Candace Hill becomes youngest runner to break 11 seconds in 100 at Brooks PR Invite...

SHORELINE, Washington—For all the pre-meet hype about the quality of the fields in the girls’ and boys’ two-mile run, it took exactly 10.98 seconds for Candace Hill (left/photo by Paul Merca) to blow up the hype at the Brooks PR High School Invitational at Shoreline Stadium Saturday.

All Hill, a 16-year old sophomore at Rockdale County HS in Georgia did was become the first high schooler to break 11 seconds in the 100, with that 10.98 clocking with the maximum allowable wind reading of 2.0 meters per second, after it was initially announced over the public address system as  a +2.7mps reading.

In addition to breaking the national high school record set by Kaylin Whitney of 11.10 at last year’s USA Junior Championships, she also broke English Gardner’s American junior record of 11.03 set at the 2011 Pac-10 championships in Tuscon, and Whitney’s world youth record.

Hill went into the Brooks meet on a bit of a roll, after running 11.21 into a head wind at last week’s adidas Grand Prix meet in New York.

Afterwards, Hill exclaimed that it was one of the best races that she’s ever run.

“I had a feeling that today was going to be a great day.  My start was good, my drive phase was good, and my acceleration phase towards the end was good.  I maintained form and stayed relaxed.”

One place where you won’t see the new national high school sprint queen is Historic Hayward Field in Eugene for next week’s USA Senior and/or Junior championships, as she is sticking with the plan to compete at the World Youth Track & Field Trials on June 30-July 1st in Lisle, Illinois, with spots on Team USA for the IAAF World Youth Championships (age 16-17) in Cali, Colombia on the line.

The top boy’s performance was by Donavan Brazier of Kenowa Hills, Michigan, who won the 800 in a national-leading time of 1:47.55.  

Andrew Hunter of Loudoun Valley HS in Virginia won the boys’ two-mile in 8:42.51, beating sub-four minute miler Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc, Michigan, who ran 8:43.57.

Mount Spokane HS senior John Dressel, a member of Team USA at the IAAF world junior cross country championships in Guiyang in March, finished third in a time of 8:50.07.

Complete results from the Brooks PR Invitational are available here.

NOTE:  Special thanks to Brooks Sports for their assistance.