by Deji Ogeyingbo
This feature on the amazing Brooks PR Invitational, held on June 8, 2025, was written for RunBlogRun by Deji Ogeyingbo.
Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle
Under hot, hard sunshine at Renton Memorial Stadium, the 2025 Brooks PR Invitational delivered what many had hoped for: a glimpse at the future of American distance running. At the center of it all stood Jane Hedengren, who reminded everyone why she’s rewriting high school history with ease and grace.
The 18-year-old from Timpview High School in Utah looked unbothered by the rising 88-degree heat, cruising through eight laps of the 2-mile like she had been training for this moment her whole life. Her time of 9:17.75 didn’t just break her own national record, it shattered it by 17 seconds. It was smooth, calculated, and almost surgical. Only seven American women have ever run faster.
The performance capped a stunning week for her. Just three days earlier, she clocked 4:23.50 in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles, a time that ranks third all-time for the U-20 category globally. To run that fast on Thursday, fly back across the country, and dominate again on Sunday says everything about her form and mindset.
She hit her first mile in 4:41.16 and negative-split the second half in 4:36.59. That second mile alone would have won the girls’ mile race. It also would have beaten three boys in the boys’ 2-mile. Along the way, she also broke the U.S. U-20 3000m record en route with a time of 8:40.99 and was clocked at 9:14.65 for 3200m.
Hedengren credits her faith for the performances. “It’s not me, it’s God,” she said. “I’ve just been trying to do the best I can and show what this gift is.”
Behind her, Rylee Blade ran a big personal best of 9:57.10 for second, with California’s Hanne Thomsen just behind in 10:00.41. That duo flipped positions from the state championships, showing the form of national-level consistency.
The 800 meters brought another record, this time from Union Catholic’s Paige Sheppard. The sophomore clocked 2:01.50, breaking Alexa Efraimson’s 2014 meet record. It also erased Sophia Gorriaran’s sophomore class best. Sheppard’s timing and surge with 150 meters left was perfect, overtaking Emmry Ross, who had led early and still finished in 2:02.83, good enough to also beat the previous meet record. Georgia’s Oluwatosin Awoleye finished strong for third in 2:03.99.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ 800m, Cooper Lutkenhaus of Justin Northwest in Texas wrote his name into the record books. He ran 1:46.26 to erase Michael Granville’s long-standing national record from 1996. Granville’s run came in a championship final where he won by nearly eight seconds. Lutkenhaus had company, and he used it wisely. His splits were 53.59 and 52.67—not the plan, but he adjusted.
“When I hit the line slower than planned, I knew I had to go,” he said. “These races are about making decisions on the fly.”
Washington’s Owen Powell was right behind him in 1:46.63, a two-second personal best. Tiago Socarras of Florida finished third in 1:47.60, despite racing a 4:04 mile just three days earlier.
The girls’ sprints also brought fireworks. Mia Maxwell ran 11.04 in the 100 meters for US#2. Her twin sister Mariah followed in 11.28. In the hurdles, Anisa Bowen-Fontenot once again got the better of Jasmine Robinson, winning in 13.19. That makes three head-to-head wins this year, having previously beaten Robinson at both Arcadia and Texas Relays.
On the boys’ side, Brayden Williams ran a 10.22 to break the meet record in the 100 meters, despite suffering from cramps. “It wasn’t the cleanest race,” he admitted, “but I’ll be sharper at Nike Nationals.”
In the 2-mile, Nebraska’s Juan Gonzalez closed in 56.65 to win in 8:47.06. He had to summon everything down the stretch after a slower first half. “It’s a scary but freeing feeling when you break away,” he said. Gonzalez will run at Oregon next year and called the race a milestone in his transition to college.
At the professional level, Valery Tobias won the women’s 800m in 2:02.00. Kieran Lumb took the men’s 1500 in 3:34.25, the fastest ever run on Washington soil. Brooks Beasts teammates Brandon Kidder and Isaiah Harris went 1-2 in the men’s 800, both finishing just under 1:46.50.
