This story was updated on June 25to reflect a change in development.
On Saturday, Candace Hill, a high school sophomore from Conyers, Georgia, made history by being the first junior in the world (under 19 years old) to break 11 seconds in the 100 meters, . Running 10.98 seconds at the at the Shoreline Stadium in Seattle, Washington, the 16-year-old also set a U.S. high school record and national junior record in the process.
“I feel awesome.I’m speechless right now,” Hill . “I just had a feeling that this race was going to be good, and it was.”
Besides being an exceptional,record-breaking prep mark, her time is also the for women. She’s currently the fourthfastest American and continues the trend of U.S. high school girls competing on the world stage.
“It’s always an amazing weekend with so many good athletes competing, but no one was ready for 10.98,”Jesse Williams, sports marketing manager for Brooks,told ϳԹ. “Candace, her performance, and her attitude are what make this sport so uplifting.”
Though Hill’s mark is well under qualifying standard of for the, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 25 to 28, she ran the time just days after the qualifying window closed on June 14.
Watch Hill run the 100 meters here:
UPDATE: JUNE 25, 11:00 MST:On Thursday, Hill was announced as the 2014-15 Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She is only the third high school sophomore to be awarded the honor and the second girl. The first girlwasthe controversial Marion Jones in 1990-91, who would go on to become a former multiple Olympic gold medalist (Jones lost her medals after she was found guilty of doping). The only sophomore boy to earn the award was Lukas Verzbikas, for cross country, in 2009-10. He would go on to become the fifth U.S. high schooler to break four minutes in the mile.