Career Highlights
- 2x First-team All-America | XC (1), Outdoor (1)
- 2024 SEC Indoor Gold | 5,000m
- 2023 SEC Outdoor Gold | 10,000m
- 2023 SEC Indoor Bronze | 5,000m
- 2022 SEC Indoor | Freshman Runner of the Year
Sophomore [XC] | Junior [T&F] (2023-24)
Outdoor: Finished seventh in 10,000m (32:50.47) at NCAA Championships to earn All-America honor … Also placed 13th in 5,000m (15:38.52) in national championship meet … During NCAA West First Round, placed fifth in 10,000m (34:11.27) and 10th in 5,000m (16:04.22) … Finished fourth in SEC 5,000m (15:48.11) and eighth in 10,000m (34:29.32) in Gainesville, Florida … Opened outdoor season with career best of 32:36.47 for third place in Stanford Invitational 10,000m, which ranks No. 5 on UA all-time list … Produced career best of 15:25.07 in 5,000m at Bryan Clay Invitational, which bettered the UA school record of 15:25.10 set by Dominique Scott in 2016 … Set career best in 1,500m with a 4:15.33 as runner-up in Arkansas Twilight.
Indoor: SEC 5,000m champion with an indoor career best 15:42.45 victory, also finished fourth in 3,000m with a 9:09.70 … Her 5,000m time ranks No. 3 on the UA all-time list … Opened indoor campaign with a 4:41.42 career best in placing fourth at Arkansas Invitational … Placed third in 3,000m at Razorback Invitational in 9:12.50 … Produced time of 15:43.64 for 10th place at Boston University Valentine Invitational.
Cross Country: Led Arkansas team to ninth place finish in NCAA Championships, placing 11th in the 6k race with a time of 19:33.8 to earn All-America honor … Won NCAA South Central Region race held at Agri Park with a time of 19:52.0 … Placed sixth in the SEC Championships, covering the 6k course in 19:49.8 … Finished sixth at Pre-National meet hosted by Virginia with a time of 19:58.9 on the 6k course … Runner-up in Chile Pepper Festival with a time of 16:44.1 on 5k course … Won Cowboy Preview 3k in 10:14.1.
Freshman [XC] | Sophomore [T&F] (2022-23)
Outdoor: SEC champion at 10,000m with a 35:07.50 performance at LSU … Also finished sixth in 5,000m (16:15.85) … Competed in 5,000m at NCAA Championships, placing 12th in 16:03.61 in Austin after a 15:45.13 effort in Sacramento for 10th at the NCAA West preliminary round … Outdoor season started with 33:03.36 career best at 10,000m in Stanford Invitational to place 23rd … Then established career best of 15:41.58 at 5,000m in Bryan Clay Invitational … Another PR followed at 1,500m as her 4:19.67 placed fourth in the Arkansas Twilight.
Indoor: SEC bronze medalist in 5,000m (16:06.75) and finished fifth in 3,000m (9:17.94) … Season started in December with 5,000m race at Boston University, clocking 15:59.47 … Finished ninth in mile at Arkansas Invitational (4:49.67) … Won 3,000m at Razorback Invitational with a 9:11.47 performance … Competing at Husky Classic in Washington ran 15:54.83 to place eighth in 5,000m and followed with a 4:44.17 in the mile.
Cross Country: Competed in NCAA Championships, covering the 6k course at Oklahoma State in 20:42.9 to place 113 … Finished 11th at SEC Championships, running 20:00.6 on the 6k course at Ole Miss … Placed 12th at NCAA South Central region held at Texas A&M, posting a time of 20:50.8 over 6k distance … Started season at OSU Cowboy Jamboree, running 21:13.8 over 6k to place 44th … Fourth at Chile Pepper Festival with a 16:32.0 over 5k at Agri Park … Ran 20:43.6 over 6k distance at Wisconsin’s Nuttycombe Invitational to finish 78th.
Freshman (2021-22)
Outdoor: Qualified for NCAA West Preliminary round in the 5,000m, placing 17th with a 16:26.15 … Debut at 10,000m came in SEC Championships, placing fifth with a 34:51.06 … Also finished 11th in SEC 5,000m … Improved career best in 5,000m with a 16:09.34 for 11th in her section at Stanford Invitational … Placed eighth in Mt. SAC 5,000m (16:12.38) … Debut in 1,500m produced a 4:26.69 in Invitational division at Penn Relays.
