You’ve probably heard it before. Everything is bigger in Texas. Usually, it's a joke about truck sizes or steak portions, but if you’ve ever stood on the rail at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin during the UIL State Meet, you know it’s not just a cliché. It’s a warning. Texas high school track records aren't just local benchmarks; they’re often the fastest times ever recorded by teenagers on the planet.
Honestly, it’s getting a little ridiculous.
Take Tate Taylor. Just last year, in May 2025, the Harlan junior didn't just win the 6A 100-meter dash—he basically rewrote the physics of high school sprinting. He clocked a wind-legal 9.92 seconds. Read that again. A high schooler ran sub-10. That mark broke the national record and made him the fastest U.S. high schooler in history. When we talk about Texas high school track records, we aren’t just talking about "fast for a kid." We’re talking about world-class speed that happens to be wearing a purple or red school jersey.
The 100-Meter Throne and the Tate Taylor Era
For decades, the name Roy Martin or Henry Neal was the gold standard. People thought 10.13 by Derrick Florence in 1986 was the absolute ceiling for a Texas high schooler. Then Matthew Boling came along in 2019 and blew the doors off the "White Lightning" narrative with a 10.13 (and a wind-aided 9.98). But what Tate Taylor did in 2025 changed the conversation entirely.
It’s not just the 100m, though. Texas owns the 200m too. Roy Martin’s 20.13 from Dallas Roosevelt in 1985 stood as the national record for forever. It’s a legendary mark. You’ve got to be moving to touch that. And while some Florida kids have nipped at the heels of these times, the depth in Texas is just... different. Basically, if you aren't running a 10.3 in 6A, you might not even make it out of your Region. That's the reality.
Why the 4x100 Relay Record is Basically Untouchable
If there is one record that defines the "mythology" of Texas track, it’s the Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt 4x100 relay. In 1998, they ran a 39.76.
Think about that. Four high school kids averaged sub-10 second legs (with the flying start). Most college programs struggle to break 40 seconds. That O.D. Wyatt team—Milton Wesley, Montie Clopton, Michael Franklin, and DeMario Wesley—set a bar so high that it took over 25 years for anyone to even get close.
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- The Legend: People still talk about that 1998 season like it was a fever dream.
- The Challengers: We see teams like Duncanville and Atascocita hovering around 39.9 or 40.1, but that 39.76 is the "Moby Dick" of Texas high school track records.
- The Secret: It wasn't just raw speed; it was the handoffs. Texas coaches treat the 4x100 like a religion.
Field Events: Gravity Doesn’t Apply Here
It’s easy to get obsessed with the sprints, but the field records are arguably more insane. Let’s talk about Michael Carter. In 1979, playing for Dallas Jefferson, he threw the shot put 81 feet, 3.5 inches.
That record is almost 50 years old.
To put that in perspective, the second-best throw in Texas history is usually several feet behind him. Carter’s mark is widely considered the "Greatest High School Record" in any sport, ever. He went on to play for the 49ers and win an Olympic silver medal, but his high school mark is what made him a deity in the throwing world.
Then you have the jumpers. Brenham’s Andra Manson cleared 7 feet, 7 inches in the high jump back in 2002. Most people can't even touch a ceiling that high, and he flew over a bar at that height. Marquise Goodwin, before he was an NFL wide receiver, leaped 26 feet, 10 inches in the long jump for Rowlett.
The Girls' Records: A New Wave of Dominance
We can’t talk about Texas high school track records without mentioning the absolute tear the girls' side has been on lately. Taylor Nunez from Universal City Randolph has been a human highlight reel. In 2023, she was breaking records in the 100m (11.44), 200m (23.42), and Long Jump (20' 2.5") seemingly every time she laced up.
And then there’s the distance side. 1A girls track isn't usually where you look for national-caliber times, but Taytum Goodman from Earth Springlake basically ignored that rule. She set the 1A records in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m. Her 10:56 in the 3200m as a junior was just unfair to the rest of the field.
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The "Heat" Factor: Why Texas is Different
Why is Texas so much faster than, say, Ohio or Washington? It’s not just the population. Honestly, it’s the weather and the culture. You’re training in 90-degree heat by March. Your muscles are always warm. But more than that, it's the UIL structure. The "District-Area-Regional-State" gauntlet is a pressure cooker. By the time a kid gets to Austin, they've already had to survive three rounds of "win or go home" against some of the best athletes in the country.
Current All-Class Boys Records (The "Big Ones")
- 100m: Tate Taylor (San Antonio Harlan), 9.92 – 2025
- 200m: Roy Martin (Dallas Roosevelt), 20.13 – 1985
- 400m: Aldrich Bailey (Mansfield Timberview), 45.19 – 2012
- Shot Put: Michael Carter (Dallas Jefferson), 81' 3.5" – 1979
- 4x100 Relay: Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt, 39.76 – 1998
Current All-Class Girls Records
- 100m: Victoria Jordan (Fort Worth Dunbar), 11.16 – 2008
- 400m: Lauren Lewis (Prosper), 51.45 – 2023
- Discus: Shelbi Vaughan (Mansfield Legacy), 198' 9" – 2012
- 3200m: Brynn Brown (Denton Guyer), 9:39.91 – 2021 (National Record)
Misconceptions About These Marks
A big thing people get wrong is the "Wind Legal" vs. "NWI" (No Wind Information) or "Wind Aided" distinction. In Texas, because it's so flat, we get some crazy gusts. For a time to be an official state or national record, the wind gauge has to read 2.0 meters per second or less.
You’ll see kids run 9.8s or 10.0s all the time in March, but if the wind is +4.1, it doesn't count for the record books. That’s why Tate Taylor’s 9.92 was so massive—it was "clean." No asterisk. No "yeah, but." Just pure, unadulterated speed.
What’s Next for Texas Track?
If you want to keep up with these records, you have to watch the results in real-time. The UIL State Meet happens every May at the University of Texas in Austin. It is the single best weekend of high school sports in America.
If you're an athlete trying to chase these Texas high school track records, your best bet isn't just "running hard." You need to find a summer track club (AAU or USATF) that competes in the Texas summer heat. That’s where the technique for those 39-second relays gets perfected.
Keep an eye on the 2026 season. With the bar now set at 9.92 for the 100m, the psychological barrier is gone. We might be entering an era where sub-10 is the new 10.1. It sounds crazy, but in Texas, crazy is just the baseline.
For those looking to dive deeper, check out the official UIL archives or Texas MileSplit. They track every FAT (Fully Automatic Timing) result from the smallest 1A schools to the 6A giants. Whether you're a scout or just a fan, stay updated on the regional results in late April—that’s usually where the "threats" to these records first emerge before the big show in Austin.