Boys Top Six
6. Charlie White Hits 4:15 For The Mile
Year Set: 2006
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #22
Breakdown: Back at the New Balance Games, and before there was a singular National Meet, or the Millrose Games found a fast track, there was Charlie White, a sophomore from Garden City. He had set the Freshman State Record the year before, but dropped ten seconds off that mark at the Hispanic Games. He wasn't done, though, and shave off another second and a half two weeks later at the NB Games.
5. Tahje Flemmings First Soph To Dip Below 34secs for 300m
Year Set: 2017
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #8
Breakdown: Tahje Flemmings quietly carved out a name for himself as a freshman with a Class State Record, but it was a busy year to be a sprinter. One year later, and the depth of talent in the PSAL was still at an All-Time high. But it didn't deter Flemmings. He rode the wave of talent, and became the first Soph in the State to break 34.00 for 300m, when he hit 33.93 at the PSAL Champs. Three days later at Easterns, he became the first Soph to break 22.00 for 200m, going 21.89.
4. Zavon Watkins Kicks Off His Three Year 1000m Domination
Year Set: 2010
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #9
Breakdown: It would kick off one of the more interesting careers of a "sprint athlete," that saw quarterback Zavon Watkins, a prototype athlete for the 400m, venture up to both the 1000m and the Mile. A career that would ultimately seeing him go undefeated for the Indoor Mile his senior year, his 1000m effort in 2010 indicated the potential in the longer events. At the NB Collegiate, he ran to 2:27.59 for the State Record. Two years later at the same event, he would run to a 2:22 or better, before a minor lane infraction resulted in a DQ.
3. Michael Miller's Breakout Race At The PSAL Champs Over 55m
Year Set: 2017
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #3
Breakdown: It was a series of meets, starting with a 6.38 in January, then another mad dash a month later, to win the City crown in 6.33. It was the fifth fastest time ever ran at the time, and to come from a Sophomore was incredible. In an event where age and muscle development play the biggest of factors, a 15-year-old came and showed he could hang with the best.
2. Richard Rose Soph National Record For 600m
Year Set: 2013
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #2
Breakdown: Richard Rose was a measure of consistency, kicking off with his 1:55.0 leg for the 4x800m State Record as a freshman. But after smashing the 600m Freshman National Record the year before, he followed that up by bringing down the time even more, with his 1:19.41 at the New Balance Collegiate Invite. He would break 1:20 every year for the rest of his career, as well as dominating over 400m outdoors.
1. Walter Henning Launching A 75-0.5 In The Weight Throw
Year Set: 2005
# Would Be US Ranked This Year: #2
Breakdown: This too, was and still is the Sophomore National Record, and only got the edge over Rose because the mark, on it's own, would still stand as the fourth furthest ever throw in NY. Of course, Henning went on to crush that mark the subsequent two years, but it this one was the trendsetter for an event ten years outside of it's first State Meet.
