* Kennedi Burks broke the Louisiana indoor 400m record over the weekend
Photo: Gaven Hammond/MileSplit Louisiana
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February's penultimate weekend of action delivered on all fronts, as records went down, titles were won, and history was made.
Whether they were running fast or jumping far, these five athletes were some of the best over the weekend.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, February 27, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Take a look at five of the top-performing girls from last weekend.
POLL: National Boys XC Performer of the Week (Feb.17-23)
Jane Hedengren, Timpview (Utah): If she's already running sub-9:40 in February, how fast is she going to be this spring? The next star for BYU has had a historic indoor campaign, having already run 4:36.23 over 1600m at the REP Distance Challenge, which was at 4500 feet above sea level. This weekend at the Simplot Games in Idaho, Hedengren soloed the second-fastest 3200m in high school history, trailing only Mary Cain's converted 9:35.32 record-breaking performance from 2013. Hedengren came through 1600m at 4:46, before stopping the clock at 9:37.50. Hedengren won by 45 seconds over teammate Lily Alder.
Destini Smith, Souderton (Pa.): At the DVGTCA Tim Hickey Meet of Champions, Smith won three titles and won the long, triple, and high jump. In the horizontal jumps, Smith jumped 19-4.5 (LJ) and 43-0.25 (TJ), both huge personal bests. Smith didn't set a PB in the high jump but was never in a position where she had to clear a bar that high. In Pennsylvania's record books, Smith ranks No. 6, No. 1, and No. 11 in the long, triple, and high jump, respectively.
Chase Gilbert, Old Lyme (Conn.): As Gilbert stepped up to the line this weekend, she had never run quicker than 4:50, and still hadn't broken 5:00 this indoor season in the 1600m. Neither stat bothered the junior as she clocked a big PB of 4:44.68 to win the title at the CIAC State Open Girls Indoor T&F Championship. Winning by 13 seconds, Gilbert not only broke the Connecticut state record, but also became the third-fastest junior in high school history, and the fastest since 2019.
Kennedi Burks, Barbe (La.): Over the weekend, the LSU-bound sprinter stayed unbeaten, broke a state record, and won a state title all in less than a minute. At the LHSAA State Indoor Championships, Burks broke 55 seconds in the 400m for the first time in her indoor career, running 54.36 to win by over a second. Not only is she the new indoor state record holder, but now she owns both the indoor and outdoor state records in the event, and is the first Louisianan to run sub-55 indoors.
Greta Hammer, Needham (Ma.): In her first indoor season, the junior entered unprecedented territory, running 10:21.48 over two miles at the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Meet of Champions. Hammer led four other girls under 11:00, crossing the line 12 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Hammer is now the second-fastest junior in state history, and is the second-fastest in the Class of 2026 this year. For the speedy junior, this is her second MIAA Meet of Champions title, and first on the track.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Megan Ewers, Medgar Evers College Prep (N.Y.)
Week 2: Mia Maxwell, APXP Speed Development (Texas)
Week 3: Taylor Cox, Union Catholic Reg. (N.J.)
Week 4: Hannah Rae Shaffer, Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.)
Week 5: Anna Bockius, Padua Academy (Del.)
Week 6: Makenna Herbst, ProCaliber Track Club (Calif.)
Week 7: Emmry Ross, Onsted (MIch.)