Girls 17-and-Under: Kendall Bawden Dominates a Chilly Napa 5K

• Kendall Bawden, 15, wins in 21:10 — a 6:49/mi clip that put nearly two full minutes between her and the rest of the field.
• Celina Deng, age 12, claims 2nd in 23:03 — remarkable for her age, finishing nearly two minutes clear of 3rd place.
• Arya Wang, 11, rounds out the podium in 24:50 — one of three 11-year-olds in the top six, edging 4th-place Mia Luh (25:53) by over a minute.
• 30 girls finished in 41°F, light rain, and 85% humidity — conditions that made every time earned.

Kendall Bawden, 15, of Napa made this race her own from the start. Her winning time of 21:10 at 6:49/mi wasn't just fast — it was a statement, opening up a 1:53 gap over 2nd place in a 5K. Running in her hometown in raw, wet conditions, Bawden delivered the kind of performance that defines a field.

Behind her, 12-year-old Celina Deng of Palo Alto was quietly impressive. Crossing in 23:03 at 7:25/mi, she ran a noticeably sharper pace than 3rd-place Arya Wang's 24:50 — a meaningful gap that Deng held comfortably. Wang, just 11 years old out of Los Altos, still finished well clear of 4th-place Mia Luh (25:53, 8:20/mi), also 15. The top four were separated by under five minutes, but each gap was decisive.

The depth of this field told its own story. Three 11-year-olds — Wang (3rd, 24:50), Mia Yin (5th, 28:54), and Emma Schmitz (6th, 30:26) — all finished in the top six. A pair of 14-year-olds, Miel McGrath and Eris Mizuno, went stride for stride late in the race, finishing 7th and 8th in 31:39 and 31:43 respectively — just four seconds apart. And at the back of the listed field, 5-year-old Morgan Stoiber of Napa crossed in 44:41, the youngest finisher named — a 5K finish at any pace in those conditions is worth noting.