Jane Hedengren is headed into the women’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet at Hayward Field as one of the names to watch in the 5,000 meters. The BYU newcomer enters the June 11 and 13 meet with a chance to turn a season of record times into a title race against some of the best returners in the country.

That is why her name is drawing so much attention now. Hedengren has already broken the collegiate outdoor 5,000-meter record in 14:50.5, the outdoor 10,000-meter record in 30:46.8 and the indoor 5,000-meter record in 14:44.79. She also became the first freshman in history to win NCAA indoor titles in both the 5,000 and 3,000, and she was the runner-up to Doris Lemngole at the NCAA cross-country meet.

The race at Hayward Field lines up Hedengren with Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico, the returning champion in the 5,000 meters after sweeping the 5,000 and 10,000 titles last season. Kosgei is the third-fastest performer in collegiate history in the outdoor 5,000, with a best of 14:52.18, and she owns three of the fastest 10,000-meter times in NCAA history. She and Hedengren are also scheduled to face each other in the 10,000 meters on Thursday night.

Lemngole adds another layer to the week. The Alabama junior, who won The Bowerman Award in 2025 and owns five NCAA titles, is not entered in the steeplechase this week, shifting her focus away from the event where she holds the collegiate record at 8:58.15. Instead, she arrives with a personal best of 15:08.45 in the outdoor 5,000 and with the credentials of a runner who has already beaten Hedengren when the stakes were highest last fall.

That leaves Hedengren in the middle of a championship meet that could define how quickly her record-setting season translates to the biggest stage. The 10,000 on Thursday night will offer the first direct test against Kosgei, but the 5,000 remains the race that most clearly shows whether the freshman can close the gap from breakout star to NCAA champion.