Prefontaine Classic Boys 200m Preview
Photo by Daniel McCauley
Prefontaine Classic Boys 200m Field
| Name | School | 200m PR (Wind-Legal) |
| Ryan Clark | Banneker GA - SR | 20.64 |
| Ian Braxton | Marcus TX - JR | 20.97 |
| Rai Benjamin | Mount Vernon NY - SR | 21.05 |
| Khai McLin | Plantation FL - SR | 21.16 |
| Corey Dauphine | Port Arthur Memorial TX - SR | 21.34 |
| Reggie Garner | Lancaster TX - SR | 21.54 |
| Malik Wright | Tampa Bay Tech FL - SR | 21.58 |
| Obi Igbokwe | The Woodlands TX - SR | 21.87 |
Bold Predictions:
1. Ryan Clark (GA) 20.45
2. Rai Benjamin (NY) 20.75
3. Corey Dauphine (TX) 20.80
Not the deepest field from top to bottom as invites seem to have been given out earlier in the spring based on times from meets without wind readings, but at least they got it right at the top bringing in arguably the nation's fastest high school sprinter for 2015 in Ryan Clark from Banneker High School in Georgia.
The New Balance Nationals Indoor 60 meter dash champ and 200 meter runner-up as well as a World Youth Championships medalist in 2013 for the 400 meter dash, Clark has been a steady force on the national leaderboard from December through the end of this month of May. Currently ranked US #1 in the 100 (10.26) and US #2 in the 200 (21.71), Clark will be racing for the first time of likely many future meets at University of Oregon's Hayward Field to come as a collegiate and professional.
Could Clark drop something historically great on Friday? Last summer, we say another speedster from the Southeast in Trentavis Friday post ridiculous times of 20.03 in the 200 (wind-aided) and a US high school national record 10.03 in his first trip to Eugene. The cutoff for the US top 10 list in the 200 stands at 20.46 currently, while Clark does not even own the Georgia state record at this time with Tyreek Hill's US #2 all-time 20.14 performance from 2012 remaining a mighty challenge.
Photo by Steve Pisano
Clark's toughest competition and most well known entrant beyond him in the field is 2015 New Balance Nationals indoor 400 meter dash champ Rai Benjamin from Mount Vernon High School in New York. Benjamin excels in many events during the outdoor season as the current national leader in the 400 meter hurdles at 50.45, while his early April runner-up 400 meter performance down in the islands at the Carifta Games of 46.16 ranks him US #5. His "weak" event right now is the 200 with "only" a US #6 ranking in the event with his season best time of 21.05 in a meet record race at the New York Relays. Benjamin has a great opportunity in his matchup with Clark at Hayward Field to dip under 21 seconds for the first time.
The state of Texas and Florida rounds out the high school boys 200 meter dash field at the Prefontaine Classic. While not all of the best sprinters from their respective states are present, both states are so deep that they can send athletes who did not win state titles and compete well here including Ian Braxton who finished 7th in the Texas 6A finals, but won the Texas Meet of Champions last weekend at Baylor University. Khai McLin was the Florida 4A state runner-up in the 200 (21.16 PR), but also finished a strong third place in the Golden South Classic last Saturday in Orlando.
Prefontaine Classic HS Race Start Times on Friday
WATCH LIVE
8:17 PM PST - Girls 200
8:24 PM PST - Boys 200
8:40 PM PST - Girls Mile
8:50 PM PST - Boys Mile