* Marcelo Mantecon broke the Florida sophomore class record in the 3200m this past weekend at the FSU Relays
Photo: Dave Tibbetts/MileSplit Florida
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Now that the entire country is on the same page, a lot of athletes made their outdoor debut after successful indoor campaigns. Whether they took their talents to California or made the trip to Florida or Texas, there were plenty of standout performances in March's last weekend.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 3, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Take a look at five of the top-performing boys from last weekend.
This Week's Nominees:
Tommy Latham, Marist (Ga.): For the first time in Georgia history, a high schooler has broken the sought-after four-minute barrier, as Latham accomplished the feat on his home track. On his home track at the Marist Mile, Latham clocked 3:59.79 in a gritty solo effort, winning by six seconds against a field that saw six other boys run sub-4:10. After coming through 800m in 2:01.59, Latham shifted gears and closed in a 1:58.21 to become the 27th high school boy to break 4:00, and the first to ever do so in March.
Justin Woulard, Melbourne Central Catholic (Fla.): The Florida State commit had a busy weekend on his future track, competing in both the long jump and the 100m at the FSU Relays. Woulard ran 10.55 in a fourth-place finish in the 100m, coming within a tenth of a second of his season best (10.47). In the long jump, the senior picked up his fifth-consecutive win in the event, this time jumping 24-5.25, the best mark in the country. That performance also moves him into the top 15 all-time in Florida history.
Josiah Tostenson, Crater (Ore.): Out on the West Coast in The TEN High School Invitational, the sub-four-minute miler ran the first 1500m of the season, finishing fifth amongst the pros in the Final Surge Men's 1500m. The future Washington Husky ran 3:40.06, the fifth-fastest time in high school history. Not only did he notch a PB, but he also became the state record holder as well as the sixth athlete to ever run 3:41 or faster. He sits behind a quartet of legendary milers, including Hobbs Kessler, Simeon Birnbaum, Alan Webb, and Colin Sahlman.
Isaac Woodward, Fort Osage (Mo.): In his first meet since last May, the Missouri senior brought home two PBs from the Bob Thorpe Invitational in Peculiar, Missouri. Woodward took home the victory in the javelin, launching it 210-2, the best mark in the nation up to this point this season. Woodward also finished third in the discus, earning a new PB of 151-10.5. Woodward leads the state in the javelin and is No. 2 in the state record books.
Marcelo Mantecon, Belen Jesuit Prep. (Fla.): At the FSU Relays, Mantecon toed the line in both the 1600m and 3200m, finishing second and first in each race, respectively. In his runner-up finish, Mantecon ran 4:14.44, his second-fastest performance of the season. In the 3200m, the superstar broke Patrick Koon's (Leon) sophomore state record of 8:58.30, running 8:49.99. Mantecon now owns the freshman state records in the 1600m and 3200m and already owns the sophomore record in the 3200m.
NPOTW's Previous Indoor Winners:
Week 1: Jeremiah Patton, Memphis Central (Tenn.)
Week 2: Jack Ouellette, Xavier (Conn.)
Week 3: Aiden Monistere, Parkview Baptist (La.)
Week 4: Ryan Buskey, Colonie (N.Y.)
Week 5: Ryan Dierenfield, Billings-Skyview (Mont.)
Week 6: Owen Kelley, Bentonville (Ark.)
Week 7: Tayvon Kitchen, Crater (Ore.)
Week 8: Nick Altheimer, Kitsap Fliers Track (Wash.)
Week 9: Corbin Coombs, Organ Mountain (N.M.)
Week 10: Riku Sugie, Thomas Nelson (Ky.)