10 High School Track And Field Athletes Who Were Competitive On A World Level In 2025

Forbes

17-07-2025

Arcadia, CA - April 12: Jane Hedengren of Timpview (Utah) wins the women's 2 mile invitational ... More during the 2025 Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School in Arcadia on Saturday, April 12, 2025.(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images
A new age of track and field athletes is growing up before our eyes, and in 2025 we witnessed one of the most talented crops in some time. From a legendary season in Utah from Brigham Young University recruit Jane Hedengren, to a best-in-show sprint campaign from Texan Tate Taylor, here are 10 high school athletes who changed the game in 2025.
And when we say changed the game, we mean this : Every single one of these teenagers were competitive on a world level. So what does that mean in the immediate future?
With the U.S. Outdoor Championships fast approaching on July 31 in Eugene, Oregon, we could see a few of these athletes step to the line and compete for spots on Team USA ahead of the World Championships in September in Tokyo.
Dumas, a high school junior from Voorhees, New Jersey, made a massive impression over her final high school competition of the 2025 season, winning three individual championships in the 400 meters, the 800 meters, and the 400 meter hurdles at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
What's more, Dumas ran times that were respectable on the world stage, clocking efforts of 51.14 (World No. 59), 2:00.11 (World No. 75) and 55.99 (World No. 64). Interestingly enough, Dumas' performance in the 400 meters surpassed a New Jersey state record formerly held by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 9. Dana Wilson, Greensboro Day School (NC)
By the end of the 2025 high school season, Wilson was the sixth-best performer in prep history over 100 meters, with a personal best time of 11.02 seconds. Coming from a small prep school in Greensboro, North Carolina, Wilson searched for the best competition to run against – which led to outings at the Pepsi Florida Relays and the USATF Under-20 Championships – and that strategy proved fruitful, because she finished the year with the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 performances at 100 and 200 meters.
Her time over 100 meters stands as the 36th-best effort in the world. 8. Brayden Williams, Duncanville (TX)
No one in high school history has run as fast as Brayden Williams.
That is technically true. When it comes to the fastest wind-aided 100 meter time in prep history, the 18-year-old from Duncanville High School achieved that feat, stopping the clock in 9.82 seconds in April during a postseason race in Texas.
Williams went on to finish second at the Texas State Championships – only to Tate Taylor (who's No. 3 on this list) – pocketed three sub-10 performances (all wind-aided) over the spring, and won the USATF Under-20 100 meter championship in Eugene. He's off to the University of Georgia in the fall. 7. Owen Powell, Mercer Island (WA)
Ever since Alan Webb exploded on the scene and set a new high school national record in the mile in 2001 – clocking a remarkable time of 3:53.43 that still stands today – high school boys have been trying to recreate that magical season. Many have tried since, and many have not quite reached that apex. What Webb did manage to do, however, was re-set the bar for others to go after the sub-4 mile.
Powell, the son of University of Washington coaches Andy and Maurica Powell, was the best of the American high schoolers in 2025, hitting a top time of 3:56.66 indoors and 3:58.12 outdoors on his way to the record books – the first accounting for a new national indoor record and the second landing at No. 7 all-time outdoors. He also ran 1:46.63 for 800 meters and 3:36.49 for 1,500 meters, with the latter achieving the No. 2 mark in prep history and reaching No. 161 on the world list (as it currently stands). 6. Jackson Cantwell, Nixa (MO)
Not only did Cantwell have one of the greatest high school throwing seasons in history, earning the second-best shot put mark of all-time in 76 feet, 11.25 inches, but the Nixa High School junior was also the No. 1 football recruit in the country – and better yet, he was only 16 years old.
The 6-foot-8 and roughly 280 pound offensive lineman is headed off to the University of Miami in December, where he could spend one more season throwing before he commits full-time to football – and if that happens Cantwell would be throwing at the age of a traditional high school senior. Let's hope that happens. Both of Cantwell's parents – Christian and Teri – were track and field Olympians, with Christian earning Olympic silver in 2008 and a World Championship title outdoors in 2009.
While Cantwell's football future seems incredibly bright, there's no question his shot put mark mark in May at the Missouri State Outdoor Championships will go down as one of the craziest throws of all-time – it's only roughly four feet shy of Michael Carter's 46-year-old national record of 81 feet and 3.5 inches.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Sadie Engelhardt (USA) places fifth in women's 1,500m heat in ... More 4:08.87 during the Sound Running Sunset Tour at Jack Kemp Stadium at Occidental College on July 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) Getty Images 5. Sadie Engelhardt, Ventura (CA)
The teenager from California made the unique decision to opt out of high school competition in 2025, both to avoid over-racing and create additional opportunities against professional competition. That wasn't necessarily a bad decision.
