* Montverde Academy's Skyler Franklin runs on the team's national-record setting 4x400 indoors
Photo Credit: MileSplit
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This outdoor debut was one for the books.
This weekend in Coral Gables, Florida, Montverde Academy (FL) sophomore Skyler Franklin flew out of the blocks at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational and proceeded to notch the 10th-best high school performance of all-time at 400 meters.
She is now one of 15 athletes to cross the 52-second threshold.
The 16-year-old Florida native ran 51.66 seconds, winning her women's 400m heat on the campus of the University of Miami. Montverde Academy teammate Alivia Williams, the nation's former No. 1 at the distance, was sixth in 53.79, while Adaejah Hodge opened up her account in the 100m with a U.S. No. 1 time of 11.19.
Franklin's performance not only was a new U.S. No. 1 time, but it also set a new sophomore class record, skirting past Lynna Irby's former class record of 51.79 seconds, which she achieved in 2015 at the World Youth Championships in Colombia.
This was particularly impressive by Franklin, however, because it was her outdoor debut.
Maybe it shouldn't be all-too-surprising, though, considering she was the anchor on Montverde Academy's national record-setting 4x400 indoors at The VA Showcase in January and ran 53.44 seconds at Nike Indoor Nationals in March, claiming a national title in New York City.
Franklin is now the fastest sophomore at the distance in history, moving past former Indiana great Irby (now with adidas) and former prep standouts like Arria Minor (52.05), Kimberly Harris (52.33), Sade Williams (52.35), Brittany Jones (52.44), Athing Mu (52.45), Shawnti Jackson (52.54) and even Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone (52.59.
* The Montverde Academy girls broke a national record in the 4x400 indoors at The VA Showcase in January