AUSTIN, TEXAS, May 01–03 — When Harlan (San Antonio) junior Tate Taylor shifted into hypersonic speed in the final 30m of the Class 6A 100 at the Texas state meet, leaving Duncanville’s Brayden Williams in his wake, there was a feeling he had just hit a gear no previous high school athlete ever had.
There was a feeling he had just won the greatest high school 100 ever.
After a few moments filled with anticipation, the biggest of dreams were confirmed in full.
The scoreboard flashed 9.92 with a legal wind of 1.1, ahead of Williams’ 10.01, and Taylor, a junior, became the new High School Record-holder. Williams became the =No. 3 prep 100 runner ever in a race where 10.18 placed 5th (the old state record was 10.13). The old HSR of 9.93 was set last year by Florida prep, now pro, Christian Miller.
“We were in the blocks, I talked to God,” Taylor said. “I was telling him before I got in the blocks, ‘I don’t care if I win, I’m part of history already because this race was really fast.’ I think the slowest PR in the field was 10.2, 10.3. I was telling myself to have fun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just go out and have fun.
“I’ve gone 10 before, but hitting 9 is a lot for me, especially as a junior, 17-years-old. I have another year of high school.”
The way Taylor did it was spectacular. For the first 60 meters all eyes were on lane 5, which Williams occupied. His windy all-conditions high school best 9.82 two weeks earlier in his regionals preim (he ran a windy 9.95 in the final) stamped him as the favorite in a field so loaded that Taylor, who owns the High School Indoor Record for 200 (20.46), was under the radar. That obviously wasn’t fair and Taylor pointed out after the race that he and Williams basically have a split record head-to-head.
As the stacked 100 final went past the midpoint, Williams was off to his usual flying start and led the race. Then Taylor accelerated with a burst that drew gasps and shocked yells from the large crowd — a gear, as it turns out, truly unlike any ever shown in a high school race.
“I know Brayden is an incredible starter,” Taylor said. “We’ve had multiple races, I’ve lost, he’s lost, we’ve gone back and forth. To be right next to him was really good, he pushed me. I love the competition.”
When Taylor hit the line all eyes turned to the scoreboard and when the 9.92 came up, the roar was deafening.
“I felt maybe 10 flat,” Taylor said of what he expected to see. “I didn’t know it was going to be a 9. But I kind of did because I beat Brayden, and when you do that, you’re likely to do a 9.”
Also worth noting in the race, 4th-placer Dillon Mitchell of Sheldon King (10.17) and 5th-placer Chinwoeke Onwuchekwa of Cypress Springs (10.18) are 9th-graders.
Taylor later doubled back in the 200 and he displayed that same late-race burst to pull away, but then he pulled up and coasted across the finish line in 20.14 (wind 1.8). That made him the equal-No. 3 high school 200 runner ever, albeit 0.01 off the Texas state meet record set in 1985 by Roy “Robot” Martin. Taylor later explained that he felt a twinge in his hamstring and that was why he didn’t push across the finish.
Taylor lifted himself to the level of recruiting royalty, but said he doesn’t have any leanings yet as to where he might commit a year from now. He does know what sport he’ll be doing at the next level.
“I don’t even play football,” he said with a laugh. “I’m too fragile.”
As for Georgia signee Williams, owner of a new wind-legal personal record, he was philosophical. “It feels amazing knowing history was made,” he said. “I can’t complain.”
TEXAS STATE BOYS RESULTS
(6A class unless noted otherwise)
100(1.1): 1. *Tate Taylor (Harlan, San Antonio) 9.92 HSR, AJR (old records 9.93 Christian Miller (Creekside, St Johns, Fl) ’24 (2, 2 WJ);
2. Brayden Williams (Duncanville) 10.01 (=7, =12 WJ; =4, =6 AJ; =3, =5 HS);
3. Richard Lee (Dickinson) 10.16; 4. ***Dillon Mitchell (King, Houston) 10.17; 5. ***Chinweoke Onwuchekwa (Cypress Springs) 10.18.
200(1.8): 1. Taylor 20.14 (HSL) (=3, =4 HS; =5, x AJ);
2. Lee 20.50. 400: 1. Elijah Ferguson (Mayde Creek, Houston) 46.05; 2. **Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest, Justin) 46.30. 800: 1. Lutkenhaus 1:47.04 (outdoor HSL) (x, 10 HS); 2. Luke Bone (Austin) 1:49.23. 1600: 1. Caden Leonard (Carroll, Southlake) 4:10.18. 3200: 1. Leonard 8:57.98; 2. Danny Torres (Eastwood, El Paso) 8:58.28. 110H(1.8): 1. *Andrew Jones (Collins, Klein) 13.41. 300H: 1. Jones 36.09.
5A110H(-0.5) 1. Ja’Shaun Lloyd (Corsicana) 13.20 (HSL) (2, 3 HS; 5, =10 AJ);
5A 300H: 1. Lloyd 35.78 (HSL).
4 x 100: 1. Cypress Springs 40.06; 2. DeSoto 40.15.
5A 4 x 100: 1. Iowa Colony 39.74 (HSL) (8 HS). 5A 4 x 200: 1. Iowa 1:23.34 (6 HS).
4 x 200: 1. DeKaney, Houston 1:23.56. 4 x 400: 1. Lamar 3:11.94.
HJ: 1. Etoro Bassey (Tompkins, Katy) 7-1; 2. Landon Freeman (Jersey Village) 7-0. PV: 1. Chase Johnson (Marcus, Lewisville) 16-6. LJ: 1. Jackson Norris (Atascocita) 24-11w. TJ: 1. *Caleb Adom (Trinity, Euless) 49-11.
5A TJ: 1. Jayden Thrower (Barbers Hill, Mont Belvieu) 51-3¼ (HSL).
SP: 1. Adam Carter (Katy) 68-3¾; 2. *Marlon Cook (Cypress Creek) 64-8. DT: 1. Cook 180-9.
TEXAS STATE GIRLS RESULTS
100(1.1): 1. *Mia Maxwell (Atascocita, Humble) 11.04 (HSL) (6, 9 HS; =11, x AJ).
200(0.7): 1. *Mariah Maxwell (Atascocita) 22.93; 2. **McKenzi Roberson (Shadow Creek, Pearland) 22.96. 3A 200(5.1): 1. Taylor Nunez (Randolph, Universal City) 22.76w. 400: 1. *Brooke Lloyd (Summer Creek, Houston 52.44. 800: 1. Nora Ryan (Prosper) 2:07.51. 1600: 1. Alexandra Fox (Flower Mound) 4:45.99. 3200: 1. *Rowan Saacke (Bridgeland) 10:05.90. 100H(1.9): 1. Naomi Booker (Tomball) 13.30. 300H: 1. Booker 41.53.
4 x 100: 1. Lancaster 43.91 (2 HS), 2. Atascocita 44.54 (8 HS).
4 x 200: 1. Shadow Creek 1:33.71 (=4 HS); 2. Duncanville 1:34.04 (8 HS).
4 x 400: 1. Summer Creek, Houston 3:38.92.
HJ: 1. Brianna Rivers (Summer Creek) 5-9. 4A PV: 1. Jaicee Jasmer (Sulphur Springs) 14-4. 5A LJ: 1. Ryhan Balous (North, McKinney) 21-2¾w. TJ: 1. Mia Maxwell 42-2¾w; 2. Daijah Miller (Shadow Creek) 42-1. 4A SP: 1. Valerie Hunt (Monahans) 48-7¾. DT: 1. Jayden Kimble (Atascocita) 162-2.
