It's official, Bailey Lear is the fastest girls indoor 400m runner ever in Texas. She earned that honor today with a 53.20 effort at the Texas Tech Open, which was a new US No. 8 all-time mark.
Lear, who already had the fastest 400m in the nation with a 53.89, lined up and blasted the college laden field with a new all-time mark for the state.
She won her heat which consisted of two college runners. She led the race through the 200m halfway mark when she jetted to the lead with a 25.15 split and then brought it home with a 28.05 second lap. Her 53.20 topped the previous top mark of 53.21 ran back in 2012 by Courtney Okolo.
Top five All-Time girls indoor 400m prior to this weekend
Lear wasn't the only high school runner with a great day in the 400m. Friend and teammate Kennedy Blackmon was right there with her. Blackmon was in the second heat and just like Lear, won her heat over college runners. Blackmon also shot to the lead in heat 2 and ran a 25.31 200m split. She finished strong with a 54.74 PR and fast enough to solidify her as the No. 4 runner in the nation and No. 4 on the Texas All-Time list.
Lear would finish first over all and Blackmon would finish fourth overall. Both girls returned to the track a short time later to run the 200m.
Blackmon and Lear are already the No. 6 and No. 7 ranked 200m runners in the nation. Blackmon would place second in her heat but still lower her PR by running 24.15. Lear would also take second place in her heat and run a 24.46.