Indoor: Named 2022 SEC Indoor Freshman Runner of the Year … Scored in two events at SEC Indoor, placing fifth in 5,000m with a career best 16:00.14, and finishing seventh in 3,000m with a career best 9:07.95 … Debut race in a Razorback uniform occurred in the mile at the Arkansas Invitational, where a time of 4:52.79 placed fourth … Then finished seventh in 3,000m at Razorback Invitational … Established a mile career best of 4:46.96 at Washington Husky Classic and posted a 16:07.80 in her debut at 5,000m … Raced unattached in Razorback Invitational, placing sixth in 3,000m with a 9:30.86.
Cross Country: did not compete during season.
HIGH SCHOOL
2021 graduate of Rawlins High School … Salutatorian of her class … Coached by Nancy Steinberg … 2020-21 National Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year … 4-time Wyoming Gatorade Athlete of the Year in cross country, 2-time Wyoming Gatorade Athlete of the Year in track and field …
Cross Country: Senior season saw her complete a fourth year being undefeated during regular season (35 races overall) … Won fourth consecutive Wyoming state title and established a state record time of 16:59.6 … Posted a winning time of 16:19.0 at Heritage Distance Classic, recording the fastest documented high school 5k in Colorado history … Became only female to run sub 17 minutes in Wyoming (races held at 4,800 feet elevation) … Won XC Meet of Champions National Invitational on LaVern Gibson course, setting high school record of 16:38.3 … Claimed High School National Invitational hosted by Lubbock Christian in 16:23.85 … As a junior, claimed third Wyoming state title and registered a third undefeated regular season … Won the Northwest Nike Cross Regional with a meet record and first sub 17 minute time in state of Idaho … Placed third in Nike Cross Nationals … Defended Wyoming state title as a sophomore with then state record performance, and completed regular season undefeated … Won the Northwest Nike Cross Regional, then placed 13th in Nike Cross Nationals … Freshman season claimed Wyoming state title after completing regular season undefeated … Placed ninth in Nike Cross Nationals …
Track: Senior indoor season she ran on winning sprint medley relay in Wyoming state meet … During Virginia Showcase, won mile in meet record 4:43.90 and claimed 2 mile in meet record 9:47.95, the second fastest indoor time on the all-time high school list … Also won 2 mile at adidas Indoor Nationals … Missed senior outdoor season due to a stress fracture … Junior outdoor season canceled due to covid … Indoors during junior season repeated as state champion in 800m, 1,600m, and 3,200m with state records in each event … As a sophomore, improved school records in 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m while also defending her Wyoming state titles in each, setting 3A state records in the 1,600m and 3,200m … Placed fourth in 2 mile at Brooks PR meet … Indoors as a sophomore, competed for Laramie HS (since Rawlins didn’t have indoor program), won four state titles in 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m as well as 4×800 relay … Set state indoor records in 1,600m and 3,200m … Placed third in 2 mile at New Balance Nationals … Freshman season claimed Wyoming state titles in 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m, establishing school records in each distance …
Lettered four years in cross country, three years in indoor track and two years in outdoor track, also played one year of basketball … Other activities included student council, National Honor Society, R-Club, Future Business Leaders of America.
Career best marks: 2:17.03 (800), 5:00.52 (1,600), 10:12.18 (3,200), 10:20.75 (2 Mile), 17:11.97 (5,000m)
Indoor: 2:13.37 (800), 4:42.13 (1600), 4:43.90 (Mile), 9:09.70 (3,000), 9:47.95 (2 Mile), 9:44.74 (3,200)
XC: 16:19.0 (5k)
PERSONAL
Sydney Lauren Thorvaldson was born March 7, 2003 in Laramie, Wyoming … Hometown is Rawlins, Wyoming … Daughter of Kris and Wendy Thorvaldson … Has a younger sibling, Alexis … Mother played volleyball at Regis University … Plans to major in Pre-Med … Career plans include going into medical field … Life’s ambition is to find happiness and comfort in career, family and lifestyle … Favorite athlete is Emma Coburn … Person she most admires are both of her parents … Loves to cook and bake … Chose Arkansas since it’s a perfect match for what she wanted in a college.
