Photo: rpernetter/MileSplit Texas
- - -
The 2026 indoor season is already reshaping the national record books, with the Texas High School Indoor Championships and the Clemson High School Invitational setting the stage for four underclassmen to steal the spotlight.
From all-time marks to a sophomore class national record, the second weekend of the year was fast, to say the least.
Meet the sophomore quartet leading the next generation of speedsters.
MOST IMPRESSIVE RANKINGS:
DILLON MITCHELL
Sheldon King (Texas)
Class of 2028
- - -
After a breakthrough freshman campaign, Mitchell is back at it again as a sophomore, already making a statement. One of the few athletes this week who competed at the Texas High School Indoor Championships, the Nike Elite athlete opted for the 60m/200m double, ultimately finishing runner-up in the 60m and third in the 200m. Running 6.70 and 20.97, he became the No. 1 and No. 2 fastest sophomore in high school history. Mitchell now owns both the freshman and sophomore national records over 60m.
SARAH MARSHALL
Hebron Christian (Ga.)
Class of 2028
- - -
In her first race of 2026, Marshall opened up her second high school indoor season at the Clemson High School Invitational, running 55.04 for 400m. One of 29 girls to break 60 seconds and one of four to run sub-56, the sophomore was fourth overall behind a trio of girls under 55 seconds. Marshall, who ran 54.32 last February as a freshman, leads the nation's sophomores so far this season and is No. 8 in the country overall.
AVONTE EARL
Houston Worthing (Texas)
Class of 2028
- - -
It was a busy day for the Houston local, as he competed in the 60mH, 200m, and high jump at the Texas High School Indoor Championships. His best performance of the day came in the 60mH, where he clocked 7.84 to lead the prelims over dozens of upperclassmen, as he was the lone underclassman to break 8.30. Over 200m, Earl finished 39th overall in 22.18, finishing quicker than over 350 other competitors. Amongst the nation's sophomores, Earl leads the way in the 60mH by just under a quarter of a second, and is now the No. 3 hurdler in sophomore history, and the fastest since 2020.
EVAH ELLEBY
Mansfield Lake Ridge (Texas)
Class of 2028
- - -
In her first trip to College Station for the Texas High School Indoor Championships, Elleby went head-to-head with some of the best sprinters in the nation in both the 60m and 200m. In the former, the sophomore ran 7.58 in the prelims before posting 7.52 in the final, nearly a tenth of a second faster than the best time from her freshman campaign. Her 200m performance also marked a lifetime best, as she threw down a 23.69, her first time running sub-24 seconds indoors. Her fifth-place finish in the 200m made her the fastest sophomore in Texas history, taking down Autumn Wilson's record of 23.80 from 2020.