Justin Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus has looked superhuman this summer, breaking the high school national record in the 800 meters twice in two weeks last month.

His national-record time at the Nike Outdoor Nationals on June 21 — 1:45.45 — would have won this year’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and beaten 10 of the 24 semifinal times at the 2024 Olympics.

It put Lutkenhaus in the world top 100 for this year, a list that includes Olympians and professional runners.

He has automatically qualified for the USATF Outdoor Championships from July 31 through Aug. 3 in Eugene, Ore., which will serve as the trials for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

This is a kid who still has two years of high school remaining.

At only 16, is Lutkenhaus already the greatest track and field athlete from a Dallas-area high school?

Based solely on high school accomplishments, his competition would be Thomas Jefferson’s Michael Carter, Red Oak’s Michelle Carter, Rowlett’s Marquise Goodwin, Mansfield Legacy’s Shelbi Vaughan, Roosevelt’s Roy “Robot” Martin and Mansfield Lake Ridge’s Jasmine Moore. All rank in the top four in high school national history in their events.

But to decide the greatest of all time, you have to look beyond high school. The Dallas area has produced world-class superstars Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and Sha’Carri Richardson, all Olympic gold medalists whose careers took off after high school.

Here’s the background on Lutkenhaus, followed by a ranking of the top 15 track and field athletes in Dallas-area history. You be the judge — who has the best résumé?

Cooper Lutkenhaus

Michael Granville’s outdoor national record of 1:46.45 in the 800 had stood since 1996, but Lutkenhaus broke that by winning the Brooks PR Invitational in 1:46.26 on June 8. Thirteen days later, Lutkenhaus became the first high school runner to ever break 1:46 when he ran 1:45.45, a time that ranks him 16th among American men for 2025 and puts him one spot ahead of 2024 Olympian Hobbs Kessler.

Lutkenhaus has won back-to-back state titles in the 800 and has never lost a race at that distance against high school athletes. Josh Hoey broke the American indoor record in the 800 by running 1:43.24 this year, and his outdoor season best of 1:42.43 is the third-best time in the world for 2025, but Lutkenhaus is already faster as a high schooler than Hoey ever was.

Lutkenhaus ran 1:46.86 in February at the Millrose Games in New York to break the high school indoor national record of 1:47.67 that was set by Hoey in 2018.

Lutkenhaus is among four athletes from Dallas-area schools to currently hold a high school national record in an individual event, according to Track & Field News. He joins three Olympians — Goodwin (26-10 in the boys long jump in 2009), Michael Carter (81-3.50 in the boys shot put in 1979) and Vaughan (198-9 in the girls discus in 2012).

The best in Dallas-area history

1. Michael Johnson

You won’t find Johnson’s name anywhere in the high school state record books, but he became one of the greatest sprinters in history after leaving Skyline. He set world records in the 200 and 400 meters, was a four-time Olympic gold medalist and still ranks No. 2 in world history in the 400 with the 43.18 that he ran in 1999.

Johnson won three NCAA titles in the 200 while at Baylor and then won six individual world championships, two in the 200 and four in the 400. He became the first man in history to win the 200 and 400 at the same Olympics in 1996, and he became the first man to repeat as Olympic 400-meter champion when he won the gold in 2000.

2. Jeremy Wariner

Wariner, now the boys track coach at Lancaster, won state titles in the 200 (20.48) and 400 (46.52) in the UIL’s top classification (5A at that time) as a senior at Arlington Lamar in 2002, but he doesn’t rank in the top five in state history in either event. His times took off once he got to Baylor, and he finished his spectacular career as a three-time Olympic champion.

Wariner won gold medals in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay at the 2004 Olympics, then added another gold in the 4×400 relay at the 2008 Olympics. He is the sixth-fastest man in world history in the 400, having run 43.45 to win the World Championships in 2007.

3. Michelle Carter

The former Red Oak star is a three-time Olympian and won a gold medal in the shot put at the 2016 Olympics. That year she gave the U.S. its first gold medal ever in the shot put, and she earned bragging rights over her father, the legendary Michael Carter, who was an Olympic silver medalist in the same event in 1984.

