Brooks PR Event-By-Event Preview

Boys 400m Dash

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The Favorite

This will be an extremely competitive boys 400m dash, with all eight runners in the top fifteen in the country. A meet record is likely to be broken here, and perhaps more than one or two runners could go sub-46 -- a feat that hasn't been done at Brooks PR yet. Florida's Jamal Walton owns the fastest time of the group with his US No. 2 time of 45.70 and is the most experienced, with international meets under his belt at the CARIFTA Games and as a sprinter with the Cayman Islands. His lone loss of the season came against US No. 1 Tyrese Cooper in the first week of the season at the Louie Bing Classic. Georgia's Elija Godwin is the defending champion of the race, while Texas' Sean Hooper recently punched out a nice endurance workout with a 1:54.19 win at the AAU Southwestern qualifier on June 11. He's got 20.94 200m speed and has gone sub-46. 

The Contenders

There is no doubt a time of 45 seconds will be needed to win, and only four guys have run that fast in their high school careers. Godwin and Walton raced in the 200m dash at the Prefontaine Classic and will go head-to-head again. Godwin ran 45.83 last year in AAU, but has been in top form as of late and is capable of setting a new best at Brooks PR. Like Godwin, Hooper is coming off of one of his best races, finishing second at the Texas state meet in 45.92.

Lastly, keep an eye on Louisiana freshman Sean Burrell. The Louisiana quarter specialist set a 15-year-old group age record at the Great Southwest Classic with a time of 46.19. He was also a member of the Great Southwest 4x400 relay with Walton, Cooper and Thomas Burns which ran 3:03.35. Utah's Hunter Woodhall is another interesting athlete who could go under 46 seconds -- the Paralympic medalist set a state record this year and became the first double-amputee in history to sign a Division I scholarship. He's headed to the University of Arkansas. 

The Prediction 

Experience wins championships, and Miramar (Fl.) High's Jamal Walton is ready for a breakout performance. 

The Field

- Todd Grasley