Two of Georgia's top high school track and field athletes are on the verge of making history.
Marist's Tommy Latham and Langston Hughes' Maurice Gleaton have already cemented themselves as the state's elite in their respective events. Both hold Georgia state records in two of the sport's most prestigious races: the Mile and the 100-meter dash. Now, they stand on the brink of breaking two of the most revered barriers in track and field - sub-4:00 in the Mile and sub-10 seconds in the 100 meters.
Throughout track and field, milestone marks exist in every event: 50 feet in the shot put, 10 feet in the pole vault, 10 minutes in the 3,200 meters, 40 feet in the triple jump. But none are as widely recognized or celebrated as the 4-minute Mile and the 10-second 100 meters. If either Latham or Gleaton can break through, they will achieve a level of recognition rarely seen in Georgia high school track and field-a status approaching immortality in the sport.
Gleaton is already in rarefied air. Georgia has produced elite sprinters, including NFL star Tyreek Hill and world champion Christian Coleman. But none matched Gleaton's high school times. As a sophomore, he eclipsed their best marks, and earlier this year, he clocked a 10.01-just shy of the historic sub-10 threshold.
On the distance side, it took decades for anyone to challenge Ralph King's longstanding Georgia records. Latham, however, is on the cusp of doing just that. Earlier this indoor season, he ran 4:00.94 at the Millrose Games, breaking a meet record and inching ever closer to the fabled 4-minute barrier. No Georgia high schooler has ever run sub-4.
WATCH LIVE (NFHS): 2025 MARIST MILE (7:30 pm ET)
Aiming for History
Latham will have a chance to make history tonight on his home track at the Marist Mile, an opportunity he has long envisioned.
"I started thinking about this really early on," Latham said. "I got into running in seventh grade, and I had big goals. If you asked me then, I'd have told you-I want to break 4:00 by the end of high school."
Latham and his coach, Clark Rivers, have been strategic in their approach, carefully selecting the right races and training cycles.
"Tommy and I put our heads together often on scheduling," Rivers said. "We respect the importance of training blocks. When you step to the line, you want to be fully prepared. There's a cost to racing-you sacrifice training time-so we've tried to be selective about when to go after it."
Latham recognizes the significance of potentially breaking 4:00 at home in front of his supporters.
"It's a dream for anyone trying to do something like this-to go out and do it at home with a big crowd watching," he said. "The atmosphere would be incredible."
For those unable to attend, the Marist Mile will be live-streamed by our friends at NFHS, capping off an evening of elite mile races headlined by Latham's attempt at history.
A Dual Pursuit of Greatness
Meanwhile, Gleaton will take his shot at history at the Fulton County Championships tomorrow, attempting to become just the sixth high school sprinter to break 10 seconds-and only the third with legal wind conditions.
Latham, for his part, understands the significance of Gleaton's pursuit.
"I think breaking 10 seconds is the harder barrier," Latham said. "Fewer people have done it, and if he does, that would be incredible. It's really cool to see Georgia sprinters dominating. The track scene here is thriving."
With Latham racing tonight and Gleaton competing tomorrow, there's a chance Georgia high school track history could be rewritten twice in 24 hours. Regardless of the outcome, all eyes will be on these two exceptional athletes as they chase immortality on the track.