Add another “first” to the list of accomplishments for Sara Christensen. 

The Thomas MacLaren senior was one of three Highlanders athletes to sign during National Signing Day on Wednesday and Christensen became the school’s first athlete to sign to a Division I school. 

Christensen will compete in track and field next year at Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah.

Christensen, who is a five-sport athlete, first had figure out which sport was an ideal fit for her future. The Highlanders senior plays volleyball, basketball, soccer, runs track and field and competed on Coronado’s flag football team. 

“Someone approached me after state (track and field) last year and I realized that if I wanted to run in college, I could,” Christensen said. “I like all the sports I do, but track and field just felt right.” 

Late in the 2025 track and field season, Christensen began to garner interest from local colleges and received emails from coaches regarding a future in the sport. Once Christensen captured the school’s first state title — the 2A girls 100-meter hurdles in 15.12 seconds — she knew track was the correct path.

And Christensen didn’t need to comb through brochures to find the proper fit. Christensen said her family helped guide her to SUU.

“My uncle knew one of the coaches and then he set us up,” Christensen said. “I really like it and I’m going to serve a mission for my church and Utah schools are pretty open about deferring scholarships.” 

During Thomas MacLaren’s signing day event, Nathaniel Dillavou and Piper Shannon also signed to run cross country in college. 

Dillavou will run at Colorado Christian and Shannon will head to Arizona Christian in Glendale, Ariz.

Both runners competed on the Highlanders cross country team in the fall and the boys’ team placed second in 2A. 

Mandy Mindykowski, Highlanders cross country and track and field coach, has worked with Christensen, Dillavou and Shannon since middle school. 

She’s watched the runners go from fighting to make the podium at events to leading teams to prominence. It’s not an experience Mindykowski would trade. 

“We’re such a tight-knit group that we’re inspiring others to come,” Mindykowski said. “Not only do we see the program building but we see that camaraderie and them wanting to work together. (Cross country) was a beautiful season because we saw everyone working together for a common goal and I think we’ve hit that in cross country and in track. It’s been fun to see the team grow and that’s why we were so successful. And that’s how they’ve managed so much success.”