Jessica Mildes now owns a national record, and to do it she had to scrap and hang tough in a race with some of the nation’s best collegiate distance runners from big-time schools a long way from her home in Chattaroy and the Community Colleges of Spokane.

But you know what’s way impressive?

“At cross country camp, we do an eating contest – kind of a ‘Fear Factor’ thing,” reported her coach, Sean McLachlan, “and she took down a tube of wasabi in like six seconds.

“She’s competitive. She doesn’t like to lose and she likes a challenge.”