Performance results in track and field can be easily understood by time zones and cultures around the world. Unlike words and their pronunciation in different languages, numbers are self-explanatory to understand. It also helps in mastering the metric system for measuring distances around the world.
Track and field competitors around the world are interested in comparing their performance to that of athletes in other countries. Here are the current U.S. high school track and field records through 2007 followed by the current best performances by high school competitors in 2008:
US Boys High School Track and Field Records
100m: 10.08 – 10.17 by Jeff Demps of Southlake High School in Groveland, Florida.
200m: 20.13 – 20.80 by Marcus Henderson of Louisville High School (Texas).
400m: 44.69 – 46.41 by Tavaris Tate of Starkville (MS).
800m: 1:46.45 – 1:48.97 by Joseph Franklin from the Godbee in Tallahassee, Florida.
1500m: 3:38.26 – 3:52:63 indoors by Colby Lowe of Carroll in Southlake (TX)
1600m: 3:53.43 Equivalent yard record – 4:05.57 by German Fernandez of Riverbank (CA).
3000m: 8:03.67 – 8:16.0 by Luke Buskedra of Catholic Memorial Judge in Salt Lake City (Utah).
3,200 meters: 8:36.3 (2 miles) – 8:46.40 by Luke Puskedra of the Catholic Memorial Judge.
5000m: 13:37.91 – 13:55.96 by Chris Derrick of Nieuwqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois – (Derek’s time is the USA record for high school sprint only).
110-meter high hurdles: Record 13.22 over a yard-equivalent distance of 13.51 by Spencer Adams of Butler, Charlotte, North Carolina.
300-meter middle hurdles: 35.28 – 36.28 by William Wynne of McEachern in Powder Springs (GA).
400-meter middle hurdles: 49.38 – 50.46 by Reggie Wyatt of La Sierra in Riverside, California.
4 x 100-meter relay: 39.76 – 40.26 by Roulette (Texas) High School.
4x200m relay: 1:23.31 – 1:24.06 – hike in Sugar Land (Texas).
4 x 400-meter relay: 3:07.40 – 3:11.87 by Dominguez in Compton, California.
4x800m Relay: 7:32.89 – 7:44.39 by North Penn in Lansdale (PA).
Sprint Medley Relay: 3:21.1 – 3:26.16 by the Mid-Prairie Community in Wellman (IA).
Distance Medley Relay: 9:49.78 – 10:02.47 by Carroll in Southlake (Texas).
High Jump: 7-7 – 7-3.75 indoors by Eric Kennard of Rogers in Toledo, Ohio.
Pole vault: 18-3 – 17-4.5 by Nico Wheeler in Los Gatos (CA).
Long jump: 26-9.25 – 25-6.75 indoors by Christian Taylor of Sandy Creek in Tyrone (GA).
Triple jump: 54-10.25 – 52-4.75 by Will Clay from Mountain Point in Phoenix, Arizona.
Shot Put: 81-3.5 – 70-6 by Jordan Clarke of Bartlett in Anchorage, AC.
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 tags as wind legal in sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps. Fully automatic times are listed only for sprints and high hurdles.)
U.S. Girls’ High School Track and Field Records
100m: 11.11 – 11.16 by Victoria Jordan of Dunbar High School in Fort Worth (Texas).
200m: 22.11 – 23.43 indoors by Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth’s in Oakland (California).
400m: 50.69 – 52.83 indoors by Nadonnia Rodriques of Boys & Girls in Brooklyn (NY).
800m: 2:00.07 – 2:03.20 Chanelle Price is Easton (PA).
1500m: 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 record-breaking threat for a high school senior in the United States).
Mile: 4:35.24 – 4:41.22 by Stephanie Morgan of Barnesville (Ohio).
3000m: 9:08.06 – 9:23.90 by Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo.
3,200m – 9:48.59 – 10:03.07 by Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep.
5000m: 15:52.88 – 17:03.79 indoors by Chelsea Lee of Kingsway in Woolwich Township (NJ).
100-meter high hurdles: 12.95 – 13.26 by Jacquelyn Coward of West in Knoxville (Tennessee).
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 x 100m relay: 44.50 – 45.17 by Dunbar in Fort Worth (Texas).
4 x 200m relay: 1:33.87 – 1:35.94 by Dunbar in Fort Worth (Texas).
4 x 400-meter relay: 3:35.49 – 3:37.16 by Roosevelt Greenbelt (MD).
4 x 800-meter relay: 8:50.41 – 8:43.12 by Roosevelt in Greenbelt (MD). (A new high school record in the USA this year.)
4xMile Relay: 19:56.75 – 20:10.76 by Saugus in La Crescenta (CA). (No. 3 all-time performer).
Distance Medley Relay: 11:33.42 – 11:42.16 by Roxbury in Succasunna (NJ).
High jump: 6-4 – 6-0.25 by Victoria Lucas in Midland (Texas).
Pole vault: 14-1.25 – 14-0 by Rachel Laurent of Vanderbilt Catholic in Houma (Los Angeles). (No. 2 all-time and a threat to break the American high school record.)
Long jump: 22-3 – 20-3.5 by Jacinda Evans of the South in Durham, NC.
Triple jump: 44-11.75 – 42-8.75 indoors by Vashti Thomas from Mount Pleasant in San Jose (California).
Shot put: 54-10.75 – 52-4 inside by Karen Schamp of Penncrest in 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 High School in Mesa (AZ). (A new record for a high school student in the USA.)
(Note: Leaders based on verified tags as wind legal in sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps. Fully automatic times are listed only for sprints and high hurdles.)
Highlights for boys and girls in 2008 so far:
All of the highlights of 2008 to date have been produced by girls, led by Roosevelt High School USA who set the new American high school record of 8:43.12 in the 4×800 meter relay, breaking the existing record of 8:50.41. Roosevelt is located in Greenbelt (MD). Think for a moment about how difficult it must have been to find 4 girls on a high school track team who could average under 2:11 for the 800m.
The second best effort comes from Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo (CA). Hasay ran 4:17.46 for the 1500m and ran two faster races over the same distance in 2007. The US high school record for the 1500 is 4:16.6, less than 1 second.
Will you set a new American high school record? Odds are yes. She also has best times at the national level in the 3000m and 3200m events as well. She should be the number one high school girls’ middle distance runner in the country.
Rachel Laurent of Vanderbilt Catholic High School in Houma (Los Angeles) is just 1.25 inches shy of matching the US high school record of 14 feet – 1.25 inches for the pole vault. Its best height so far is 14 feet. Can she set the national record? I say yes, you can.
Watch out for Hannah Carson of Rhodes High School in Mesa (AZ). She threw the javelin 167 feet – 11 inches to set a new record for a high school student in the United States. The national record is 176 feet 5 inches. Wow, she has an amazing opportunity to get a national record before she even graduates high school.
We’ll keep you posted on the final results for the 2008 post-secondary school district and state competitions. I feel some new national records from these fine young women.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley. All rights reserved