Three moments define the evolution of Shanae Hedlund, sprinter.

For Hedlund, her defining moment came Saturday, stepping to the top of the awards podium for her third gold medal of the day at the Class 4A West Regional after winning the toughest race of her season.

For her sprints coach at Kelly Walsh, Mark Hileman, the moment came in April when Hedlund finally won in a rivalry dating all the way back to kindergarten.

Kevin Williams, the girls track head coach at KW, said the key moment came last spring, when Hedlund came up short in the finals of the sprint races at the Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships and in turn found a renewed commitment to offseason training.

All three moments make Hedlund who she is - a three-time regional champion last week and one of the favorites in the sprint races at the Class 4A state meet this week.

"We always knew she had a lot of talent," he said. " … She's fulfilling what we thought."

As a sophomore, Hedlund qualified for the finals in the 100, 200 and 400. Coincidentally, it was her highest placing - a fourth-place finish in the 400 - that gave her the most anguish.

At the finish of the 400, Hedlund was nipped by Evanston's Erin Kirby. Hedlund missed out on third place by 0.14 second, and KW missed the team championship by half a point.

Defining moment 1: That fourth-place finish became the motivation Hedlund needed to hit the training room hard in the offseason.

All summer, Hedlund worked in the weight room, building the base for her junior season.

On April 8 at the KW Mini-Invitational, Hedlund beat the Camels' Emily Moore - the defending 4A state champion in the 100 and 200 and a childhood friend of Hedlund's while she was growing up in Gillette - in the 100.

Defining moment 2: That win over Moore gave Hedlund the confidence she needed to justify all the hard work she had done in the offseason.

As a freshman and sophomore, Hedlund struggled with her confidence, Hileman said.

"There was no (thought of) 'I think I can beat these girls,'" he said. "So there was no motivation.

"I think she's finally realized, 'Hey, I can do this.'"

Since April, Hedlund has fulfilled that newfound motivation, all culminating at the 4A West Regional last week. She won the 100, 200 and 400, and earned a bit of revenge on Kirby by winning the 400 by a scant 0.02 second.

Defining moment 3: Hedlund woke up Sunday morning with sore legs.

And three gold medals.

"It was worth it, just looking at those medals," she said. "It was great just getting up on that (awards) stand. … It just made all that hard work feel that much better."

All three of those moments point toward another, perhaps this weekend at the state track and field meet on Hedlund's home track.

"I'm just looking forward to showing them what I can do," she said.

Either way, it'll be another moment to remember in her continuing evolution.

Contact high school sports coordinator Patrick Schmiedt at (307) 266-0615 or patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.

Track Tracker

WHAT: Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships

WHEN: Thursday through Saturday

WHERE: Harry Geldien Stadium, Casper

TODAY: Kelly Walsh junior Shanae Hedlund fused a renewed focus with a strong offseason commitment to become one of the top sprinters in Class 4A.

THURSDAY: Natrona County High School boasts three of the top sprinters in the state, and the Mustangs are looking to ride those fast times to a possible team championship. Also, individual classification previews, a list of this year's best track and field marks and loads of other state track information.