This June, the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will once again become the epicentre of track and field excellence as it hosts the Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON), one of the nation's premier high school meets. From June 19 to 22, the iconic stadium - renowned for staging the Olympic Trials, NCAA Championships, and countless legendary performances - will spotlight the country's top young talents across sprints, distance, jumps, and throws. At the same time, the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships (June 19-20) will crown national champions for athletes under 20, drawing many of the same standout competitors.
Hayward magic is about to be in full force.
Here's a deep dive into the key athletes primed to make headlines - with fresh context on records, performances, and what to watch.
Jane Hedengren and Quentin Nauman: Setting the Pace in Distance Running
Still a high schooler, Jane Hedengren is showing the world what a master class in running looks like. She is rewriting the playbook on high school distance running. The Provo, Utah, phenom already owns multiple national records, including the indoor and outdoor mile, two-mile, and 5000m. This season, she's continued to shatter expectations, clocking an astonishing 9:37.50 for the 3200m indoors-second only to Mary Cain's mark. At the Nike Indoor Nationals earlier this year, Hedengren demolished the 5000m record with a blistering 15:13.26, the first American under-20 runner to break 15:15. Her mile time of 4:26.14 at the same meet set a new national high school record.
Hedengren didn't stop there. With a 9:17.75 two-mile, a sub-15-minute outdoor 5000m (14:57.93) and a 4:23.50 mile that topped the professional women's section at the Festival of Miles, she's pushing limits few thought possible at this level. Her 1500m split of 4:04.68 through her record breaking mile hints at a speed reserve rare among distance runners. Now all eyes will be on her once again as she aims to break the 3000m national record this upcoming weekend - a feat that would further cement her place in high school running history.
But Hedengren isn't the only standout distance runner making headlines this season. From the Midwest comes Quentin Nauman. Nauman is drawing attention with performances that resonate far beyond Iowa. He became the first high schooler in Iowa history to run a sub-4-minute 1600m, clocking a 3:59.60 at the state meet en route to a four-title sweep across the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and distance medley relay. At the elite HOKA Festival of Miles, Nauman further dropped his PR to 3:58.65 - smashing the junior national record and showcasing rare versatility with a sub-1:50 800m in the same meet. Now committed to the University of Oregon, the remainder of Nauman's season is one to watch as he prepares to transition to collegiate competition. He will be contesting a talented one mile field.