Sophia Bendet and Elin Latta compete in the girls one mile at the Brooks PR Invitational
The Brooks PR Invitational is one of the first major national track and field meets held after the conclusion of state championships across the country. For most athletes, it arrives just weeks-sometimes even days-after their state title runs. For Texas competitors specifically, this year's Brooks PR Invitational came five weeks after the conclusion of the Homeschool, SPC, TAPPS, and UIL state championships.
That gap made Brooks PR a critical early-season test on the national stage, and Texas athletes rose to the occasion. Given the extended break from high-level competition, the performances from the Lone Star State were even more impressive than anticipated. In my opinion, Texas represented exceptionally well-and in many ways, the meet felt like it belonged to them.
- - -
Girls 100m
Some of the top girls 100m sprinters took the track at the Brooks PR and five Texas girls including four from the Houston area were assigned lanes.
It was the UIL 6A state champion Mia Maxwell (Atascocita) who took the win home with a swift 11.04 win. That equaled her state meet run in Austin from last month and the +1.2 wind reading made it another legal run.
It was Mariah Maxwell (Atascocita), the twin sister of Mia who took runner-up. Mariah focused on the 200m this season where we saw her go undefeated and ending with a state championship. She finished with a 11.28 run in Seattle.
Four-time UIL 3A 100m state champion and Texas A&M signee Taylor Nunez (Universal City Randolph) finished third with a 11.44 run with Kylah Woods (Fort Bend Ridge Point) and London Jackson Bray (Katy) seventh in 11.55.
Varsity Girls 100 Meter Dash Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mia Maxwell | 11 | Humble Atascocita | 11.04 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 2 | Mariah Maxwell | 11 | Humble Atascocita | 11.28 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 3 |  Taylor Nunez | 12 | Randolph | 11.44 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 4 |  Ryan Jennings | 12 | Timber Creek Reg. HS | 11.44 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 5 |  Kylah Woods | 12 | Ridge Point High School | 11.45 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 6 |  Keelan Wright | 12 | Chaparral (SS) | 11.51 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 7 |  London Jackson Bray | 12 | Katy | 11.55 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 8 |  Somto Igwilo | 10 | Walton High School | 13.74 | 1.2 | 1 |
- - -
Girls 400m
Two junior girls with multiple UIL 4A state championships competed in the Brooks PR 400m.
Angel Brefo (Midlothian Heritage) finished third with a time of 52.90. She entered winning the past two UIL 5A state titles with her runner-up performance from her freshman season. This run was just a little behind her 52.58 winning run last month.
Ashtyn Lewis (Iowa Colony), the two-time UIL 4a state champion and this year's UIL 5A runner-up behind Brefo was fourth place in Seattle. Her time of 53.27 placed her right behind Brefo like she finished last month when she rean 52.75.
Varsity Girls 400 Meter Dash Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Natalie Dumas | 11 | Eastern Regional HS | 52.40 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Maddison Brister-Wesley | 11 | Lane 4 Track Club | 52.89 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Angel Brefo | 11 | Midlothian Heritage | 52.90 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Ashtyn Lewis | 11 | Iowa Colony | 53.27 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Kinzlee Riddle | 12 | Mountain Ridge | 53.57 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Sophia Castaneda | 11 | Newberg | 53.86 | 1 | ||
| 7 |  Kaddel Howard | 11 | Cedar Crest 03 | 54.25 | 1 | ||
| 8 |  Malia Campbell | 12 | Landmark Christian School | 54.30 | 1 |
- - -
Girls One Mile
Sophia Bendet (Universal City Randolph), another state champion multiple times over competed this weekend in Seattle. She placed third in the 1,600m with a time of 4:41.82, coming right off of the Festival of Miles.
Also coming off the Festival of Miles was Elin Latta (South Texas Heat Homeschool). Latta ran a Texas state meet 4:36.74. She followed up with a 4:44.82 for fifth place at Brooks PR.
Varsity Girls One Mile Run Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lily Alder | 11 | Timpview | 4:37.35 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Claire Stegall | 12 | Unattached - TN | 4:38.45 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Sophia Bendet | 12 | Randolph | 4:41.82 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Alexa Matora | 12 | Lake Washington High School | 4:44.40 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Elin Latta | 9 | South Texas Heat Homeschool | 4:44.82 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Sophia Thompson | 10 | Union Catholic Reg. HS | 4:49.28 | 1 | ||
| 7 |  Ryin Miller | 11 | Topeka Seaman High School | 4:52.15 | 1 | ||
| 8 |  Libby Castelli | 12 | Sioux Falls O'Gorman High School | 4:57.10 | 1 | ||
| 9 |  Dylan McElhinney | 12 | Hunter College Campus Schools | 5:13.42 | 1 |
- - - Middle School - - -
Girls
Madisyn Scott - 4th in the 800m (Texas Thunder Track Club - 2:12.59)
Boys
Brandon Lafell - 5th 400m - (Alvin Nolan Ryan MS - 49.52)
Chance Anderson - 2nd 800m - (Rockwall Mustangs Track Club - 1:57.29)
Silas Gonzalez - 6th 800m - (San Antonio Swift Track Club - 2:01.43)
Micah Sterling - 8th 800m - (Track Houston Track Club - 2:02.57)
Boys 100m
This season's boys 100m event has been owned by the Texas boys. The standard has been set and continues to be measured by the boys from within our borders.
