Watch Out For This Lightning Fast 300m At The VA Showcase


* Gammons, Robinson, Rose and Burrell (left to right) are all entered in the 300m at The VA Showcase

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Every single year brings some kind of electricity in the 300m to the track at Liberty University's indoor facility during The VA Showcase. 

In 2017, a national record came. In 2018, a new one.

Two weeks from now, we might be in store for another legendary performance.

The reported AAU field scheduled (which is being finalized as we speak) for this year's running of the 300m in Lynchburg, Virginia, will feature an incredible mixture of history-makers, upstarts and young guns vying for times under 33 seconds. 

There's Hazelwood West (MO) High School senior and Arizona State signee Justin Robinson, who became just the second high school athlete in history to break 45 seconds outdoors in the 400m last year, making his 2020 debut -- he owns Missouri state records in both the indoor 200m and 400m runs. 

Then there's Hickory Ridge (NC) senior and Virginia Tech recruit Cameron Rose, who debuted at No. 1 on the MileSplit50 and who's been on an incredible tear to begin his senior season -- he set a North Carolina state record in the 300m on Jan. 4 at the Bulldog Invitational. 

Zachary's (LA) Sean Burrell, an LSU signee and a two-time Louisiana state indoor champion,  is guaranteed to bring some heat against those two stars, while Miami Gardens Express's (FL) Mekhi Gammons, at just 14-years-old, will get his 'Welcome to High School' moment against three of the best sprint talents in the country. 

Gammons won't be intimidated, though. He's trying to break the World Age Group record in the indoor 300m (34.58) and the national freshman class record (33.98). 

All four will likely go after Brian Herron's 2018 national record of 32.64, which came against a field that included MGX's Tyrese Cooper and i5 Elite's Eric Allen.

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The Top 10 Marks In The Indoor 300m

RANKTIMEATHLETE/TEAMGRADEMEET DATEPLACE
132.642019
232.842018
332.872019
433.052013
533.172015
633.182016
733.191986
833.212007
833.212012
1033.222017

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Since 2017, during its inaugural running, athletes have found special form in the 300 meter dash. 

Every single year has seen at least one athlete run under 34 seconds, which means that at least one performance from each season entered into the top 50 marks all-time. 

In 2018, Herron's national record led the field, though Allen also broke 33 seconds (32.84 -- 2nd all-time) and Cooper went 33.12, which was just nine-hundredths of a second off his former national record from the previous year. 

Interestingly enough, no athlete in the AAU field in 2020 has even run an open 300m. We're left to speculate based on performances from last year. All four, however, had breakthrough seasons in 2019. 

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The AAU 300m Field

athlete200m indoor best400m indoor best
Justin Robinson21.1846.55
Sean Burrell22.3548.29
Mekhi Gammons22.5951.09
Cameron Rose21.5449.49

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Robinson, as most know, broke 45 seconds at the Great Southwest Classic, hitting 44.82 on the clock to register the second best performance in high school all-time. But he also claimed performances of 45.04, 45.59 and 45.96, and was elite-level in the 100m and 200m, too. 

Burrell didn't hit a PR outdoors in the 400m -- some minor injuries limited him -- though he went 46.52 and went under 48 seconds three other times. 

Gammons, at just 13, broke the World Age Group record before his birthday, hitting 47.86 on the clock, then followed with a 48.27 to open up the first month of 14 year. 

And Rose, all he did was break 49 seconds three separate times and went a PR of 48.60. But his 2020 has been the most impressive of anyone to begin the season, as he's clocked performances of 21.54 in the 200m and 33.79 in the 300m and 49.49 in the 400m. 

There's something to be said of polish in big races like this, and Rose is certainly well versed heading into the biggest race of his senior season so far. 

There's no doubt, based on Rose's US No. 1 leading time in the 300m, that this race will be under 34 seconds. 

But just how far? 

If history is of any indication, we could be in store for something special -- the kind of race you typically reserve for year-end national championships. 


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