California Dreamin’: Hazel Green Takes Its Speed to Woodbridge

IRVINE, Calif. — Hazel Green took its place on a national stage at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, and its top two runners finished just one second apart.

Senior Nehemiah Johnson covered the three-mile course in 14 minutes, 51 seconds, with fellow senior John “Henry” Moltz close behind in 14:52. Their performances led the Trojans in the rated varsity race, the second-fastest race division at a meet that draws top high school runners from across the country.

For Hazel Green, the trip west followed two consecutive seasons of producing Alabama’s individual Class 6A state champion. With the reigning champion and all five of their top runners returning, the Trojans arrived with an experienced group and ambitions that extend well beyond September.

The five-runner contingent included seniors and twins Nehemiah and Josiah Johnson, Moltz, sophomore Braysen Jean and Troy Wood. Josiah Johnson finished in 15:33, followed by Jean in 16:36. Wood, who has battled injury throughout the season and worked to return for the meet, started but was unable to finish.

Held over Friday and Saturday, Woodbridge has maintained its traditional three-mile distance since its beginnings in 1981. The distance offers a departure from the 5,000-meter courses that now dominate high school cross country — and gave Hazel Green’s runners a chance to leave their mark on a less frequently contested event.

Based on available historical rankings, Nehemiah Johnson’s and Moltz’s performances appear to stand as Alabama’s second- and third-fastest high school three-mile times, behind only a mark recorded in 1981.

The trip may also represent a first for Alabama at Woodbridge. Although the meet’s decades of results make a definitive claim difficult, no previous Alabama team or individual entry has been identified in the available records.

For the Trojans, the weekend combined a chance to see California with an opportunity to test themselves against a deep field far from home. They return to Alabama with two sub-15-minute performances, experience on a national stage and their biggest goals for the season still ahead.