The boys' 400-meter preliminaries at the Carl Lewis Invitational underscored just how quickly Brycen Martin is climbing the national ranks. Just seven days earlier, Martin clocked a 47.89 at the Texas High School Indoor Championships in College Station, a performance that placed him No. 10 nationally and No. 6 in Texas.
Returning to his hometown of Houston on Friday night at the University of Houston, the Wings Track Club standout showed he's still trending upward. Martin attacked his preliminary heat with confidence and efficiency, stopping the clock at 47.65, the fastest qualifying time of the round. The run not only secured him a spot in Saturday's final, but also elevated him to No. 7 nationally, signaling that another big performance could be on the horizon.
With the prelims serving as a controlled effort rather than an all-out race, Martin now enters the final as the athlete to watch in a field that features several seasoned quarter-milers chasing sub-48 territory. Another opportunity arises in the finals on Saturday; all signs point to Martin being poised for yet another statement run as the Carl Lewis Invitational heads into Championship Day.
Boys 400 Meter Dash - Prelims (Top 10 Qualifiers)
Carl Lewis Invitational
| Place | Athlete | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brycen Martin | Wings Track Club | 47.65q |
| 2 | Jason Walker | Shadow Creek | 47.89q |
| 3 | Andrew Barnum | Katy Mayde Creek | 49.03q |
| 4 | Jaylen Jackson | Trojan Elite Fusion | 49.33q |
| 5 | Gregory Cheeks II | Wings Track Club | 49.51q |
| 6 | Reef Worsop | Team 44.30 TC | 49.63q |
| 7 | Adam Orth | Unattached | 49.71q |
| 8 | Daevion Lewis | Unattached | 49.83q |
| 9 | Zedric Thomas | Shadow Creek | 49.85q |
| 10 | Jakobe James | GODspeed | 49.97q |