Michelle Carter set the high school national record in the shot put with a throw of 54-10.75 in 2003. That record stood until 2014, and even now, only three high school girls have surpassed it.

4. Michael Carter

His high school national record of 81-3.50 in the shot put is seen as untouchable and is just over four feet better than Ryan Crouser, who ranks second in high school national history with a throw of 77-2.75 in 2011. Crouser is now the greatest thrower in the world, winning three straight Olympic gold medals in the shot put and becoming the first man to ever three-peat in the event. That was after Crouser won four NCAA championships at Texas.

Carter’s season for Thomas Jefferson in 1979 might be even better than the incredible year that Lutkenhaus has had in 2025. Carter produced five of the top 10 shot put throws in national history that year, with his record throw of 81-3.50 followed by marks of 77-0, 76-9.50. 76-4 and 75-11.75, according to Track & Field News.

Carter earned a silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympics. He was also a three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, and he is the only athlete to win an Olympic medal and a Super Bowl ring in the same year.

5. Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson starred for Carter in high school and broke the Class 4A state-meet record in the 100 as a junior and smashed the state-meet record in the 200 as a senior. She’s not among the all-time state leaders in either event based on her high school times, but she set the collegiate record in the 100 by running 10.75 for LSU in 2019, and she is tied for the third-fastest American woman of all-time in the 100.

Richardson became one of the biggest names in track when she won the world title in the 100 meters in 2023 and ran a meet-record time of 10.65 seconds that is her personal best. Then she won a gold medal in the 4×100 relay and earned a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Richardson attended the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy but competed for Carter in high school and won eight state titles. She swept the 4A titles in the 100, 200 and 4×100-meter relay as a junior and senior and won state in the 100 and 4×100 relay as a sophomore.

6. Louise Ritter

The Red Oak product qualified for the Olympics three times and won an Olympic gold medal in the high jump in 1988. She won the event in a jump-off against Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria, the world record holder at the time.

Ritter set an American record in the high jump by clearing 6-8 in 1988. That wasn’t broken until 2010, and only two American women have ever jumped higher. She placed third at the 1983 World Outdoor Championships.

7. Chryste Gaines

The former South Oak Cliff star teamed up with Gail Devers, Inger Miller and Gwen Torrence to win an Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 relay in 1996. Gaines also earned a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay and competed in the 100 meters at the 2000 Olympics.

She was a two-time World Championships gold medalist in the 4×100 relay, and at Stanford she won NCAA titles in the indoor 55 meters and the outdoor 100 meters.

While at South Oak Cliff, Gaines won two 5A state titles in the 200 meters, was part of a state champion 4×100 relay team and was named the 1988 Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

8. Jasmine Moore

The two-time Olympian was a nine-time state champion at Mansfield Lake Ridge and a seven-time NCAA champion in the triple jump and long jump at Florida. She set the state record in the triple jump with a mark of 44-10 at the state meet as a senior in 2019, and only Brittany Daniels and three-time Olympian Keturah Orji have jumped farther in high school national history.

Moore broke the collegiate and American record in the triple jump with a mark of 49-7.25 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2023. But the highlight of Moore’s extraordinary career came last summer in Paris, when she became the first American woman to medal in the long jump and triple jump at the same Olympics when she earned a bronze in both.

9. Jason Richardson

The former Cedar Hill star was a silver medalist in the 110 hurdles at the 2012 Olympics and won the event at the 2011 World Championships. He is tied for sixth in state history in the 110 hurdles with a high school personal best of 13.38 in 2004.

10. Darvis “Doc” Patton

The Lake Highlands product was a three-time Olympian and two-time world champion sprinter, as well as a 10-time NCAA All-American at TCU. He helped the United States claim a silver medal in the 4×100 relay at the 2004 Olympics, and he finished eighth in the 100 meters at the 2008 Olympics.

He won gold medals in the 4×100 relay at the World Championships in 2003 and 2007 and earned silver in the 200 in 2003. He had a personal best of 9.89 in the 100, and the wind-aided 9.75 that he ran in 2013 makes him the third-fastest American man ever for all conditions.

