Provo athlete awarded Gatorade’s ‘National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year’
Jan 21, 2025, 6:29 PM | Updated: 6:55 pm

Jane Hedengren won Gatorade's National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Courtesy, Gatorade Player of the Year Program)
(Courtesy, Gatorade Player of the Year Program)
SALT LAKE CITY – Gatorade awarded a Provo high school student as the National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year Tuesday.
Jane Hedengren, a student and cross country runner at Timpview High School, was selected out of 300,000 other student athletes who compete nationwide, Gatorade said in a release.

Jane Hedengren won Gatorade’s National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Courtesy, Gatorade Player of the Year Program)
“The postseason proved to be ‘Go Time’ for Jane Hedengren and no one else ever had a chance,” Rich Gonzalez, with PrepCalTrack, said.
Gonzalez said Hedengren won each race in the NXN Final and Nike Cross Southwest Regional, where she beat records and overwhelmed her rivals.
Hedengren is now part of an all-star group of Gatorade’s National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, who combined, have won over eight national championships and five bronze medals.
Courtney Wayment, an Olympic athlete who participated in the Steeplechase in the 2020 and 2024 games, and won Gatorade’s award in 2015, presented the award.
Wayment brought the trophy to Hedengren’s high school, where her coaches, teammates, and family were present. Then, Hedengren “got a taste of the pro athlete experience with a styling session, photoshoot, and media interviews.”
Gatorade awards athletes who “showcase the power of sport,” and are given to athletes who the brand recognizes as not only the best in their sport, but who also show leadership.
“With nearly 300,000 student-athletes competing in girls cross country nationwide, Jane (Hedengren) was given the top award in high school sports because she is someone who excels in all facets of her life,” Anuj Bhasin, Gatorade’s chief brand officer, said.
Hedengren volunteered as the coach of the Road Runner Junior Club and a race day official. Gatorade also honored her community service initiatives with her church youth group, and her summer job where she assembled engineering kits with the BYU Chemical Engineering department.
Hedengren has signed a written letter to run cross country and track at Brigham Young University in the fall of 2025.