As a 14 year old, Mekhi Gammons stepped onto the track in Kissimmee, Florida for the 2019 AAU National Club Championships.
In the 400m prelim, Gammons crushed the first 100m of the race and already made up the stagger before he completed the first 150m. He continued to excel and apply pressure coming around the second turn. He pumped his arms and crossed the finish line, stopping the clock at 48.77. He finished 5.47 seconds ahead of second place in this heat.
He turned around in the finals and set his starting blocks in lane four with the red uniform and yellow headband. The starting gun went off and he blasted out the blocks and entered his first turn.
All of a sudden, it looked like Gammons put on the jets on the backstretch. He went from being even with the stagger....
.... to six seconds later being in the front of the pack with 200m to go.
He had a clear lead has he entered the second half of his race.
Gammons of Miami Carol HS (FL) started to pull away from the rest of the field as he pumped his arms down the homestretch.
The crowd was on its feet rooting for him as he crossed the finish line and stopped the clock at 47.86, breaking the world age group 400m record that was previously set by Bryce Love (48.62) in 2011.
A few weeks later, Gammons competed at the AAU Junior Olympics and won the 200m with a time of 21.81 and the 400m with a 48.27. In 2018, Gammons' fastest time in the 400m was a 50.51 when he placed second at the AAU National Club Championships. In a span of a year, this young athlete took 2.24 seconds off his personal best.
AGE 14 BOYS 400 METER DASH FINALS ALL RESULTS PLACE ATHLETE TEAM RESULT WIND H# 1 Mekhi Gammons 9 Miami Gardens Xpress Track Club 47.86 1 2 Jaren Hamilton 9 PPG (Peak Performance Gainesville) 49.94 1 3 Methias Carter 9 Jackrabbit Track and Field 50.81 1 4 Dominick Grullon 9 Miami Gardens Xpress Track Club 50.93 1 5 Marquez Stevenson Natchitoches Recreational & Parks Department 51.61 1 6 Jaylen Marsh 9 Cobb PAL 51.65 1 7 Kavon Miller 9 1st Coast TC 51.89 1 8 Shamar Morgan 9 Miami Gardens Xpress Track Club 52.03 1
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