Sadie Engelhardt zooms past the competition

The sophomore already has several running records

Alejandro Hernandez

In June 2021, Sadie Engelhardt ‘25 broke the world record for the shortest mile time for females aged 14 and under in Huntington, Ala., with a time of 4:40.16 minutes. She broke a nearly 50-year-old record set by Mary Decker in 1973, who had a time of 4:40.1 minutes, which Engelhardt shaved by six centiseconds. At the time, Engelhardt was an eighth grader at Cabrillo Middle School. Engelhardt would later join the VHS cross country and track & field teams, where she continues to perform as a runner. In addition to her world record, Engelhardt holds the national records for female freshmen competing in the mile, 3,200, 1,600 and 1,500-meter events. She holds the California state high school records for females aged 15 and under in the 1,500 and 1,600-meter events.

before. Her being as good as she is also helps with her case, but she carries herself so confidently that it makes everyone around her play better.”

Duffey shared that her favorite part of playing volleyball is being surrounded by her teammates and playing in a competitive environment, allowing her to work hard and be successful. “[It] just makes me so happy to be out on the court,” said Duffey.

Engelhardt began running in the fourth grade when she started cross country at Poinsettia Elementary School. She gradually became a more competitive runner, joining track in middle school. Engelhardt knew she had tremendous running potential when she ran a 4:40 minute mile in eighth grade. During the fall of the 2021-22 school year, she joined the VHS cross country team, which began her running career at VHS.