First look at the top boys sprinters to watch in the 2023 track and field season.
From record breaking performances to national championship winning efforts, last year's sprint crew put together one of the greatest seasons the state has ever witnessed.
Because the majority of the talent were underclassmen, the same core of top-tier athletes are set to return this spring with greater expectations.
If you thought last year was fast, this season could be even faster.
Here's a look at the top boys sprinters to watch for this season.
Jake Andrews, Sehome
Jake Andrews became well-known across the state after his sophomore debut with Sehome in the pandemic season, but it was his junior season where he really took off. As one of the top all-around sprinters in the state, Andrews produced three top-three marks as he ran 10.55 in the 100, 21.02 in the 200 and 46.39 in the 400. At the 2A state meet, he led the Mariners to a 2A state team championship, finishing first in the 200 and 400, second in the 100, and helped the 4x400 relay team to victory as they slip past rival Squalicum. Following state, Andrews continued his winning ways in the summer as he won two national titles with his club, Ready-Set-Go Sprinters. He first took down Andrew Reginer of Waunakee, Wis. to win the Nike Outdoors title in the 400, followed by another national title in the 400 at the USATF Junior Olympics where he beat Lake Stevens' Grant Buckmiller. Andrews will be attending the University of Southern California next fall to sprint for the Trojans.
Dylan Davis, Eastside Catholic
It took some time, but Dylan Davis was able to find his groove. Davis' junior year got off to a strong start when he ran a personal best 10.64 in the 100 and 22.74 in the 200. But after those races, he struggled to reach those marks for the next couple of weeks. Despite his inconsistency, Davis found himself to be at his best by the end of the year when he would go on to win a pair of state medals in his first appearance at the 3A state meet. In the 100, Davis clocked a time of 10.66 to finish second overall in what was his most complete race of the year. In the 200, he followed up with a third-place effort in another personal best time of 21.74, dropping his previous best time from the preliminary round by .54 tenths of a second. Davis has accepted an offer to sprint for Stanford University next school year.
Will Floyd, Seattle Prep
It was no secret that Will Floyd was in for a big year, though perhaps not as big as we all expected. The Seattle Prep standout had what was, without a doubt, the greatest sprint season in the history of the state. Between the 100, the 200 and 400 races, Floyd ranked in the top three in all of them as he ran 10.52 in the 100, 46.84 in the 400 and a state-record time of 21.01 in the 200, taking down Ja'Warren Hooker's time of 21.24 set back in 1997. Floyd also became the first athlete to sweep all three sprinting state titles at the 3A state meet since Rainier Beach's Attrail Snipes did so at the 2006 meet. During the summer, Floyd had the opportunity to represent Team Canada at the U20 World Championships in Cali, Columbia, as he earned fourth place in the 400, running a personal best time of 46.01, and then led the Canadiens to a bronze medal in the men's 4x400 relay. Floyd will join Eastside Catholic's Davis at Stanford University next year to sprint for the Cardinal.
LeRoy Horton, Curtis
There's something special going to be coming this season from LeRoy Horton. The junior from Curtis has had two great seasons so far in his high school career, with his best performances coming from this last year as a sophomore when he produced personal best times of 10.78 and 21.94 in the 100 and 200 races. Despite a tough stretch where he didn't race at the 4A state meet at the end of the school season, Horton won three district titles for the Vikings in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay races, putting him in the conversation about being a high-caliber sprinter at the end of the season. Horton was able to compete during the summertime and did come away with a national championship at the USATF Junior Olympics in the 200 and an all-American finish in the 100.
Reggie Witherspoon III, Seattle Academy
Reggie Witherspoon III is another highly talented youngster who's just getting his foot in the door and is primed for a big season ahead. As a sophomore for Seattle Academy, Witherspoon III ran personal best efforts of 10.72 and 22.38 in the 100 and 200 races and went on to win two 1A state championships in both of those events for the Cardinals. Witherspoon III earned two all-American honors at the USATF Junior Olympics in the summer in both the 100 and 200 as he finished second in the 100 final and fifth in the 200 final. He also led his club, GLS, to a third-place finish in the 4x100 relay final, earning another all-Amercian spot.
Others to watch:
Grant Buckmiller, Lake Stevens
- Ran personal best times of 22.89 and 48.50. Placed third in the 400 and led the Vikings' 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to first place at 4A state.
Boden Gardner, Mt. Spokane
- Ran personal best times of 22.36 and 49.77. Placed eighth in the 200 and fifth in the 400 at 3A state.
Connor Johnson, Olympia
- Ran personal best times of 22.94 and 48.60. Placed first in the 400 and led the Bears' 4x400 relay team to second place at 4A state.
Lex Luthor, Richland
- Ran personal best times of 11.01 and 22.45.
Ben Stevens, Gig Harbor
- Ran personal best times of 10.94, 22.11 and 50.52. Placed sixth in the 100, fourth in the 200 and led the Tides' 4x400 relay team to third place at 3A state.
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