* Issam Asinga runs his way to a 20.48 indoor 200m national record at New Balance Nationals Indoor on Sunday.
Photo Credit: Shawn Conlon/MileSplit
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BOSTON, Mass -- One record was already impressive enough for Issam Asinga.
His quest for history began on Saturday as he notched the first record of his New Balance Nationals Indoor campaign in the 60m prelims, tying Casey Combest's long-held 6.57 mark set in 1999.
But the Montverde Academy (FL) star wanted to write his name in the record books one more time.
On Sunday at the TRACK, Asinga burst out of the blocks in the 200m finals hunting for something special.
As he came around the curve, the crowd seemed to have a hunch that another record may fall, cheering as he ran through the line.
20.48 lit up on the video board as Asinga shattered Jaylen Slade's previous all-time mark of 20.62 clocked back in 2021.
Asinga becomes only the 17th athlete in U.S. high school history to go under 20.50 indoors or outdoors and the only sprinter to ever do it on the indoor oval.
Unlike the 60m, where he went after a special mark in the prelims, Asinga waited until the finals to truly unleash his speed and set the new all-time standard for the boys 200m.
Photo Credit: Shawn Conlon/MileSplit
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Notably, Asinga wasn't the only Montverde athlete to put down a jaw-dropping performance.
Moments after Asinga's 200m, teammate Adaejah Hodge completely crushed her own girls 200m national record 22.77 set in yesterday's prelims to run 22.33 in the finals.
That's quite the showing from Florida's all-star powerhouse.
But the success didn't end with the one-lap race.
To cap it all off, Asinga returned to the oval minutes after his historic 200m to win a 60m title in 6.59 -- just off two-hundredths of a second off his own record.
His efforts at New Balance Nationals Indoor certainly cements Asinga as one of the top sprint performers in indoor history.
Related Links:
Adaejah Hodge, Just 16, Smashes The World U20 Record In 200m
Adaejah Hodge Crushes 200m U.S. Record With 22.77 At NBNI