Boerne Champion (TX) sophomore Elizabeth Leachman broke the U.S. high school 5000m record in 15:25.27 on Thursday night at the Texas Relays in Austin.

Here’s what you need to know:

– Leachman broke the previous record held by Flower Mound’s Natalie Cook, who ran 15:25.93 at the 2022 Stanford Invitational. Cook went on to run her freshman year at Oklahoma State before suffering some injuries and transferring to Colorado.

– Leachman also broke the Texas Relays’ 5000m record, which was previously ​​15:29.85 run by Midde Hamrin of the Houston Harriers in 1984.

– At just 16 years old, Leachman is rewriting the high school record books. Earlier this month, she ran the indoor 5000m record 15:28.90 at the Armory in New York City. She broke Katelyn Tuohy’s previous record by more than eight seconds. That same weekend, she ran 9:44.16 for 3000m, which is the second-fastest high school 3000m time indoors or outdoors.

– Leachman is inching closer to qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. The qualifying standard for the 5000m is 15:10. She could also qualify if they fill the 30-woman field based on the next-fastest Americans.

– Leachman won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships last December.

What Leachman said after the race (via San Antonio Express-News):

Leachman said: “The main goal was to take from what I learned at the last one and try to apply it and run a good outdoor 5K. I know there was a lot of speculation that I was going after the record. That wasn’t really my intention. I was conscious of what it was, but mainly my goal was to come out here and see what I could do.”