11. Eddie Southern

The former Sunset standout won a silver medal in the 400 hurdles at the 1956 Olympics and had sensational high school and college careers. The Dallas Morning News reported that in the 1955 Texas Interscholastic League Class 2A state meet, he set a national record in the 440-yard dash (47.2) and tied Jesse Owens’ record in the 220 (20.7). Southern anchored world records at the University of Texas in the 4×100-yard relay in 1957 and 1959 and the 4×200 at the 1957 Texas Relays.

12. Marquise Goodwin

Goodwin is one of the greatest two-sport athletes in Dallas-area history. The former Rowlett star competed in the Olympics in the long jump in 2012 and played 10 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL from 2013 to 2023.

Goodwin’s high school national record of 26-10 in the long jump — set at the U.S. Championships in 2009 — puts him ahead of Carl Lewis on the all-time list, with Lewis ranking fourth at 26-8.25. Lewis went on to win nine Olympic gold medals, with four of those in the long jump.

13. Roy “Robot” Martin

The legendary sprinter from Roosevelt set the high school national record in the 200 meters when he ran 20.13 in 1985. That time now ranks second in national history behind the 20.09 run in 2016 by Noah Lyles, the 2024 100-meter Olympic gold medalist.

Tied for No. 3 on that list? Eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who ran 20.14 in high school in 2012.

Martin also ran 10.18 in the 100 meters in 1985, which now ranks just outside the top five times in state history. As a 17-year-old, Martin finished fourth in the 200 at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, and he ran in the 1988 Olympics and reached the semifinals in the 200.

14. Shelbi Vaughan

The former Mansfield Legacy and Texas A&M star competed in the discus at the 2015 IAAF World Championship and the 2016 Olympics. She had a legendary season in 2012 for Mansfield Legacy, recording eight of the current top 10 discus throws in high school national history, with her marks of 198-9, 197-1 and 196-11 ranking first, second and third.

15. Courtney Okolo

The former Carrollton Newman Smith star won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 relay in 2016. She ran 49.71 in the 400 for Texas in 2016, a time that only eight women in NCAA history have surpassed.

Others considered

Plano East’s Erica McLain, Lake Highlands’ Erin Aldrich, Roosevelt’s McClinton Neal, Southlake Carroll’s Reed Brown, Sunset’s Billy Foster, Lincoln’s Gene and Joe Pouncy, Samuell’s Sammy Walker, Flower Mound’s Natalie Cook, South Oak Cliff’s Sheddric Fields, Mansfield Timberview’s Aldrich Bailey, McKinney Boyd’s Aaliyah Miller, DeSoto’s Alexis Duncan, Arlington Seguin’s Tonea Marshall

Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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“Huskies fans have been absolutely paramount to our success,” said head coach Chad Braegelmann. “In the last 5 years, we’ve won nearly 90% of our matches in Halenbeck Hall. There’s something special about watching little girls walking into the gym, wearing our Huskies Volleyball apparel. We hope to continue our success on the court with your support by packing the stands again in 2025. Buy your season tickets today!” 

 

In 2025, the Huskies are hosting the UP North Tournament from Thursday, Sept. 11 to Saturday, Sept. 13, before its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) home match Sept. 19 against Minot State. In total, SCSU will play 14 home regular season matches (10 conference matches). The Huskies have enjoyed tremendous success in the friendly confines of Halenbeck Hall, compiling a 58-8 (.879) record in its last 66 home matches, dating back to 2019.

 

Four teams on St. Cloud State’s 2025 home schedule finished last season ranked in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) DII national poll – Concordia-St. Paul (No. 13), Southwest Minnesota State (No. 16), Barry (No. 20) and Northern State (No. 22), while the Huskies finished ranked No. 5, which tied their best final ranking in program history.

 

The 2025 Huskies Volleyball Season Ticket Package can be purchased/renewed for $70/seat at SCSUTickets.com or by calling 320-308-2137. The package includes a general admission ticket to each of the 14 regular season home matches.

