Viral Sprinter Matthew Boling Breaks 10-Second Barrier, Then Sets National Record In 100m Dash

Houston Strake Jesuit senior Matthew Boling's name is one to note down. The high school athlete went viral last month after eclipsing the 10-second barrier at the Texas state high school track and field championships. His time of 9.98-second over the 100-meter dash is essentially the new benchmark for 18-and-under sprinting in the United States.

Although the 9.98 figures as his personal best to date, it wasn't marked official by the state commission. Mind you, the 10.13 seconds time he accomplished during the final heat of the Texas Class 6A boys 100-meter dash this weekend, is now the record-to-beat at the National level - several decimal points quicker than Henry Neal's longstanding "National Federation of High Schools" record of 10.15.

"When I looked at the race before us and saw the wind was 1.3 [mph], I was like 'Oh, I'm excited,'" Boling said after the race. "Because after last week everyone was like, 'Oh, the wind was illegal,' and stuff like that. So I'm like, 'All right, I'll just drop a fast time today.'"

If the numbers don't mean anything to you, consider this: Matthew Boling is so popular in his home state, that he and his gifted peers managed to attract over 25,000 spectators for the event, a mere high school championship. Not only that, the Texas Class 6A final took place inside the Mike A. Myers Stadium, which if you didn't know, is the home base of the Texas Longhorns.

[Via]