Seven Moments From 2022 That Shocked, Awed And Inspired Us


7. Natalie Cook Breaks The National 5K Record At Stanford 

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Natalie Cook had one of the best calendar years in history.

You can't argue that. 

From her final cross country season in 2021, to her final high school outdoor race in 2022, the Flower Mound senior left nothing behind.

And she compiled a war's chest of accomplishments, including two national cross country titles, an indoor national record in the 4xmile with her Flower Mound teammates and state records in the 1,600m and 3,200m in Texas, where she closed her regular season with two state titles and a UIL Class 6A team win as well, almost unprecedented for a program that was largely scoring points across distance events.

What did we leave out there? 

The high school national outdoor record at 5,000 meters. 

It was truly remarkable to see Cook, coming off the second-fastest 5K on cross in high school history in 16:03, to cover the distance on a track in 15:25.93. 

She did so against professionals and elite collegians at the Stanford Invitational and was ruthlessly efficient, clocking blistering splits between Ks, even taking the lead at one point. 

She was so good, in fact, that she absolutely shattered the former record by nine seconds, surpassing Jenna Hutchins' mark of 15:34. 

Perhaps it was no surprise that Cook didn't need much of a transition into college at Oklahoma State. In her first season with the Cowboys, she finished seventh overall at the NCAA XC Championships, leading her team to a fourth-place finish. 

Much should be on the horizon for Cook. 


NATALIE COOK'S TOP PERFORMANCES IN 2022-2023

distancetimeeventdateOf Note
2-Miles9:44.44NBNIMarch 11-13No. 2 AT
4xMile19:37.78NBNIMarch 11-13National Record
800m2:12.52Coppell RelaysMay 5-
1,600m4:36.96UIL Region 6A-2April 29-30State Record
1,600m4:40.29UIL StateMay 12-14-
Mile4:42.33HOKA Festival of MilesJune 2-
3,200m9:48.25UIL StateMay 12-14State Record
3,200m9:52.45UIL District 6AApril 27-
5,000m15:25.93Stanford InviteApril 1-2National Record