The 5-foot-7, 140-pound junior won his second-straight MIAA Class A state meet this past season with a time of 15:29.3, breaking the tape 37.4 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Eagles to a fifth-place finish as a team. Hengst took fifth at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships and finished 21st at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He also won the Maryland & DC Private Schools Championships and went undefeated against in-state competition in 2016.
Hengst has maintained a B average in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
Hengst has volunteered locally on behalf of Meals on Wheels and as a youth running and soccer coach. "Dalton is a tremendous athlete and runner," said Andy Witte, head coach of Archbishop Spalding High. "He is dominant right now. He has great competitive instincts and heart."