 

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2024 SEASON RECAP
SCSU is coming off one of the program’s most historic and record-breaking seasons. The Huskies set numerous program records including fewest losses in a season (3), longest win streak (25), highest AVCA national poll ranking (No. 2), best conference record (18-0), best 20 match start (18-2). Sixteen of SCSU’s 29 wins came against teams ranked/receiving votes in the AVCA Poll, including seven top-10 victories. All 18 of the Huskies sweeps came in the last 23 matches.

St. Cloud State made its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament and 10th overall in program history while being selected to host an NCAA Division II Volleyball Regional Tournament for the first time in program history. SCSU won its third NSIC Tournament Championship in program history, while making its fifth straight NSIC Tournament Championship match and moved to 13-2 (.867) all-time in NSIC Tournament matches. It was the first time St. Cloud State hosted the NSIC semifinals/championship match. For the third time in program history the Huskies finished conference play undefeated. SCSU also became just the third NSIC team to post a perfect conference season since 2011. St. Cloud State won its fourth regular season conference championship in program history.

Braegelmann was tabbed as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Coach of the Year and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Central Region Coach of the Year. It was the third time (2019, 2021) he was named NSIC Coach of the Year, and first time being named a regional coach of the year. It was the first time in SCSU Volleyball history that a coach had earned regional coach of the year honors.

 

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West announced its Spring Academic All-Conference Team Thursday afternoon. A total of 71 student-athletes have garnered recognition. Leading the charge was Men’s Track and Field who placed 16 honorees, the Women’s Track and Field team and The Big West Champion Softball team and were closely behind with 13. The 71 Gauchos was an improvement from spring 2024 when 66 Gauchos earned the honor.
 
In order to qualify for the Academic All-Conference honor, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and have completed at least one academic year at their institution prior to the season for which they are receiving the award. During the season, the student-athletes must have competed in at least 50% of their team’s contests. The 71 Gauchos to receive the honor for the Spring 2025 season are as follows. 

