The prep legend of
Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas) senior Matthew Boling — nicknamed "White Lightning" — ended with another memorable performance in the Lone Star state at the UIL State Track and Field Championships on Saturday. .
Before more than 25,000 fans at Mike A. Myers Stadiums on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, Boling ran the fastest 100 meters time (10.13 seconds) against all high school competition while winning the Texas 6A state crown.
That was just for starters.
Video: Matthew Boling finishes in style.
Georgia-bound sprinter brings more than 25,000 fans to feet with epic finish in 4x400 relay.
He also won the long jump at 25 feet, 4½ inches and then recorded a remarkable 44.74 400-meter split, leading his team's 4x400 relay team to victory on the last event of the day.
Many of the fans came to watch the Georgia-bound standout run, especially in the 100, where two weeks ago he ran the fastest all-conditions time in
prep history at 9.98 seconds. That was with a 4.2-meters-per-second wind at his back, so it didn't count toward a national record.
It still caught the attention of national media, and even the BBC overseas, which ran a feature on him.
On Saturday, the wind remained calm, and though he had a 1.3-mps wind at his back, it was totally legal. His time bettered the previous national mark of 10.15 set in 1990 by Henry Neal of Greenville, Texas.
"It's crazy," Boling told reporters after the 100, including the
Dallas Morning News. "I think about it like that sometimes, too. It's weird, because I ran really well in the 400 last year and no one really noticed. As soon as I started running the 100, everyone is like, 'he came out of nowhere.' "
He certainly did as a 100-meter sprinter.
Boling was recruited as a 400 runner and it's how he secured his scholarship to Georgia. But only two months ago to work on his speed, he took up the 100. That's what makes his rise to stardom in track's marquee event so startling.
Now he's the best of all-time.
"I knew I'd start getting more attention because it's a spotlight race, but I didn't think it would be like this," he said.
His split in the 4x400 was perhaps even more spectacular. It was the last event of the day. Down by close to 30 meters on the anchor leg, Boling caught and passed everyone to lead Straight Jesuit to the title at 3:10.56.
It was the fastest time in the nation this season.
Talk about a perfect finish.
