Christopher Brinkley interviews after his nation leading 300h performance at the 2022 Victor Lopez Classic
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In Texas, the winds are always the biggest issue to sprint and hurdle athletes who want to get wind legal performances. Athletes control everything they can when it comes to training, practicing, learning, and performing, but the weather is something they can't control. If they have a head wind, they likely will not get good marks and if they have the luxury to run with a tail wind, they run the risk of not getting wind legal marks.
Nevertheless, the amazing athletes and coaches in Texas help lead to some of the best times we see year in and year out in the nation. This season, the boys 110 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdle marks are nothing less than impressive.
There are already 15 boys in the state with sub 14.00 times in the 110 meter hurdles and 10 boys who have run under 38 seconds in the 300 meter hurdles, including three who are already under 37 and the US No. 1 performer in the event, Christopher Brinkley (Fort Bend Marshall) at 36.27.
On March 25th and March 26th, the 300 meter hurdles saw an explosion of fast times in the state of Texas. At the Texas Clyde Littlefield Relays, five Texas boys ran under 37 and two more ran in the 38s. That same weekend, Brinkley ran his national leading time in the event, to show how good this season is beginning to get.
Kendrick Smallwood competing at the 2021 UIL 5A state track and field championships
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This season, in the 110 meter hurdles, four boys have dipped under 13.70 with wind readings all under 3.0. The defending UIL 5A 110H and 300H champion Kendrick Smallwood (Mesquite Poteet) leads the state and is second nationally with his 13.36 performance (+2.2). He is closely followed in the rankings by Donovan Bradley (Summer Creek), Kody Blackwood (McKinney North), and Shane Gardner (Richmond George Ranch).
The championship season is fastly approaching and the performances will likely continue to ramp up and get faster. However, only a limited amount of runners can advance to the UIL state meet and there are only eight lanes on the track for the best SPC and TAPPS hurdlers.
Click the links to see who the Texas boys leaders are in the hurdle events and see just how fast they have already been this track and field season.