Cooper Lutkenhaus' incredible freshman season continued on Saturday.
The first-year athlete from Justin Northwest High School re-set the freshman national class record at 800 meters at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, lowering a mark that he set at the UIL Texas State Championships down to 1:49.12.
That performance bettered his time of 1:49.84 by 0.72 seconds and distanced himself from the previous national record -- last accomplished by Brandon Miller in 1:49.87 -- by 0.75 seconds. The time was also a new Alabama soil record for a high school athlete.
What was particularly impressive, however, was Lutkenhaus' balance to set up his race, as he went out in 53.99 and closed in 55.22, this time making a stronger move with 250 meters to go -- previously, he had held off his kick until the 200 meter mark at the Texas state championships.
Three athletes all went under 1:50, and all three were from Texas. Rocky Bayou Christian's Jonah Kirspel was second in 1:49.76, while Bridgeland's Adin Lathrop was third in 1:49.76.
Photo Credit: Jake Westing/MileSplit
The Top 5 Finishers In The 800m
| PLACE | VIDEO | ATHLETE | TEAM | MARK | WIND | HEAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cooper Lutkenhaus | 9 | Justin Northwest | 1:49.12 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Jonah Kirspel | 12 | Rocky Bayou Christian School | 1:49.76 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Adin Lathrop | 12 | Unattached - TX | 1:49.76 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Brendan Ruggles | 12 | North Oldham | 1:51.06 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Tanner Andrade-Brinsko | 11 | Ponte Vedra HS | 1:52.12 | 1 |
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