and puts him at US No. 1 on the season so far.
"I did what I always do -- race and run hard," Hansen said in a MileSplit interview after the race.
That also holds as one of the fastest 5k performances on the grass in high school history -- No. 14 all-time, to be exact.
Hansen, who currently ranks fourth on the MileSplit50 boys individual rankings, has made a significant statement so far this season. The senior opened up fall competition schedule with a 14:57.60 5k course record at the Eye Opener meet in Spartanburg, S.C., and a few weeks later clocked 14:45.00 at the adidas XC Challenge to make for the seventh-fastest time ever ran on the WakeMed course in Cary, N.C.
Now, 14:20.90 makes Hansen the fastest guy in the nation thus far this season.
Alexander/ASICS may not have been the original plan -- or even plan number two, for that matter -- but Hansen didn't let the logistical shakeups hinder him from solidifying his place in North Carolina and national cross country history.
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