Brayden Williams (Duncanville) was the UIL 6A runner-up this season, but was untouchable in this event. After a call-back, the second start saw Williams get his usual outstanding start and was able to finish strong to 10.22 win (+1.0).
Super frosh and two-sport star Dillon Mitchell (Sheldon C.E. King) finished third with a time of 10.32 with Nicholas Altheimer sixth with a time of 10.50.
Varsity Boys 100 Meter Dash Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brayden Williams | 12 | Duncanville | 10.22 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Ja'Neil Harris | 12 | T.W. Andrews | 10.32 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 3 |  DILLON MITCHELL | 9 | Sheldon King | 10.32 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 4 |  Benjamin Harris | 10 | Servite (SS) | 10.43 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 5 |  Kenan Walton | 11 | Westlake | 10.49 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 6 |  Nicholas Altheimer | 12 | Curtis Senior High School | 10.50 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 7 |  DeMar Coleman | 12 | South Mountain High School | 10.63 | 1.0 | 1 | |
| 8 |  Langston Thomas | 12 | Hickman High School | 10.76 | 1.0 | 1 |
Boys 400m
The boys 400m was another excellent even this season and the Brooks PR field reflected as much. Four of the lanes were filled with strong and fast Texas runners.
Elijah Ferguson (Katy Mayde Creek) who came in with a 45.46 personal best got out to his usual conservative start and turned on the jets at the halfway point. The Texas Tech commit's strategy nearly worked again as he caught all runners, except the winner Jaelen Hunter (CA) who narrowly held on 46.62 to Ferguson's 46.64.
Juniors Joshua Shelton (Pearland) and Charvis Tubbs (Humble) finished in third and fourth place. Shelton who ran 45.93 this season turned in a 47.17 and Tubbs who ran 46.19 this year crossed the line in 47.48.
Kansas State commit and Willis grad Heath Grant finished fifth with a time of 47.60. He was unable to really find a rhythm and couldn't get near the 46.37 mark he has reached at a point in the season.
Varsity Boys 400 Meter Dash Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaelen Hunter | 9 | Servite (SS) | 46.62 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Elijah Ferguson | 12 | Katy Mayde Creek | 46.64 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Joshua Shelton | 11 | Pearland High School | 47.15 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Charvis Tubbs | 11 | Humble | 47.48 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Charvis Tubbs | 11 | Humble | 47.48 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Heath Grant | 12 | Willis | 47.60 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Sylus West-Gaither | 12 | Legacy High School | 47.80 | 1 | ||
| 7 | Denhm Holt | 12 | PANTHER TRACK CLUB | 48.05 | 1 |
Boys 800m
Yesterday, we wrote about Cooper Lutkenhaus winning the Brooks PR 800m for the second consecutive season. His win produced a new 800m National Record and meet record when he crossed the line in 1:46.26.
Related: Cooper Lutkenhaus Rewrites 800m National Record With 1:46.26
Luke Bone (Austin Stephen F. Austin) continued to show off his impressive racing as he crossed in fifth place. His time of 1:49.89 was his fifth 1:50 or under performance of the year; that is a type of running we've seldomly seen in Texas. He'll be heading to Texas Tech in the fall to continue his career.
Varsity Boys 800 Meter Run Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooper Lutkenhaus | 10 | Unattached - TX | 1:46.26 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Owen Powell | 12 | Mercer Island High School | 1:46.63 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Joseph Socarras | 12 | Belen Jesuit Preparatory School | 1:47.60 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Bryson Nielsen | 12 | Eastmark High School | 1:49.32 | 1 | ||
| 5 | Luke Bone | 12 | Unattached - TX | 1:49.89 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Kaleb Burroughs | 12 | West Florence | 1:50.43 | 1 | ||
| 7 |  Robin Lefebvre | 12 | Collège Notre-Dame | 1:50.48 | 1 | ||
| 8 | Joshua Cooper | 10 | Willow Spring Storm Track Club | 1:50.97 | 1 | ||
| 9 |  Will Cuicchi | 12 | Unattached NC | 1:52.26 | 1 | ||
| 10 |  Ethan Walther | 12 | Salesianum School | 1:52.57 | 1 |
Boys 110-meter hurdles
DeVonte Taylor II (Houston Episcopal) was able to show his prowess with a fourth place finish in the 110s. Taylor who proved this season that his hurdling, sprinting, and jumping combined made him one of the top athletes in the sport in Texas.
