Performance results in athletics are easily understandable across time zones and cultures around the world. Unlike words and their pronunciation in different languages, numbers need no explanation to be understood. It also helps that the metric system of measuring distances is dominant around the world.
Track and field competitors around the world are interested in comparing their performances with athletes from other countries. These are the current United States high school track and field records through 2007, followed by the current best performances by high school competitors in 2008:
US Men’s High School Track and Field Records
100 meters: 10.08 – 10.17 by Jeff Demps of South Lake High School in Groveland (FL).
200 meters: 20.13 – 20.80 by Markus Henderson of Lewisville (TX) High School.
400 meters: 44.69 – 46.41 by Tavaris Tate of Starkville (MS).
800 meters: 1:46.45 – 1:48.97 by Joseph Franklin of Godby in Tallahassee, FL.
1500 Meters: 3:38.26 – 3:52:63 Indoor by Colby Lowe of Carroll in Southlake (TX)
1,600 meters: record of 3:53.43 set at an equivalent yardage distance: 4:05.57 by Germán Fernández from Riverbank (CA).
3000 meters: 8:03.67 – 8:16.0 by Luke Puskedra of Judge Memorial Catholic in Salt Lake City (UT).
3,200 meters: 8:36.3 2 miles) – 8:46.40 by Luke Puskedra of Judge Memorial Catholic.
5K: 13:37.91 – 13:55.96 by Chris Derrick of Neuqua Valley in Naperville, IL – (Derrick’s time is the US record for a high school-only race.)
350-foot hurdles: record 13.22 set at equivalent yardage distance: 13.51 by Spencer Adams of Butler in Charlotte, NC.
300m Intermediate Hurdles: 35.28 – 36.28 by William Wynne of McEachern in Powder Springs (GA).
400 meter intermediate hurdles: 49.38 – 50.46 by Reggie Wyatt of La Sierra in Riverside (CA).
4×100 meter relay: 39.76 – 40.26 by Rowlett (TX) High School.
4×200 meter relay: 1:23.31 – 1:24.06 – Hightower in Sugar Land (TX).
4×400 meter relay: 3:07.40 – 3:11.87 by Domínguez in Compton (CA).
4×800 meter relay: 7:32.89 – 7:44.39 by North Penn in Lansdale (PA).
Sprint Medley Relay: 3:21.1 – 3:26.16 by Mid-Prairie Community in Wellman (IA).
Distance Medley Relay: 9:49.78 – 10:02.47 by Carroll in Southlake (TX).
High Jump: 7-7 – 7-3.75 indoors by Eric Kynard of Rogers in Toledo (OH).
Pole Vault: 18-3 – 17-4.5 for Nico Weiler in Los Gatos (CA).
Long jump: 26-9.25 – 25-6.75 indoor by Christian Taylor of Sandy Creek in Tyrone (GA).
Triple jump: 54-10.25 – 52-4.75 by Mountain Pointe’s Will Claye in Phoenix (AZ).
Shot put: 81-3.5 – 70-6 by Jordan Clarke of Bartlett in Anchorage, AK.
Discus throw: 234-3 – 222-1 by Mason Finley of Buena Vista (CO). (No. 3 of all time).
Hammer throw: 255-11 – 244-8 by Trent Kraychir of Twentynine Palms (CA). (No. 3 of all time).
Javelin throw: 241-11 – 223-8 by Kyle Smith of Daphne (AL).
(Note: Leaders based on verified times as legal wind in sprints, hurdles, and horizontal jumps. Only fully automatic times for sprints and high hurdles are listed.)
US Women’s High School Track and Field Records
100 meters: 11.11 – 11.16 by Victoria Jordan of Dunbar High School in Fort Worth (TX).
200 meters: 22.11 – 23.43 indoors by Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth in Oakland (CA).
400 Meters: 50.69 – 52.83 indoor by Nadonnia Rodriques of Boys & Girls in Brooklyn (NY).
800 meters: 2:00.07 – 2:03.20 by Chanelle Price in Easton (PA).
