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UIL State Track and Field State Championships 2025: Day 1
High school track and field athletes from across Texas are competing in the UIL State Track and Field meet on Thursday in Austin.
AUSTIN — When San Antonio Harlan’s Tate Taylor shifted into hypersonic speed in the final 30 meters of the Class 6A boys 100 meters at the UIL State Track and Field Championships, there was a strong feeling he had just hit a gear no high school athlete had ever shown before in the greatest high school 100 ever run.
After a few moments filled with anticipation, all the big dreams were confirmed in full.
The scoreboard flashed 9.92 seconds with a legal wind of 1.1 meters per second, ahead of Duncanville’s Brayden Williams 10.01, and the junior Taylor became the new national record holder.
Williams became the third fastest 100 runner ever in a race where 10.18 was fifth (the old state record was 10.13) and 10.33 didn’t score points. The old high school record of 9.93 was set last year by Florida sprinter Christian Miller.
“We were in the blocks, I talked to God,” said Taylor, who set the national indoor 200 record in March. “I was telling him before I got in the blocks, ‘I don’t care if I win, I’m part of history already because this race was really fast.’ I was telling myself to have fun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just go out and have fun.
“I’ve gone 10.0 before, but hitting 10.9 is a lot for me, especially as a junior, 17-years-old. I have another year of high school.”
The way he did it was spectacular. Running out of lane 4, he trailed the pre-race favorite Williams, who had run a wind-aided 9.82 earlier this year, who was in lane 5, until about 40 meters remained. Then Taylor accelerated into a gear that that drew gasps and shocked yells from the large crowd.
As it turns out, it truly was a gear unlike any shown in a high school race.
“I know Brayden is an incredible starter,” Taylor said. “We’ve had multiple races, I’ve lost, he’s lost, we’ve gone back and forth. To be right next to him was really good, he pushed me. I love the competition.”
When he hit the line all eyes turned to the scoreboard and when the 9.92 came up, the crowd roared.
“I felt maybe 10 flat,” Taylor said of what he expected to see. “I didn’t know it was going to be a 9. But I kind of did because I beat Brayden, and when you do that, you’re likely to do a 9.”
Williams was philosophical about his wind-legal personal record.
“It feels amazing knowing history was made,” he said. “I can’t complain.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
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