Cooper Lutkenhaus, Sadie Engelhardt, Lisa Raye, Jayden Horton-Mims and Archbishop Carroll DC Boys 4x200 Re-Write the Record Books During Historic High School Program

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

John Nepolitan Photos

NEW YORK – As special as the pro races were at the 117th Millrose Games, the high school races delivered a memorable night of their own.

Five high school national records, between individual and relay races, made for one of the greatest indoor high school meets of all time on Saturday night at The Armory in New York City.

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Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 16-year-old from Justin Northwest TX, held his own against the men’s 800-meter pro field in 1 minute, 46.86 seconds to earn sixth overall, all while annihilating Josh Hoey’s record of 1 minute, 47.67 seconds. 

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t belong in the race, but it was just a blessing to be in the race,” Lutkenhaus said.

Coincidentally, the former high school national record holder Hoey was in the same race as Lutkenhaus was on Saturday. Hoey won in an American record time of 1:43.90.

Lutkenhaus also established an all-time World U-18 best and now ranks 43rd in the world this season.

“I just tried to stay in the race as best as possible,” Lutkenhaus said. “Last 200, just tried to crush it.”

A week after falling short of Mary Cain’s indoor high school mile record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, Sadie Engelhardt’s second chance at Cain’s record didn’t disappoint. The senior from Ventura CA ran 4:27.97 to finish 11th in the NYRR Wanamaker Women’s Mile, and besting Cain’s time of 4:28.25 set at Millrose in 2013.

“That’s been my goal since even freshman year,” Engelhardt said. “I’m very grateful that she did it before me just so that she can push me to do it.”

Two days before the meet began, Engelhardt was a late entry put into the Women's Wanamaker field. After talking with Ray Flynn, meet director of the Millrose Games, the 18-year-old Engelhardt accepted his invite with no hesitation despite dealing with some health issues.

“I had no idea I’d be in shape to do this at all,” Engelhardt. “I had an Achilles issue and the flu pretty bad, so I was questioning these last two weekends, and they’ve turned out pretty well.”

Engelhardt now holds two of the top three all-time high school indoor mile girls performances and is the only high school girl in history to break 4:30 for the mile three consecutive times.

Lisa Raye of West Warwick RI produced the fastest girls 60 meters time of 7.13, taking down Shawnti Jackson’s record of 7.16 in 2023.

Raye, US#1 this season, took a tenth of a second off her lifetime best of 7.24 from the Puma New York International Showcase on Jan. 25.

Melanie Doggett, an eight-grader from Milton, Ga., representing Major Impact Track Club, ran a US#3 all-time performance in 7.17 to finish second to Raye.

Raye also earned an unexpected entry into the women’s 60 meter pro race a short time later, where she finished eighth in 7.21.

Jayden Horton-Mims of Imhotep Charter PA matched Brian Herron’s national record time of 32.64 to win the boys 300 meters, winning by almost a half-a-second. Jordaine Johnson of East Orange NJ ran 33.01 for US#8 on the all-time list.

The Archbishop Carroll DC boys 4x200 meter relay team, featuring Elijah Amenra, Niles Briggman, Keenan Davis and Jake Odey-Jordan, lowered its own national record time of 1:25.21 from the The VA Showcase by another notch, clocking 1:25.15 to take the Mondo Boys 4x200 Invitational section.

The 500 meters high school record holder Andrew Salvodon of Bayside VA took care of the boys field in 1:01.20, holding off Jonathan Simms of Allen TX by .35 tenths-of-a-second.

Sydney Sutton of Bullis MD clocked a US#6 all-time run of 37.04 to win the girls 300 meter. Sutton joined Chrishelle Campbell, Kennedy Brown and Morgan Rothwell later for the girls 4x400 meter relay, running 3:39.16 collectively for a US#3 all-time indoor effort.

Bullis MD also won the girls 4x200 meter relay, fending off Archbishop Carroll at the line by a margin of 1:37.52 to 1:38.26.

Quincy Wilson was the top performing boy for Bullis, earning a fourth-place finish in the men's 600 meter, running a personal best 1:16.20. That time keeps him at No. 2 all-time.

Taylor Cox of Union Catholic NJ managed to finish in fifth in the women's 60 meter hurdles pro race in 8.21.

Makenna Herbst of Carlsbad CA outkicked Ellie Barada of Bloomington IN to win the girls 600 meter in 1:28.61, moving her to fifth on the U.S. high school indoor all-time list.

Tommy Latham of Marist GA ran a near-sub-four-minute mile to win the Nike Boys Mile, running the 10th fastest time in high school indoor history in 4:00.94 to break the meet record.

Dylan McElhinney of Hunter College NY redeemed her second-place finish from a year ago to win the Nike Girls Mile in 4:42.82.

Cordial Vann of Frisco Heritage TX won The Udis Family Boys 60 meter in 6.73.

IMG Academy FL won both the boys 4x400 meter and girls 4x800 meter relays, with the boys running a meet record 3:14.39, and the girls running 8:55.47.

St. John’s College DC took down US#1 Saratoga Springs NY in the boys 4x800 meter relay, running 7:42.45.

Ava Kitchings of Greater Atlanta Christian GA bested the girls long jump meet record three times, jumping 21 feet, 2.75 inches (6.47m) for a US#7 all-time indoor performance.

Michael Ahoua of Torrington CT took home the boys long jump title with a 24-4.50 (7.43m) mark.

Isaiah Whitaker of Bloomington IL cleared a personal best 17-2.75 (5.25m) to win the Flying Circus boys pole vault.