At 15, most youngsters are grappling with calculus homework or dreaming about getting their driver’s license. Cooper Lutkenhaus, nevertheless, is making historical past on the observe. This highschool freshman from Justin, Texas, shattered the American U18 800m document on Wednesday on the Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, Wash., clocking an astonishing 1:47.58, the quickest time ever recorded by a U.S. highschool freshman.
Cooper Lutkenhaus wins the 800M on the Brooks PR Invitational! His time of 1:47.58 breaks his personal freshman nationwide document! He now has the seventh finest time in highschool historical past! We’re so happy with you @CooperLutk68303 pic.twitter.com/wsADtQu1wz
— NISD Athletics (@NISDAthletics) June 13, 2024
Lutkenhaus broke the earlier American U18 document of 1:47.96 set by Michael Granville in 1995, (13 years earlier than Lutkenhaus was born.) He now ranks seventh all-time amongst U.S. excessive schoolers, (and solely in ninth grade.)
Lutkenhaus reportedly opened with a 54.36-second first lap and closed with a destructive cut up of 53.21 seconds over the ultimate 400m.
This season, he’s undefeated within the 800m, and his new private finest time is barely eight-one-hundredths of a second off the world U16 document held by British 800m runner Max Burgin.
Cooper Lutkenhaus of Justin Northwest set the highschool freshman 800 meter document at Brooks PR in a time of 1:47.58 pic.twitter.com/DNsi6eb2ug
— West Coast XC (@westcoast_xc) June 13, 2024
In response to the Dallas Morning Information, Lutkenhaus started his observe profession as a 400m runner however confirmed nice potential when he moved as much as the 800m. Within the final three months, he has lowered his private finest by seven seconds (from 1:54 to 1:47), a large margin for the gap.
Lutkenhaus may have three extra years to pursue the U.S. highschool document of 1:46.45 set by Granville in 1996. This achievement marks the third time this 12 months that he has damaged the nationwide document for freshmen, along with his earlier finest being 1:49.12 on the RunningLane Observe Championships in Could.