On Friday morning at the Clovis XC Invitational, Natali Gregory stole the show, entering the history books at Woodward Park by winning the Carlo Prandini Girls Championship.
Gregory ran 16:58.4 to move to #2 all-time on the Woodward Park All-Time Freshman Girls' list, behind only Sarah Baxter. The freshman ran a well-executed race, outlasting two Brooks XC Championships qualifiers from last season.
Through the first two miles, Gregory sat behind the more experienced Farah Allen and Carol Dye, who pushed the pace. Both Allen and Dye raced at the Brooks XC Championships last season after finishing top five in their division's CIF State XC Championships race. They pulled Gregory at a fast pace, recording 5:23 at one mile and 11:42 at 2.1 miles.
Then, when Gregory reached the rolling hills at about 1200 meters to go, she quickly separated from the two national-caliber runners. At that point, she was on to chasing Woodward Park and Clovis Invitational legends. On her way to the finish, she passed Jordan Hasay and Sadie Engelhardt.
-- Natali Gregory finishing at the 2026 Clovis XC Invitational, photo by DeAnna Turner --
Woodward Park All-Time Freshman Girls' List
After that performance, the Wasco freshman placed herself in excellent company alongside Hasay and Engelhardt. Both runners were multiple-time CIF State and National Champions in high school. She is just 1.4 seconds shy of breaking Sarah Baxter's record, an honor for any high school girl. Sarah Baxter had a legendary high school career and is currently the only Californian to win the Nike Cross Nationals individual title.
Tomorrow morning, the Bill Buettner Girls' Championship, headlined by sophomores Addyson Johns (Santiago) and Alyssa Gutierrez (St. Francis), will aim to run faster than Gregory. No matter Saturday's outcome, Gregory's performance will remain one of the most remarkable in Woodward Park's storied history.
On Friday morning at the Clovis XC Invitational, Natali Gregory stole the show, entering the history books at Woodward Park by winning the Carlo Prandini Girls Championship.
Gregory ran 16:58.4 to move to #2 all-time on the Woodward Park All-Time Freshman Girls' list, behind only Sarah Baxter. The freshman ran a well-executed race, outlasting two Brooks XC Championships qualifiers from last season.
Through the first two miles, Gregory sat behind the more experienced Farah Allen and Carol Dye, who pushed the pace. Both Allen and Dye raced at the Brooks XC Championships last season after finishing top five in their division's CIF State XC Championships race. They pulled Gregory at a fast pace, recording 5:23 at one mile and 11:42 at 2.1 miles.