* Tinoda Matsatsa wins the 800m at New Balance Nationals Outdoor
Photo Credit: Elias Catania / MileSplit
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It's been a standout 2023 season for Tinoda Matsatsa.
The St. Andrew's Episcopal School (MD) graduate and Georgetown University commit moved up the all-time rankings in the 800m at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
In front of the Franklin Field crowd, Matsatsa lined up amongst a handful of the nation's fastest competitors and ultimately had a rematch against US No. 4 performer Andrew Regnier of Waunakee (WI). Regnier went 1:48.49 on Wednesday at Brooks PR Invitational to finish third overall and Matsatsa finished a place behind him with a 1:48.50, which was a new career best for him at the time.
It was a new day and both the boys to toed the line Sunday afternoon.
It wasn't a surprise to see Matsatsa lead the pack at the 200m mark. His style of running suggests being bold and taking control.
At the bell lap, Regnier tried to make his first move on Matsatsa as they came through the first 400m in 55-high. Regnier remained patient and then was shoulder-to-shoulder with Matsatsa, the 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor 800m champion.
Matsatsa responded to the second challenge with 200m to go and kept pushing toward the finish line. Regnier, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, tried to close the small gap, but Matsatsa was able to hold off the pressure as he crossed the finish line in 1:47.61.
His performance was the eighth-fastest recorded time by a high school boy. Regnier, who finished as the runner up, also set a new lifetime best of 1:47.95. The nation's fastest 800m runners became the first two boys this spring to go sub 1:48. On top of that, they are now the 15th and 16th boys in high school history to dip under that barrier during the outdoor season.
Keyshawn Garcia of Edinburg North (TX) was third in 1:48.22.
This season was special for Matsatsa as he became the first black high school boy to break four minutes in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles the first week of June with a 3:58.70 to finish third in the field.
