* Eighth-grader Sophia Rodriguez wins the championship 5,000m at adidas Track National
Photo Credit: Mary Ann Magnant/MileStat
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Sophia Rodriguez, the 14-year-old age-group World record-holder at two-miles and 5,000 meters, is on the move and will begin her high school cross country and track and field career at Mercer Island High School, which is less than 10 miles east of Seattle, Washington.
Rodriguez's father Gabriel, who works in the running industry and whose family resides in Dallastown, Pennsylvania, told MileSplit that he received a life-changing job opportunity from Brooks Running and will take his family west to Washington. Brooks' corporate headquarters are located in Seattle. Gabriel most recently worked for Under Armour.
Sophia Rodriguez will be part of a double-combo for Mercer Island. Her older sister Victoria is a rising high school junior who was fourth in the 2K steeplechase outdoors at Nike Outdoor Nationals this past outdoor season where she bettered her state record in the event. She also ran for a U.S. U18 mountain running team in 2022 and is considered an NCAA Division I prospect.
Sophia Rodriguez's eighth-grade year was nothing short of remarkable.
At Nike Outdoor Nationals, she clocked a time of 10:12.33 in the two-mile, finishing sixth in the girls championship section. Her personal best effort smashed her own World best, which she ran at Nike Indoor Nationals in March in 10:20.68.
* Rodriguez competes in the 5K at adidas Outdoor Nationals in 2023
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In June, Rodriguez ran an outdoor 5K at the John Hay Pennsylvania Distance Festival, clocking her third World age group record of the year in 16:22.30.
Her spectacular year moon-shot Rodriguez into national prominence.
The prior fall, Rodriguez won the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships and the Pennsylvania middle school state championships
She was seventh at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships and was 17th at the USATF National XC Championships in a race that featured the likes of Irene Riggs, Ellie Shea, Abbey Nechanicky, Karrie Baloga and Allie Zealand.
Rodriguez's personal best 5K in cross country was 17:55.70. She'll enter her first high school season with personal bests of 2:17 for 800m, 4:50 in the mile, 10:12.33 for two miles and 16:22.30 for 5K.
Her sister, Victoria, has clocked personal best times of 2:20.92 in the 800m, 5:00.09 in the 1,600m and 6:52.76 in the 2K steeplechase. The latter performance was U.S. No. 13 in the country for the 2023 season.
* Sophia Rodriguez after she broke the two mile World 14 age record at Nike Indoor Nationals
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Related Links:
- Sophia Rodriguez Smashes Own Age 14 World Record At Nike
- Sophia Rodriguez Breaks ANOTHER World Record
- Sophia Rodriguez Snags Age 14 World Record At Nike
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