Quincy Wilson Runs World U18 Record In 400 Meters, Then Returns To Lead Bullis To 4x400 HSR; Drew Griffith Trims More Than Four Seconds Off 2-Mile Record

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Ian Terpin photo

Quincy Wilson and Drew Griffith took high school running into uncharted waters Sunday during a blockbuster session of finals at New Balance Nationals Indoor. 

Wilson, the super sophomore from Bullis School in Potomac, Md., attacked Elzie Coleman's 20-year-old high school record in the indoor 400 meters and smashed it with a new World U18 record 45.76 seconds. 

Later, Wilson returned to the track and anchored his 4x400 relay teammates to a new national high school record in the 4x400 relay, which ran 3:11.87 to break Bullis' own 2019 standard by more than half a second. 

It stretches the imagination and expands expectations of what his future might bring. Wilson's time would have placed fourth in the final at the World Indoor Championships (assuming he survived the rounds). It would have placed fifth at the NCAA Division 1 Championships, which concluded a day earlier in the same building. 

Before Wilson's heroics charged the atmosphere in the afternoon at The TRACK at New Balance, Griffith's exploits in the boys 2-mile had the place buzzing. 

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS | BIG BOARD | VIDEOS

Griffith, the Foot Locker cross country champion from Butler Area PA, ran ahead of the national record pacing lights and sprinted home in 8:34.91. 

What that did was once and for all settle the question about whether his earlier 8:38.67 on an oversized track was superior to Edward Cheserek's 8:39.15 at The Armory in 2013.

"It feels pretty cool," Griffith said. "To break someone's record who is so well known in the running community is a pretty special feeling." 

Sunday's record-setting performances built upon three more that made headlines on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Carolina Cavaliers (Cuthbertson NC) broke national records in the 4xMile and DMR before placing second in the 4x800 relay in the final session. Charlotte Bell, who anchored both national records, also placed second in the mile in 4:43.87.

In addition, the electric moments brought on by six historic achievements, there were a number of other top-five all-time performances that were nearly as impressive: 

- Clay Shively (Trinity Academy KS) ran No. 8 all-time to win the boys mile in 4:00.47. 

- Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura CA) delivered an incredible 4:36.36 that was slightly slower than her victory on the same track in February at the New Balance Grand Prix. With either result, she ranks third all-time behind Mary Cain and Alexa Efraimson. 

- Patrick Hilby (Aurora Central Catholic) ran No. 5 all-time to win the boys 800 meters final in 1:48.47. 

- Ali Ince, who concluded her final season of high school basketball at Normal Community IL a couple of weeks ago, made it an Illinois sweep of the 800 with her winning time of 2:03.85, good for No. 7 on the all-time list and one spot ahead of Athing Mu. 

- Faith Franklin (Harlingen TX) won the girls 400 with No. 12 all-time 53.02. 

- Brianna Selby (Indian River VA) tied No. 3 all-time with her victory in the 60-meter dash, 7.19 seconds, and she beat Adaejah Hodge (7.22). Domnick Corley of Spokane Speed (Mead WA) earned a rare sprint title for the Northwest, running 6.67 in the boys 60 final. 

- Hodge, a World Championships qualifier for the British Virgin Islands, defended her 200-meter title in 22.96 and ran a leg on MVA;s (Montverde Academy FL) winning 4x400 relay, which ran the second-fastest time in history with 3:38.18. 

- Allie Zealand (Pacers Homeschool VA) ran the No. 4 all-time performance in the girls 2-mile (9:47.57) and Isabel Allori (Liberty Common CO) moved to No. 6 on the all-time list with 9:48.20. 

- Jake Odey-Jordan (Archbishop Carroll DC) ran the fourth-fastest 200 meters of all-time with a stunning 20.66. 

- Union Catholic's Taylor Cox broke a New Jersey record and moved to No. 5 all-time in the 60 hurdles with 8.11 seconds. She also contributed to a SMR victory that ran No. 5 all-time (3:54.62). 

In the field events, a pair of Canadians from Flying Angels Academy won horizontal jump titles. Chairo Ogbebor jumped 24-7 to win the boys long jump. Asia Phillips jumped 42-10.75 to win the girls triple jump. 

Dyson Wicker of Texas Xpress (Rockwall Heath TX) jumped 17-8.50 to match the meet record in the boys pole vault, nearly making the bar jump off its pegs in the process. 

Hours after the final track race was concluded, Camryn Massey from Ashbrook NC won the girls shot put title with a lifetime-best 49-1.75 (14.98m).