Respect the past, present, and future, as eventually the present will become the past, and the future will become the present.
On the first edition of 'MileSplit U.' we will be diving into select athletes each week who are currently competing at the collegiate level and were, at one point, competing at the high school level as well.
Whether established stars in high school or late-bloomers in college, the spotlight will shine to athletes that have either been household names or been off the radar for the majority.
MileSplit University #1:
1. Jane Hedengren (Timpview 2025) - Brigham Young University
2. Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Hutchinson High School 2020) - Colorado School of Mines
3. Ryan Hagan (Liverpool 2022) - SUNY Geneseo
4. Jaynie Haltermann (Independence High School 2024) - Taylor University
Jane Hedengren (Timpview 2025) - Brigham Young University
Starting off this series with an absolute heavy hitter and arguably one of the greatest talents that the United States distance running scene has ever experience, Jane Hedengren (Timpview 2025) broke out onto the spotlight after setting a U.S. High School All-Time 3-Mile Best in 15:32.5 her junior year at the 2023 Woodbridge Classic.
From that point on, most notably during senior year, she established her place as one of the best high school distance runners in history:
5x High School National Record Holder
3x Nike Outdoor Nationals Champion
2x Nike Indoor Nationals Champion
2x Brooks PR Champion
13x Utah State Champion
2025 Gatorade National Player of the Year - Cross Country/Track and Field
2025 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year
Nike Cross Nationals Champion
Now at Brigham Young University (BYU) as a college freshman, Hedengren has been nothing short of impressive, carrying the momentum that she possessed during her senior year of high school and translated that onto the collegiate scene in a record-breaking way.
In the span of just a little over 6-months since setting foot in the NCAA, Hedengren has accomplished the following so far:
3x Big 12 Champion (1x XC, 2x Indoor)
NCAA Division I Cross-Country National Runner-Up
Millrose Games 3rd Place Finisher
2x NCAA Division I Indoor National Champion
Collegiate Record Holder (5000m, 10000m)
With Hedengren being one of many U.S. high school star alum set to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, this weekend, she will be highlighting the current and future generations of the distance running scene.
Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Hutchinson High School 2020) - Colorado School of Mines
In a sport that, quite literally, is defined by how fast, far, high one can run, throw, or jump, many athletes who may not have been in the spotlight during their high school days will often go unnoticed.
This is the case for someone who went from never ran under 20-minutes for the 5k in high school, but is now the second fastest NCAA Division II woman ever over the 10,000m distance; Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge of Colorado School of Mines.
For Ramsey-Rutledge, she did not have the resume that many of her national-level counterparts did from the Class of 2020; a class that held the likes of Riley Chamberlain, Marlee Starliper, and Katelyn Tuohy to name a few examples. Instead, her story is one that the majority of high school athletes could relate and possibly look up to for inspiration in a sport where comparison is essentially unavoidable and setbacks are considered, "normal."
On paper, Ramsey-Rutledge qualified for the Kansas State Championships several times but only earned All-State honors once; a 7th place finish in the 3200m during her freshman year. However, the years that were to come after her high school career completely rewrote what most believe when it comes to athletics: "Talent is everything."
Now, these are her personal bests for the 5000m and 10,000m distances :
On top of that, Ramsey-Rutledge has also accumulated several honors at the various national championships.
With one more NCAA Division II National Championship on the horizon for Ramsey-Rutledge, she has the opportunity to close out her collegiate career with two national titles and potentially two national records.
Ryan Hagan (Liverpool 2022) - SUNY Geneseo
Coming fresh off of an NCAA Division III 1500m Record and becoming the first athlete from Division III to dip under 3:40 for the event, Ryan Hagan (Liverpool 2002) has been making noise across New York dating back to his senior year of high school, where he finished 6th for the 800m and took runner-up honors at the 2022 NYSPHSAA - NY State Championships.
It took some time for Hagan to set his foot onto the NCAA National Championship podium, but once he did, he never took his foot off of it.
After transferring to SUNY Geneseo from Georgetown, Hagan qualified for his first NCAA Division III Indoor Championships for the mile in 2024, where he took 11th in the Mile, and followed that up the following fall with an 84th place finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
Somewhere between the
Jaynie Halterman (Independence High School 2024) - Taylor University
If there was an embodiment of, "Division doesn't matter," then Jaynie Halterman (Independence High School 2024) would be one of those symbols, as she has been leaving her mark early in the NAIA as one of the top female distance athletes the division has ever seen.
Hailing from Independence High School in Tennessee, Halterman was one of the highlights of the state, notching several All-State honors along with one state championship title.
On top of that, she was also a 7th place finisher at the formerly-named Foot Locker Nationals back in 2023.
Now a sophomore at Taylor University (Ind.) in the NAIA, Halterman's progression has been one many dream of, dropping over a minute from her high school 5,000m personal best (17:01) to become the first NAIA woman ever to dip under 16-minutes for the 5000m indoors (15:52).
Among Halterman's personal bests and accolades so far:
Respect the past, present, and future, as eventually the present will become the past, and the future will become the present.
On the first edition of 'MileSplit U.' we will be diving into select athletes each week who are currently competing at the collegiate level and were, at one point, competing at the high school level as well.