OGDEN, Utah – Records are no match for Sarah Feeny.
Everywhere the
Ogden senior runs, a record falls and her name occupies a new spot in the record books. Setting new standards for future distance runners to be judged by is something Feeny does best.
Feeny started rewriting the record books at the UHSAA state track meet at the end of her junior season. She won a Class 3A title in the 1,600 meters race as a sophomore, but Feeny's winning time fell nine seconds behind Class 4A winner Ashleigh Warner – who set the state record.
Ogden's Sarah Feeny, shown here at the UtahDistance Challenge, is gunning to break her ownrecords in Utah as a senior.
Photo by Steven Earl
With another crack at it 12 months later, Feeny turned in a speedy final lap to post a winning time of 4 minutes, 50.04 seconds in the 1,600. It gave her a state record by just .09 seconds.
"I had so much joy because that had been my goal," Feeny said. "I had wanted to do that since the (previous) year. I said, 'Next year, I'm going to break the state record.' I was so close to not breaking it, actually, so I was relieved I finally broke it. To reach that goal was really cool."
Feeny didn't stop there. She dominated the field in the UHSAA state cross country meet a few months later, breaking the all-time state record of 17:36 held by Kelsey Braithwaite when she won the Class 4A title with a time of 17:25.
Feeny's coaches have no doubt where she ranks all-time as a distance runner.
"This is the fastest girl that's ever run in the history of Utah," Ogden distance coach Alydia Barton said.
It appears Feeny is poised to do even greater things this season in the 1,600. She has made it a goal to run a sub-4:50 time at altitude to set another state record in the event. Feeny has already shown she has the potential to do it based on results in several prominent out-of-state races.
In 2013, Feeny raced in the Adidas High School Dream Mile in New York City. She finished eighth in a field filled with the nation's best prep distance runners, finishing the course in 4:46.24 – a time that converts to a 4:44.57 in a standard 1,600 race.
Running in New York really opened Feeny's eyes to what she could accomplish. It demonstrated that she was one of the top 10 distance runners nationally.
Feeny blasted through Utah competition last season,including the 3A state meet.
File photo by Dave Argyle
"I had been racing by myself the entire season mostly," Feeny said. "To finally have competition to really push me – that was cool."
Feeny showed it was a preview of things to come. She shattered a 14-year-old record at the Simplot Games in February when she won the 1,600 in 4:46.97. It bested the previous meet record by 4.68 seconds. No one came close to challenging her, as she led from start to finish and pulled away from the pack with 800 meters left.
"She's the best of the best," longtime Ogden track and cross country coach Don Hall said.
Feeny is committed to run for the University of Utah after she graduates this spring. This is her last chance to add to the trophy case and the record books, and she is determined to make the most of it.
"One reason I want to keep training hard is to keep getting better and breaking those goals," Feeny said. "It motivates me. There's so much joy in setting a goal, working hard and reaching that goal and then just being able to set more."
No one will be surprised to see Feeny rewrite more state records – including her own – in pursuit of her latest set of goals.
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can reach him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
