The Next Lap: Madison Hedglin Returns to Misericordia After Historic Freshman Season
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | August 17, 2026 | Photo courtesy Madelyn Bevan
For most first-year college athletes, the opening season is about adjusting.
For Madison Hedglin, it was about making history.
The former Dallas High School standout didn’t just settle into collegiate racing, she announced herself. In one of the most accomplished freshman seasons in Misericordia University cross-country history, Hedglin quickly went from promising newcomer to one of the top runners in NCAA Division III. Now, as she prepares for her sophomore year, she returns with a new challenge: following a debut that raised the bar for what’s possible.
Success at this level has long been part of Hedglin’s story.
At Dallas, she built a reputation as one of the most consistent and competitive distance runners in District 2. A five-time state medalist, 10-time district champion, and New Balance Nationals indoor qualifier, she capped her high school career with a third District 2 cross-country title and a fourth-place finish at the PIAA Class 2A State Championships.
Still, even with that résumé, her transition to college racing stood out.
Hedglin won twice during the regular season, highlighted by a breakthrough performance at the Houghton Invitational. Her time of 21:14 not only set a Misericordia 6K record but also broke the Houghton Field of Dreams course record. The run earned her MAC Runner of the Week and USTFCCCA Division III National Athlete of the Week honors, signaling that her impact was already reaching beyond the conference.
And that was just the beginning.
At the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships, Hedglin ran with quiet control from the start. She took the lead early and never gave it up, finishing nearly 30 seconds ahead of the field to win the individual title. The performance earned her both MAC Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors—rare company for a first-year athlete.
She carried that momentum into the postseason, placing fourth at the NCAA Metro Regional Championships to qualify for nationals.
On the biggest stage of her young career, Hedglin once again showed she belonged.
At the NCAA Division III Championships, she found herself deep in the field early, sitting 64th after the first 1,000 meters. Instead of forcing the race, she stayed patient—trusting her training, her fitness, and her ability to close. Over the next several kilometers, she steadily moved forward: 38th, then 29th, continuing to pick off runners one by one.
By the time she reached the finish line, Hedglin had climbed all the way to 19th place in 21:30, becoming only the second women’s cross-country All-American in Misericordia history.
It was a performance that said as much about her mindset as her fitness. National championship races rarely unfold perfectly, and Hedglin showed the poise to stay composed when things didn’t.
Behind the scenes, that composure has been built through steady, unglamorous work. Her preparation has included consistent strength training at Flanagan Performance, focused on durability, efficiency, and staying healthy through the grind of a long collegiate season.
That foundation carried into track season.
Hedglin picked up wins at both 3,000 and 5,000 meters, ran the second-fastest indoor 5,000-meter time in program history, and was named MAC Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year. Outdoors, she added a runner-up finish in the 5,000 and a third-place finish in the 1,500 at the MAC Championships, while also earning Academic All-MAC recognition for her work in the classroom.
Taken together, the results already place her among the most accomplished distance runners in Misericordia history. But what stands out most is how early it all has come.
Her freshman year proved that her success at Dallas wasn’t just transferable—it was immediate. It also showed something harder to measure: a calm competitiveness that holds up when the stakes rise.
This fall, Hedglin won’t be a surprise to anyone on the starting line. She returns as a defending MAC champion, conference Runner of the Year, and All-American. The target on her back will be bigger, the fields deeper, and the expectations higher than ever.
But that’s exactly the position she’s earned.
Madison Hedglin has already made history at Misericordia. As her sophomore season approaches, the question is no longer whether she belongs among the best.
It’s how far she can take it from here.
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