* Brandon Arrington became one of the top sprinters in the nation after claiming sprint titles at the CIF Outdoor Track and Field Championships
- - -
There's nothing like setting personal bests at a major championship - whether that's at a state meet or an invitational.
As the weeks of the outdoor season wind down, there were underclassmen over the last week who pushed themselves into the top 10 in the nation in their respective events.
Who pushed the boundaries? Who rewrote the record books?
Check out these standout freshmen and sophomores below.
* Cooper Lutkenhaus lowered his freshman national class record in the 800m at the RunningLane Track Championships
- - -
It's fitting that we start with Cooper Lutkenhaus.
He might be a freshman from Justin Northwest (TX), but he runs with confidence.
Just earlier this month he won his first UIL Outdoor Track and Field Championship title in the 800m, remained undefeated in this event and he wasn't looking to stop his streak at the RunningLane Track Championships.
Lutkenhaus came across the finish line with his second sub-1:50 performance of his career and re-set his freshman national class record with a 1:49.12.
Before he broke the record at states with a 1:49.84, Brandon Miller held this honor when he went 1:49.87 in 2017.
* Skyler Franklin at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympic Games when she claimed gold in the 400m
Photo Credit: Dan Loughlin / MileSplit
- - -
In her outdoor season debut, sophomore Skyler Franklin of Montverde Academy (FL) set a U.S. No 1 400m time for her competitors to chase as she went 51.66 to claim the Hurricane Alumni Invitational title.
Franklin continued to shine as she went FSG Athletics Best Of The Best Memorial Weekend Championship. She pulled the 100m-400m double with new lifetime bests.
In the 100m, she ran a wind-legal performance of 11.49 (+0.5) and was able to lower her nation-leading sophomore national class record in the 400m with 51.57.
She moves up to U.S. No. 14 with her new 100m best.
* Brandon Arrington claimed his first CIF Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the 200m
- - -
At the CIF Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Brandon Arrington swept the sprint double.
Throughout the 2024 season, Arrington only fell short twice where he finished fourth at Arcadia and was the runner up at Mt. SAC in the 100m.
He put it together when it mattered most as a state title was on the line and stopped the clock with a victorious 10.33.
In the 200m, where he remained undefeated all season long, the Mt. Miguel (CA) sophomore set a wind-legal personal best of 20.55.
He moves up to U.S. No. 3 in the 200m and No. 5 in the 100m.
* At the 2023 New Balance Nationals Outdoor, Jordan Randall finished fifth with a 6-6.25 jump
Photo Credit: Ryan Comstock / MileSplit
- - -
In the high jump, Jordan Randall soared to a new tier over the weekend.
At the IHSAA Regional 2 meet, Randall, a sophomore from Warsaw Community High (IN), cleared his second 7-foot jump in his career. This time, he cleared the 7-0.5 bar and continued his undefeated season.
His mark shares the No. 6 spot and is the best underclassman by a quarter of an inch.
