The boys sprinters at the Texas A&M Bluebonnet Invitational went to College Station prepared for battle and lining up against one another was a fastest to the finish type of thing - - literally.
On Friday, it was C.E. King freshman Dillon Mitchell making headlines with his wind legal (+1.8) 10.35. Mitchell has been running youth track and playing football for years and his arrival in high school has been long awaited for. The heavily recruited slot receiver's prelim time was a new Freshman Class National Record.
He was followed by Georgia recruit Justin Stewart (Ft Worth Arlington Heights) who ran a 10.39 qualifying time. Another young heavily recruited football start Myson Johnson-Cook (DeSoto) ran 10.45.
Brayden Williams (L) and Richard Lee (R) go 1-2 in the 100m
The dynamic Duncanville duo and Georgia commits Brayden Williams and Jayden Finley ran 10.49 and 10.53 to punch their tickets to the finals. Outside linebacker/free safety Richard Lee (Dickinson) ran 10.54, Abraham Olufemi-Dada (Houston Cyp Lakes) went 10.55.
Closing out the qualifiers was sophomore Dhillon McGee (Red Oak) went 10.58 and Elijah Clark (Austin Westlake) ran 10.58.
Pl Athlete Time 1 Brayden WILLIAMS Duncanville [12] 9.99 2 Richard LEE Dickinson [12] 10.22 3 Dillon MITCHELL C.E. King High School [9]. 10.29 4 Justin STEWART FW Arlington Heights [11]. 10.30 5 Myson JOHNSON-COOK DeSoto [10] 10.33 6 Abraham OLUFEMI-DADA Houston Cyp. Lakes [12]. 10.41 7 Jayden FINLEY Duncanville [12] 10.42 8 Elijah CLARK Austin Westlake [12] 10.46 9 Dhillon MCGEE Red Oak [10] 10.88
In the finals, Williams turned up the heat.
He used an amazing start executing nearly perfectly in the drive and acceleration phases to get out to an early lead and he never looked back.
Williams defeated an awesome field and his winning time of 9.99 (+2.6) is ties a US No. 3 all-time all conditions performance. Only Christian Miller (2024) at 9.94 and Matthew Boling (2019) at 9.98 have faster with Trayvon Bromell (2013) turning in a 9.99 as well.
Footballers Lee and Mitchell finished second and third with times of 10.22 and 10.29.
Richard Lee (L) Justin Stewart (R) go 1-2 in 200m
In the 200m, we again witnessed extraordinary talent.
Stewart, Lee, and Blake Hamilton (Fort Bend Christian Academy) all ran sub 21-second races in the prelims. Stewart ran 20.72 (+2.4), Lee went for a wind legal 20.77 (+1.5), and Hamilton droped a 20.96 (+2.4).
Pl Athlete Time 1 Justin STEWART FW Arlington Heights [11) 20.64 2 Richard LEE Dickinson [12] 20.66 3 Blake HAMILTON Fort Bend Christ. Acad [11] 21.07 4 Spencer HARVEY Liberty Hill High School [12] 21.17 5 Jayden WARREN Iowa Colony [11] 21.27 6 Christian WITCHER Conroe Grand Oaks [11] 21.32 7 Kaleb SAMUELS Pearland High School [10] 21.35 8 Malachi TERRY Plano East [11] 21.71 - Macavion HILL Northwest Nelson [10] DQ
The boys controlled what they could and that was their legs and their places.
Stewart looked like he had this race going away when they were coming off of the turn. He made up the stagger on Lee who was on his outside shoulder. With Lee being as strong as he is, showed that he wasn't getting left behind.
The two would stay tightly connected through the finish line with very little separation. Stewart won in 20.64 and Lee finished a fantastic weekend and was right behind him in 20.66.
Hamilton was third, just slightly over 21-seconds with a time of 21.07