Jordan Hasay repeated as USATF Junior Cross Country Nationals champion in the early part of 2008.

She set a girls high school national 1,500 meters record of 4:14.50 in a semifinal heat at the United States Olympic Trials in the middle of it.

The Arroyo Grande resident and Misison Prep junior became the first girl ever to win the Foot Locker cross country national championship as a freshman and then as a senior near the end of it.

“All in all, I’d give the year a 10,” she said in a recent phone interview.

“I accomplished everything I wanted to.” Hasay’s 2008 running season is number three among the Lee Central Coast Newspapers’ Top 10 sports stories of the year.

In 2007, Hasay was the first girl ever to win cross country (at the USATF meet) and track and field (USATF Junior Nationals 1,500) national championships and then medal at the IAAF World Youth Championships (silver in the 1,500) in a calendar year.

Her 2008 was even better. Besides winning two cross country national championships, one track and field national title (she out-kicked former high school rival Alex Kosinski to repeat in the 1,500 at the USATF Junior Nationals) and setting that national record, she was the first U.S. girl ever to score points in the 1,500 at the IAAF World Juniors Meet.

Advertisement

She did that with her fourth-place finish at the meet in Poland, one week after setting her national record.

Out of all that, “I still think the national record is the most special,” Hasay said.

She drew national media attention after she ran that 4:14.50. The Trials took place on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. Shortly after her semifinal race, the crowd serenaded Hasay with “Come...to...Oregon!,” chants.

Hasay nearly didn’t get to run, but two scratches let her in.

Hasay’s not set on a college yet, although she has said Oregon is on her short list of preferences. At press time that short list included Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State.

“I’m going to enjoy this lull during the holidays, and not rush to decide on a college,” Hasay said. “I don’t think I’ll decide until the first part of February at the earliest.”

Awards for Hasay have rolled in this year. She is the USATF’s Junior Athlete of the Year and USA Today’s prep Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and Track and Field Magazine’s Girls High School Athlete of the Year.

Hasay is also Dyestat.com’s Female Athlete of the Year. Her national record run at the Olympic Trials was DyestatCal.com’s Story of the Year.

She won the Division V race handily and thus finished off a four-peat at the CIF State Cross Country Championships. Hasay is only the second girl ever, other than Sarah Hall, to do it.

Hasay completed a four-peat at the Foot Locker West Regional, the ONLY girl to do that. In fact, Hasay is the only runner to four-peat in a regional in the Foot Locker series’ 30-year history.

While she considered her national record her most special accomplishment of 2008, “My coach (Dr. Armando Siqueiros) thought it was winning Foot Locker again,” Hasay said with a chuckle.

“It was really an honor to be the first to win it as a freshman and then as a senior.” In fact, renowned national running website Lets Run.com called that feat, “The most impressive in high school girls harrier history.”

Speaking of the Foot Locker nationals, “I think I’ll go there next year to watch the meet,” said Hasay.

“I’m going to miss (being a participant in) Foot Locker. Their people do a great job of taking care of the runners — really nice hotel, great food.”

That trademark blonde hair that cascades down Hasay’s back was uncut in 2008. Her times WERE cut that year.

Her best 1,500 going in was 4:16.98 — that was fourth-best nationally before the 2008 track and field season started. She finally broke the 10-minute barrier in the 3,200 at the CIF State Track and Field Meet, holding off Davis senior Laurynne Chetelat to win in 9:52.13.

Hasay set a state meet record. Her 9:52.13 is second-best all-time nationally for a prep girls 3,200 behind Kim Mortensen’s 9:48.59.

“One of the things that I was most happy about was the way my finishing kick has come along,” said Hasay. “It’s hard to win a real big-caliber race wire-to-wire.”

Hasay wasn’t noted for a blazing finish before her 2008 track season started, but she sprinted past Christine Babcock (whose prep 1,500 record Hasay broke after Babcock had set it earlier in the year) in the last 100 meters of the 3,200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational.

She also had a strong finish to hold off Chetelat, and she passed three runners on the last lap of her record run in that Olympic Trials semifinal.

Hasay said she’s not looking ahead to running in college yet. “I’m just trying to focus on this track season that’s coming up,” she said.

December 30, 2008