Weekend Rewind: Top T&F Storylines (Feb. 23 - Mar. 1)

Weekend Rewind
Katherine Lucas

National Lists Start to Shift

With the outdoor season underway in warmer states, the rankings are already tightening. Let's dive into just some of the other standout performance that swept the country this past week...

  • Blake Hamilton remains the 200-meter national leader at 20.38 and added a 10.36 into a headwind over 100 meters. That 200 mark is .53 faster than his best from last year. In Texas 6A, he now holds clear positioning with Tate Taylor opting out of UIL competition this season.

  • Andrew Jones of Klein Collins opened in the 300-meter hurdles with a Texas state record, running the third-fastest time in U.S. history. The previous record had been held by Robert Griffin III. To produce a mark of that scale in a season opener changes how the rest of the year is viewed.

  • Braelyn Combe broke 10 minutes for 3200 meters for the first time, running 9:59.72 to move to U.S. No. 1. 

  • Servite ran 40.02 in the 4x100 at the Mustang Round Up, currently the fastest time in the country, and then swept the open 100 meters: Benjamin Harris (10.46), Kamil Pelovello (10.56), Jorden Wells (10.57)

  • Mekhi Malcolm threw 19.89 meters in the shot put to set a state record in his outdoor debut.

  • Cooper Lutkenhaus added something different to the mix: a senior-level national title. The 17-year-old won the indoor 800 meters in 1:46.68, defeating a field that included Sean Dolan, Isaiah Harris, Isaiah Jewett, Brannon Kidder, and Joe Waskom. He has already run record-level times this winter. Winning against that field adds a championship layer to the résumé.

  • Parker Coes, the sophomore out of Katy Morton Ranch jumped with the pros at the USATF Indoor Championships to place fifth in a field that included the likes of Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant. Her mark of 6.48m was a PR and a top ten all time mark.
  • Paige Sheppard held her own against an elite field at USAs. She ran a PR of 2:02.35 to narrowly miss on qualifying for the finals.

So where does this leave us? One week does not define a season. But certain weeks clarify it. The long jump has tightened at the top. The 60 meters now includes high schoolers who can make senior podiums. The 500-meter record has moved again. Outdoor openers are already rewriting state history. March is here. The margins are smaller. The lists are getting crowded.