Matthew Boling of Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas) has been named the 2018-19 ALL-USA Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
The ALL-USA Boys Track and Field teams for the 2018-19 season are coordinated by Fred Baer, the founder of Track and Field Writers of America. Boys selections are made by Jack Shepard, the high school editor of Track and Field News.
Criteria included ranking on USA TODAY Sports and Track and Field News national lists and the number of top performances along with head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets.
Boys T&F Coach of the Year: Stan Holloway, Oscar Smith
EVENTS: Sprints | Hurdles | Distances | Throws | Jumps
ATHLETE PROFILE:
Matthew Boling
School: Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas)
Class: 2019
Events: 100m, 200m, Long Jump
Matthew Boling made an opening statement for the 2019 high school track season with a 26-foot, 3 1/2 inch long jump at the Texas Relays on March 30, becoming the No. 7 all-time high school jumper at that time.
The event that catapulted the Streak Jesuit (Houston) senior to USA TODAY boys Athlete of the Year status, however, came a month later, on April 27. He sent an internet ripple through the sports world with a 9.98 second clocking in the 100 meters at a Texas region meet. Although aided by excessive wind of 4.2 meters per second (more than double the allowable limit of 2.0), it was the fastest 100 time by a high school athlete under any conditions. Boling later had a wind-legal mark of 10.13 at the Texas state meet for a National Federation record (for marks in approved high school only competitions). That ranks No. 5 on the all-time high school performer list.
But there was more to come – and still is.
Boling capped the high school year with a national title double at the USA Under 20 (Junior) Championships on June 22-23, winning the 100 in a slightly wind-aided 10.15 (2.3 mps) and the 200 meters in a personal best 20.36 (0.7 mps). He tops the 2019 season lists and ranks among the top 10 all-time in three events: 100, 200, and long jump.
Still in the offing: Bolling will lead the USA men’s team in both sprints and relays at the Pan Am Junior Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, July 19-21.
A year ago, Boling made his first impression in the 400 meters with a 46.15 best to rank sixth on the season’s national list. The future Georgia Bulldog moved to the shorter events this year with spectacular results.
PRESEASON: ALL-USA Preseason Boys Track and Field Team