The North Carolina State University recruit competed in professional fields at the Millrose Games, Track Fest, the Music City Distance Carnival and the Sunset Tour, with the final event producing Engelhardt's top time at the 1,500 meter distance this year in 4:08.87. In June, she also clocked an 800 meter time of 2:02.50.
Considering Engelhardt competed U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024, we just may see her line up at the U.S. Outdoor Championships.
RENTON, WASHINGTON - JUNE 12: Boys 800m winner Cooper Lutkenhaus (C) poses with runner-up Patrick ... More Hilby (L) and third-place finisher Trey Sato during the Brooks PR Invitational at Renton Memorial Stadium on June 12, 2024 in Renton, Washington. (Photo by) Getty Images 4. Cooper Lutkenhaus, Northwest (TX)
Not since Michael Granville has a high school athlete taken the 800 meter distance by such a storm. And even grander: Lutkenhaus has done it at the tender age of 16. The Texas teenager, a rising high school junior at Northwest High School near Fort Worth, became the only American high schooler in history to surpass the 1:46 barrier for the distance in June, clocking a new high school record of 1:45.45 at the USATF U20 Championships.
Granville's former national record of 1:46.45 had held since 1996. Now Lutkenhaus is entered in the men's 800 meters in the U.S. Outdoor Championships. Maybe it's a stretch to think the Texan can compete for a bid to the World Championships – but hey, crazier things have happened.
Lutkenhaus will face up against World Indoor champion Josh Hoey, world qualifier Brandon Miller and former NCAA champion Shane Cohen. 3. Tate Taylor, Harlan (TX)
Taylor's season may be over – he's not currently entered in the men's 100 meters at the U.S. Outdoor Championships – though he surely left a mark by season's end.
In May, the 17-year-old high school junior from Harlan became the fastest high schooler in history when he ran a wind-legal 9.92 seconds at the Texas State Outdoor Championships – former record-holder, Issam Asinga, is currently holding a 4-year doping hand-out following a failed drug test following his record 9.89 from the South American Championships in 2023.
That 100 meter time by Taylor still stands as the ninth-fastest performance in the world and is the fastest under-18 effort in history. Taylor ran just once more after the Texas State Championships, clocking a time of 10.10 for 100 meters.
THE 2025 ESPYS PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE - Hosted by comedian, actor and writer Shane Gillis who will ... More bring his comedic energy to the stage as he joins a star-studded group to celebrate the most memorable moments in sports. "The ESPYS" will air live from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and will stream live on ESPN+. (Disney/Frank Micelotta) ADDISON HALPERN, JANE HEDENGREN, SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty Images) Disney via Getty Images 2. Jane Hedengren, Provo Timpiew (UT)
Hedengren is not entered in the U.S. Outdoor Championships yet. But that isn't to say she won't be by deadline day. And what a show it will be if she's in the picture. The high school graduate from Provo Timpview High School – a five-star recruit headed for Brigham Young University – may have just concluded the most impressive high school girls campaigns in history, claiming high school national records in the mile, 3,000 meters, two mile and 5,000 meters.
She's ranked top 20 in the world in the mile, top 50 in the 3,000 meters and inside the top 60 at 5,000 meters. And that last performance? With a time of 14:57.93, she became the first American high school athlete to break 15 minutes in history – an achievement she probably didn't even have on her bucket list. She's also the fastest woman in the world for two miles with a time of 9:17.75 – though that's a time very few women run over the season.
There have been other high school superstars over the last 20 years, including the likes of Mary Cain, Alexa Efraimson and Katelyn Tuohy. But none were as versatile, and as supremely prolific, as Hedengren.
WASHINGTON, DC-MARCH 18: Quincy Wilson of Bullis High School is boys track , All Met Player of ... More the Year photographed in Washington, DC on March 18, 2025. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images 1. Quincy Wilson, Bullis School (MD)
The only 2024 Olympian on this list, Wilson is in pristine form just a few weeks out from the U.S. Outdoor Championships. On July 12, he re-set his own world under-18 record at 400 meters, unlocking a time of 44.10 seconds at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis Tennessee – a performance which now stands fourth in the world.
The 17-year-old is also undoubtedly a threat to make the U.S. team at the distance. And even if he ultimately finishes outside the top three finishers at USAs, Wilson will no doubt be in the running for the World Championship relay pool if he reaches the 400 meter final and accounts himself well.
Wilson finished fifth at the U.S. Olympic Trials last June and was picked as an Olympian. He eventually ran in the 4x400 first round in Paris and contributed to the American's gold-winning effort. But after a hamstring injury downplayed his involvement, the Bullis School star no doubt is looking to redeem himself.
So what can we expect? As a 16-year-old, Wilson clocked times of 44.66, 44.59 and 44.94 over 400 meters to finish fifth at the U.S. Olympic Trials last June. If he's anyone close to that, we're in for a wild show.