While his time of 13.70 was a bit off his 13.54 personal best from earlier in the year, it was a wind legal mark with only a +1.2 reading.
Nolan Bartley (Humble Atascocita), the runner-up at the UIL 6A state meet was also a far cry away from his 13.57 personal best from Austin. He finished sixth overall in a time of 14.02.
Varsity Boys 110 Meter Hurdles Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Le'Ezra Brown | 12 | Dudley | 13.29 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 2 |  Spencer Van Orden | 11 | Highland High School (Pocatello) | 13.45 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 3 | Jasir Fontenot | 9 | San Diego High School (SD) | 13.68 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 4 |  DeVonte Taylor | 12 | Houston Episcopal | 13.70 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 5 | Tayman Howell | 12 | Dudley | 13.77 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 6 | Nolan Bartley | 12 | Humble Atascocita | 14.02 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| 7 |  Zacchaeus Brocks | 11 | Detroit Catholic Central | 15.15 | 1.2 | 1 |
Boys Two-Mile
Caden Leonard (Southlake Carroll) has arguably been the best distance runner in the state of Texas for the past two seasons. He has two UIL 6A cross country titles and just last month he added a second 1600m title and the 3200m state title. At Brooks, he notched another accomplishment by running 8:50.22 for a second place finish in the two-mile.
En route to the complete two miles, Leonard, the University of North Carolina commit went through the 3200m in 8:47.32. That is a new TX No. 4 performance covering the 3200m distance en route to the two-miles leaving him behind only fellow Carroll Dragon Colby Lowe (8:44.01- 2008), Ben Shearer (The Woodlands Christian - 8:45.83 - 2021), and Emmanuel Sgouros (Houston St. John's - 8:47.19)
Varsity Boys 3200 Meter Run Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Juan Gonzalez | 12 | Fremont High School | 8:44.30 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Caden Leonard | 11 | Carroll High School | 8:47.32 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Joe Barrett | 12 | Christian Brothers Academy | 8:48.96 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Charlie Mlotshwa | 12 | Oak Bay Secondary | 8:49.78 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Ben Crane | 12 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 8:53.68 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Benjamin Adams | 10 | Mountain Vista High School | 8:55.63 | 1 | ||
| 7 | Benjamin Anderson | 12 | Mountain Vista High School | 8:59.72 | 1 | ||
| 8 |  Jack Anstrom | 12 | Seaforth High School | 9:11.41 | 1 | ||
| 9 |  Vincent Recupero | 12 | Bishop Blanchet High School | 9:21.37 | 1 | ||
| 10 |  Jameson Pifer | 11 | Collins Hill High School | 9:34.32 | 1 |
Varsity Boys 2 Mile Run Finals
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Wind | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Gonzalez | 12 | Fremont High School | 8:47.06 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Caden Leonard | 11 | Carroll High School | 8:50.22 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Joe Barrett | 12 | Christian Brothers Academy | 8:52.18 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Charlie Mlotshwa | 12 | Oak Bay Secondary | 8:53.13 | 1 | ||
| 5 | Ben Crane | 12 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 8:56.96 | 1 | ||
| 6 | Benjamin Adams | 10 | Mountain Vista High School | 8:58.59 | 1 | ||
| 7 | Benjamin Anderson | 12 | Mountain Vista High School | 9:03.30 | 1 | ||
| 8 | Jack Anstrom | 12 | Seaforth High School | 9:15.08 | 1 | ||
| 9 | Vincent Recupero | 12 | Bishop Blanchet High School | 9:25.10 | 1 | ||
| 10 | Jameson Pifer | 11 | Collins Hill High School | 9:38.29 | 1 |
Sophia Bendet and Elin Latta compete in the girls one mile at the Brooks PR Invitational
The Brooks PR Invitational is one of the first major national track and field meets held after the conclusion of state championships across the country. For most athletes, it arrives just weeks-sometimes even days-after their state title runs. For Texas competitors specifically, this year's Brooks PR Invitational came five weeks after the conclusion of the Homeschool, SPC, TAPPS, and UIL state championships.
That gap made Brooks PR a critical early-season test on the national stage, and Texas athletes rose to the occasion. Given the extended break from high-level competition, the performances from the Lone Star State were even more impressive than anticipated. In my opinion, Texas represented exceptionally well-and in many ways, the meet felt like it belonged to them.