Frank Camarillo — Baseball 

Hayden Hattenbach — Baseball 

AJ Krodel — Baseball 

LeTrey McCollum — Baseball 

Nic Peterson — Baseball 

Cole Tryba — Baseball

Matt Monheim — Men’s Golf

Nick Waldock — Men’s Golf

Elicia Acosta — Softball

Tehya Banks — Softball

Ava Bradford — Softball

Emily Carr — Softball

Bella Fuentes — Softball

Erin Mendoza — Softball

Lucy Mogan — Softball

Kaylin Garcia — Softball

Alexa Sams — Softball

Jazzy Santos — Softball

Daryn Siegel — Softball

Samantha Stoll — Softball

Ainsley Waddell — Softball

Conrad Brown — Men’s Tennis

Dominique Rolland — Men’s Tennis

Amelia Honer — Women’s Tennis

Lucy Lu — Women’s Tennis

Tyra Richardson — Women’s Tennis

Marie Weissheim — Women’s Tennis

Finn Andrews — Men’s Track & Field

KC Barber — Men’s Track & Field

Sean Beihoffer — Men’s Track & Field

Joey Brown — Men’s Track & Field

Andy Buttrell — Men’s Track & Field

Manny Correia — Men’s Track & Field

Will Denning — Men’s Track & Field

Noah de la Rionda — Men’s Track & Field

Elan Goetz — Men’s Track & Field

Eitan Goore — Men’s Track & Field

Jeramiah Havens — Men’s Track & Field

Dylan Manning — Men’s Track & Field

Christopher Nora — Men’s Track & Field

Zachary Parker — Men’s Track & Field

Dario Rock — Men’s Track & Field

Collin Young — Men’s Track & Field

Hanna Barmettler — Women’s Track & Field

Alexa Bryson — Women’s Track & Field

Veronika Edson — Women’s Track & Field

Aoife Hernon — Women’s Track & Field

Kennedy Johnson — Women’s Track & Field

Maya Lacamp — Women’s Track & Field

Savannah Mbamo — Women’s Track & Field

Leah Mendibles — Women’s Track & Field

Sophia Pardo — Women’s Track & Field

Alison Tjoe — Women’s Track & Field

Dalila Washington — Women’s Track & Field

Kayla Yap — Women’s Track & Field

Mia Ziblatt — Women’s Track & Field

Owen Birg — Men’s Volleyball

Ben Coordt — Men’s Volleyball

Owen Loncar — Men’s Volleyball

Joe Wallace — Men’s Volleyball

Juju Amaral — Women’s Water Polo

Imani Clemons — Women’s Water Polo

Ava Donleavy — Women’s Water Polo

Aidan Flynn — Women’s Water Polo

Annie Kuester — Women’s Water Polo

Christina Mullane — Women’s Water Polo

Jojo Scheer — Women’s Water Polo

Molly Souza — Women’s Water Polo

Isabella Valaika — Women’s Water Polo

Lainey Weintre — Women’s Water Polo

Athena Wigo — Women’s Water Polo

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team spent a week in Brownsville sharing their knowledge of the sport and having fun with campers of all ages. 
 
The Vaqueros spent June 23-27 offering a variety of camps to teach fundamentals and advanced skills to attendees of all ages at Pace High School. They welcomed over 135 attendees across seven sessions and built bonds with young fans. 
 
“It’s always great to get down to Brownsville and connect with the community. It’s great for our girls and the young girls who can look up to them, especially the local kids we have, and see that they can get there, too, if they work hard,” head coach Todd Lowery said. 
 
The first three days in Brownsville focused on skill-specific training for athletes in grades 6-12. UTRGV held a defensive clinic on Monday, a setting clinic on Tuesday and a highly attended hitting clinic on Wednesday which drew 40 participants. The Vaqueros saw some repeat attendees during the two-day camps which were held Thursday and Friday. High schoolers shared two and a half hours with the Vaqueros both mornings, while the middle school campers were the focus in the afternoon. 
 
Lowery, assistant coach Daniel Garcia, graduate assistant Perris Key (2021-24) and various volleyball student-athletes, including local products Natalie Reyes from Sharyland Pioneer and Julianna Bryant from Harlingen High, led the sessions. They did demonstrations and ran drills, moving around the gym to chat with and advise the campers. The UTRGV reps were accessible and hands-on to adjust positioning and really teach the youngsters how to do things right and improve their skills. They focused on ball control and passing accuracy and taught the campers about zones and reads and gave variety of tips to help the campers understand the game. 
 
Campers were also given opportunities to ask the Vaqueros questions and seek advice on how to achieve their own volleyball goals. The sessions were educational, but a priority for UTRGV was to make things fun and connect with the community. The Vaqueros definitely made some new fans throughout their week in Brownsville. 

Support UTRGV Volleyball | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube

 

In its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade announced that Jasmine Robinson of North Cobb will repeat as the Gatorade Georgia Girls Track and Field Player of the Year. This highlights her performance on the track and in the classroom.

Robinson excelled in multiple hurdle races as she set a state record in the 300-meter hurdles at the Arcadia Invitational in California this past season, with her time of 39.81 seconds ranking her 2nd nationally among prep girls competitors this spring and 3rd in prep history. Another state record she set was in the 400-meter hurdles at the Mark Trail Memorial Day Meet in Stockbridge, Georgia, posting a time of 56.73 seconds in that race. That time ranked her at No. 4 nationally in that event.

Robinson’s head coach Josh Shaw spoke highly about her contribution to the team’s success.

“Well beyond the fact that you know she’s going to score close to 30 team points each meet, she is the ultimate competitor”, Shaw said. “She leads by example and her work ethic is off the charts. Teammates see how hard she works to be great and that influences them to do the same”.

In the classroom, Robinson has been outstanding as she has maintained a 4.52 weighted GPA. Along with that, she has volunteered locally for her school’s Rally Club as she supports finding a cure for childhood cancers. Robinson is also a member of North Cobb’s Beta Club where she has given her time to help with community cleanup projects.

She will receive a grant to donate to a social impact partner as part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport.