Nike Portland XC

The 2022 Nike Portland XC Invite will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at Blue Lake Regional Park near Portland.
Twitter: Hanne Thomsen of Montgomery Santa Rosa wins the 2022 Jim Danner Championship in a blazing time of 16:49.2!
MileSplit Interview: Link


RECAP CA Star Hanne Thomsen Crushes Field at Portland XC

Montgomery (NC) sophomore Hanne Thomsen glides over the course on her way to an emphatic victory at Portland XC on Saturday in Oregon. (Photo courtesy of Melody Karpinski)


It became increasingly clear during her freshman high school season in cross country and on the track that Montgomery High (NC) distance runner Hanne Thomsen was a star in the Golden State.

On Saturday outside Portland, Oregon, the now-sophomore from Santa Rosa who, as a frosh, won a CIF-State divisional title in cross country and a CIF-State track title, absolutely dominated the field in the elite race at the Portland XC.

In the multi-state event held at Blue Lake Park in suburban Fairview, Thomsen blazed the 5000-meter course in 16:49.20 to win by nearly 50 seconds and break 17 for the first time.

Montgomery was one of about 15 cross country programs from CA represented at the meet in northern Oregon.

For Thomsen, it is her fourth win in as many races so far this season, with the Clovis Invitational looming on Oct. 8 as a pre-State Meet test of California's finest.

Clovis undoubtedly will provide Thomsen with the competition she has yet to find so far in 2022. Hopes of getting that in Portland faded when defending champion and nationally-ranked Kate Peters of Lake Oswego was not able to compete.

"She is dying to race somebody," Montgomery coach Melody Karpinski said Sunday of Thomsen.

Knowing that it was almost certainly going to be another solo effort for her star, Karpinski said they set time goals in the 16:40-16:45 range, conducted workouts based on those goals, all with the objective of getting Thomsen that desired sub-17 for 5K.

"That was a big deal for her," Karpinski said.

"We knew she could break 16:50. Obviously, it's a little tough by yourself."

Thomsen was the class of the field pretty much from the gun in the Jim Danner Girls Championship, running 5:24 for the first mile, and 5:30 for the second. She led by 3.2 seconds at the first mile split. She took full command of the race in the second mile, opening up a 25.9-second gap at the split. She closed the final 1K in 3:15.1.

* * *

Thomsen, who out-sprinted defending champion Riley Chamberlain to win the CIF-State Division III title last November, and was the class of the 3200-meter field at the State Track and Field Championships in May, is undefeated so far as a sophomore.

She opened the '22 XC season running 16:11 on the new 3-mile layout at the Rancho Cotate Invitational. Thomsen then won the 2.78-mile Lowell Invitational (15:14.00), before breezing in her home invite, winning the 2-mile Viking Opener in 10:41.40.

And now Portland.


"We were both really happy with the race," Karpinski said. "It's a good set-up for Clovis. ... Our goal for Clovis would be to match this time or improve on it."

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