1,500 meters: 4:16.6 – 4:17.46 by Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo (CA). (No. 7 all-time performance; Hasay also has the No. 4 and No. 5 all-time performances in 2007 and is a threat to break the US high school record.)
Mile: 4:35.24 – 4:41.22 by Stephanie Morgan of Barnesville (OH).
3000 meters: 9:08.06 – 9:23.90 by Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo.
3200 meters – 9:48.59 – 10:03.07 by Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep.
5000 meters: 15:52.88 – 17:03.79 indoors by Chelsea Law from Kingsway in Woolwich Township (NJ).
100 meter hurdles: 12.95 – 13.26 by Jacquelyn Coward of West in Knoxville (TN).
300 meter hurdles: 39.98 – 40.96 by Donique Flemings of Saginaw (TX).
400 meter hurdles: 55.20 – 58.96 by Ryann Krais of Methacton in Norristown (PA).
4×100 meter relay: 44.50 – 45.17 by Dunbar in Fort Worth (TX).
4×200 meter relay: 1:33.87 – 1:35.94 by Dunbar in Fort Worth (TX).
4×400 meter relay: 3:35.49 – 3:37.16 by Roosevelt at Greenbelt (MD).
4×800 meter relay: 8:50.41 – 8:43.12 by Roosevelt in Greenbelt (MD). (New US high school record set this year.)
4xMile Relay: 19:56.75 – 20:10.76 by Saugus in La Crescenta (CA). (No. 3 performance of all time).
Distance Medley Relay: 11:33.42 – 11:42.16 by Roxbury in Succasunna (NJ).
High Jump: 6-4 – 6-0.25 of Victoria Lucas in Midland (TX).
Pole Vault: 14-1.25 – 14-0 for Rachel Laurent of Vanderbilt Catholic in Houma (LA). (No. 2 all-time and a threat to break the US high school record.)
Long jump: 22-3 – 20-3.5 by Southern’s Jacinda Evans in Durham (NC).
Triple jump: 44-11.75 – 42-8.75 indoors by Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant in San Jose (CA).
Shot put: 54-10.75 – 52-4 indoors by Penncrest’s Karen Shump at Media (PA).
Discus throw: 188-4 – 183-11 by Anastasia Jelmini of Shafter (CA).
Hammer throw: 201-7 – 179-0 by Victoria Flowers of Classical in Providence (RI).
Javelin throw: 176-5 – 167-11 by Hannah Carson of Rhodes Junior High School in Mesa (AZ). (New record for US high school freshmen)
(Note: Leaders based on verified times as legal wind in sprints, hurdles, and horizontal jumps. Only fully automatic times for sprints and high hurdles are listed.)
Boys and Girls Highlights 2008 So Far:
All of the 2008 highlights so far have been produced by the girls, led by Roosevelt High School’s new US high school record of 8:43.12 in the 4×800 meter relay, breaking the current record of 8:50.41. . Roosevelt is located in Greenbelt, MD. Think for a moment about how hard it would be to find 4 girls on a high school track team who could AVERAGE less than 2:11 for the 800-meter dash.
The second best effort comes from Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo (CA). Hasay has run 4:17.46 in the 1500 meters and has run two fastest races over the same distance in 2007. The US high school record for the 1500 meters is 4:16.6, a less than a second away.
Will he set a new US high school record? The odds say yes. He also has the current best times nationally in the 3,000 and 3,200 meter races. She has to be the first female high school middle distance runner in the country.
Rachel Laurent of Vanderbilt Catholic High School in Houma (LA) is just 1.25 inches away from tying the US high school record of 14 feet 1.25 inches in the pole vault. The best height of her so far is 14 feet, even. Will she be able to set the national record? I say yes, she can.
Watch out for Hannah Carson from Rhodes Junior High School in Mesa (AZ). She has thrown the javelin 167 feet 11 inches to set a new US high school freshman record. The national record is 176 feet 5 inches. Wow, she has an amazing opportunity to get a national record before she graduates from high school.
We will keep you posted on the final 2008 results after the state and high school district competitions are held. I’m sensing some newer national records from these outstanding young women.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley