National Boys Outdoor Performer of the Week: (April 7-13)

Owen Powell, Mercer Island (Wash.): In what ended up being a tactical 2-Mile at the Arcadia Invitational, Powell made a huge move after the bell to pull away from the field and hold on for the win. After coming through the 1600m mark in 4:29.47, Powell clicked off 68, 65, 62.5, and a 54.65 for his bell lap, splitting the race with a 4:10 second-half. Powell led 28 boys under 9:00, and moved himself up to No. 18 in the national record books. Powell's winning time was 8:39.86, seven second ahead of the next fastest time in state history. The Washington-bound senior is arguably the best runner in the nation right now, and his Saturday night performance confirmed it.

Markeith Thompson, Natchez (Miss.): The Mississippi senior kept his undefeated streak alive in the 110mH over the weekend, notching a PB of 13.50 in his win at the Woody Barnett Track & Field Invitational, Thompson broke 14 seconds for the second time this season, lowering his previous best by over four-tenths of a second. Thompson won by half-of-a-second, and was the only boy under 14 seconds. He's now won six hurdle races in a row, and holds the top spot in the country by two-hundredths of a second, and is the fastest Mississippian since 1999.  

Joseph Socarras, Belen Jesuit Preparatory (Fla.): For the sixth consecutive time this season, the Florida-based senior was the first one to cross the finish line in the 800m. Over the weekend at the Arcadia Invitational, Socarras negative split a lifetime best in the 800m, running 55.01 and 52.66 to set the national lead at 1:47.66. Socarras also lowered the Florida state record a little bit, moving past Colonial's (Fla.) Andres Arroyo, who ran 1:47.79 in 2013. Out in California, he also became the 21st high schooler to break 1:48, the No. 12 performance in high school history.

Jackson Cantwell, Nixa (Mo.): Taking his rightful spot at the top of the national leaderboard, the shot put-throwing junior threw 73-6.25 at the Jim Vaughan Invitational over the weekend. Cantwell had roughly 13 feet of separation between him and the field, and never really had to panic throughout his throws. The junior also finished fourth in the discus, throwing 164-06. Cantwell, who is also a five-star offensive lineman, already owns the state record, and is No. 8 in the national record books, and is the No. 2 junior in national history as well.

Isaiah Whitaker, Bloomington (Ill.): In what has quickly turned into a competitive season in the pole vault, Whitaker is the latest jumper to take the top spot nationally. After posting a 6-1 record during the indoor season, a campaign that saw him clear 18-1 and win the 117th Millrose Games and the New Balance Nationals Indoor title, Whitaker's outdoor debut is on par with his current streak. At the Chuck Danner Co-Ed Invitational, the junior cleared 17-10.5 to win the meet by just over five feet. He now sits No. 2 all-time in Illinois history behind Zach Bradford, and is No. 13 all-time nationally. 

NPOTW's Previous Indoor Winners: