1/2 National Weekend Rundown: Herron Sets Two Frosh Records, Murphy Goes US #1

USATF Indoor Alumni Age Group Invitational (AL)

Brian Herron (Decatur, GA) opened his high school track career with two freshman national records as part of an outrageous triple in Birmingham, Alabama. He won the 200 in 21.84 seconds and the 400 in 48.76; both break or equal venerable freshman national records. We believe that 48.76 ties William Reed's ninth-grade standard set in 1985 and 21.84 breaks the old freshman record of 21.95 set by Michael Grant in 2001.

Reed went on to run 45.17 outdoors as a junior in 1987, which is the second fastest time of the last thirty years. With just one high school meet in the books, Herron has marked himself as a potential all-timer. Also: not satisfied with a ridiculous double, Herron also won the 60 in 6.99 seconds. The 200 and 400 times rank #1 in the country, while he's merely tied for 12th (#1 freshman) in the 60.

The meet was an elite one, as ten more performances finished the weekend ranked top three in the country. In the boys 200, Charles Lewis (Sparkman, AL) ran 22.08, which only trails Herron nationally. Kobey Hill and Terrell Jackson (of staredown fame) joined Herron in the top five in the boys 400 national rankings, as Hill went US #3 49.66 and Jackson US #5 49.75. Hill and Jackson are both from Memphis; Hill goes to Memphis Business Academy while Jackson attends Memphis University School.

Isaiah Rogers (Campbell, GA) posted two US #3 performances in the throws, winning the shot put (61-9.75) and weight throw (73-6.25).

Seven girls posted top-three marks, including the winners of all three sprints. Halima Barlow (Fredrick Douglass, GA) beat out Micaiah Ransby (North Springs, GA) 24.47-24.74 to run the #1 and #3 times in the country, respectively.

Tamari Davis won the flat 60 in a US #3 7.63 seconds, while Tia Jones matched that ranking in a 8.52-second win the 60 meter hurdles. Davis, of Gainesville, Florida, is just a seventh grader!

In the throws, Kathleen Young (Warrensburg-Latham, IL) won the shot put with a 47-5.75 throw, good for third in the nation this season. And Kamryn Brinson (57-10.25) and Sydnee Walker (54-7.5) had an explosive weight throw battle, ending the day with the top two throws in the country this year.  Brinson--a senior from Marist, Georgia--had the fourth best mark in the country last year and her mark from yesterday would have finished last year #4 on the list.