The tide is shifting in high school and college athletics. Not that long ago, athletes were barred from earning money or benefits from their name, image and likeness (NIL), but as Colorado High School Activities Association has permitted high school athletes to sign NIL deals, a new world has opened up to current student-athletes.
Summit High School rising senior, Ella Hagen, is one of the most recent athletes to ink her own name, image and likeness deal, recently signing with the California-based sportswear brand, Hoka.
The first Summit athlete to sign an NIL deal in the school’s history, Hagen agreed on a deal that includes shoes and apparel as well as trips across the globe.
“It is an awesome opportunity to show what is possible,” Hagen said. “The sport is changing and there is more opportunities for athletes out there. Personally, I am just proud to show that it is possible and that your hard work can bring awesome experiences.”
Although the deal was formally announced on social media on Wednesday, June 5, Hagen has already been part of Hoka for a couple of weeks, being one of their premier athletes at the Hoka Festival of Miles track meet at the end of last month.
At the meet, Hagen raced strong against some of the other best distance runners in the nation. Hagen placed 11th overall in the Spewak Training High School girls elite mile, running 4 minutes, 53.87 seconds. The time marked a new personal best at the full mile distance and shaved nearly three seconds off Hagen’s school record in the 1600-meter run, clocking 4:51.66 through the 1600-meter mark of the race.
With her first race with Hoka under her belt, Hagen will now get the opportunity to be part of the Western States 100 where she will be paired alongside professional endurance-sport athlete, Heather Jackson.
Hagen will serve as part of Jackson’s crew throughout the illustrious Western States 100 ultramarathon that takes place throughout California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains from June 29-30.
Once returning back from the Western States trip, Hagen will then lace up her own Hoka trail running shoes for the National High School Trail Championships taking place in Salida in July. After winning the race last year, Hagen is not only looking forward to defending her title, but is also excited to be joined by an entire Summit High School team.
“It is all pretty incredible,” Hagen said. “Western States will be really fun, pacing a really awesome athlete and having that mentorship with Heather. The National High School Trail Championships out in Salida is going to be awesome because we are planning on taking a team, so that is something that I get to do with my training partners — show them that side of it.”
Hagen will cap the summer off by making a final trip to Europe, where she will race in Hoka’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) Youth Chamonix Courmayeur event. Jackson will once again join Hagen at the series of two, international trail running races in order to serve as a mentor for the rising trail running star.
“UTMB is going to be incredible,” Hagen said. “I get to do kind of a bigger trail race which is different from what I am used to. I am excited for it all.”
Beyond being the first Summit athlete to earn an NIL deal, Hagen is also the sole female athlete to be a member of Hoka’s new NIL team. With Mountain Vista High School’s Benji Anderson and California’s Anthony Fast Horse also being part of the team, Hagen feels honored to be on the forefront of showcasing versatile runners.
“A part of the message that we are trying to send is that you can do the trail, do the track, do it all,” Hagen said. “You don’t have to necessarily only do one. I am beyond grateful to be part of the team and be part of the community a little bit more.”
After spending the majority of last summer working at Peak Running on Main Street in Breckenridge, getting paid to run with a well-known brand seems like a dream come true.
“It is kind of incredible that I have gotten to the point where I can make it a job,” Hagen said. “Again, it shows what is possible in the sport and how far you can take it. It is just the start, but I am honored that I am able to do what I love and do running as my job for the summer. I am super grateful for the opportunity to continue training and do what I would be doing anyway, but in a super special format.”
In addition to the Hoka NIL deal, Hagen has signed another NIL deal with Coros, a performance sports technology company that specializes in watches and heart rate monitors.
Hagen’s next competition will be on June 22, when she competes at On Track Nights: Vienna in Austria. Hagen — a dual U.S./Austrian citizen — is set to compete in the 5,000 meter track race.