TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Stanford freshman Zofia Dudek won the AAU National Cross Country Championships on Saturday, winning the women's 15-18 division in course-record time.
Dudek, the 2019 Foot Locker national high school champion, covered the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course at Apalachee Regional Park in 16:16.16, shattering the previous mark of 16:50.3, set by University of Alabama's Mercy Chelangat on Oct. 2 at the Florida State Invitational.
Before Saturday, only six collegiate women had ever broken 17 minutes. Dudek won the race by 37 seconds.
Future Stanford runner Audrey DaDamio, a senior at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan, placed third in her wave and fifth overall in 17:18.40. That ranks as the No. 6 all-time high school performance at Apalachee, with four of top six times coming in this race.
Dudek is a native of Poland who graduated from Pioneer High in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She won the 3,000 meters at the 2019 European under-20 track and field championships was fifth at the 2019 European U20 cross country championships.
Thanks to Erik Boal of Dyestat.com for record information.
* * *
Cranny hits Olympic standard
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. -- Stanford alum Elise Cranny '18 reached the Olympic qualifying standard in the women's 5,000, running 15:04.88 at the Sound Running Track and Field meet at Junipero Serra High School on Friday.
Cranny was second to Bowerman TC teammate Shelby Houlihan, repeating their finish at the 2014 Pac-12 cross country championship. Cranny has a personal best of14:48.02, for No. 7 on the all-time U.S. performers' list.
