The favorites in the high school elite 200-meter races came out on top in the 41st Prefontaine Classic. Their finishes, however, differed.
Senior Ryan Clark, the nation’s top indoor sprinter from Banneker, Georgia, won the boys’ 200 meters Friday night with ease. Following a clean start, Clark quickly manufactured a noticeable gap between him and the other runners, finishing in 20.77 seconds. Corey Dauphine followed in 21.18.
“Really nervous running against the best athletes in the nation,” said Clark, who recently recorded a 20.79 winning time in the 200 meters at the Georgia State Championships. “Adrenaline was up, so it was a nice race for everybody.”
Clark said he was humbled by TrackTown USA’s renowned running culture. He was also surprised by the sheer number of trees and green scenery that is hard to find in the South.
“This place is beautiful,” Clark said. “Got to come out on the track early and see some of the Olympians, and it was just mind blowing to warm up with Olympians, actually seeing what they’re doing. It was just a perfect weekend for us.”
Sophomore Candace Hill, the national leader in the girls’ 100 and 200 meters, had a tougher race as she edged out Nike Elite Camp runner Diamond Spaulding with a time of 23.64, just .08 ahead of her rival.
Spaulding’s time of 23.72 was a season best.
“Diamond’s a great competitor, and I’ve run against her at many other track meets,” Hill said. “I feel like she pushes me, and I push her. We have great competition between each other. At the end, my legs were getting tired, and I felt her coming up.”
Regarding her pre-race schedule, Hill said she filled her time with a lot of naps, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola chunks and Spotify earlier today. She even had the stomach for a burger.
“I was nervous at first – I am for all my meets – but this meet was more nerve racking than all the meets I’ve run because professional people are here and we get to run on the Hayward track,” said Hill, who recently lowered her own Georgia State Championships record in the 200. “It’s a great opportunity for me to be here.”
As favorites, Clark and Hill took full advantage of their unique opportunity – for the first time, the Prefontaine Classic featured the top high school sprinters – on the big stage. For the first time, they felt like pros.
“We’re like rooks, so we really look up to some of the athletes and to be in their presence, you have to show up a little bit … kind of feel like a pro and not like a rookie,” Clark said.
For both runners, experiencing Eugene and Hayward Field was brand new. Hill, who returned to the west coast for the first time since last June, was enamored with Hayward’s history and was thrilled about her first trip to Nike Headquarters in nearby Beaverton.
“It was fun there because I got to see the Nike Headquarters for the first time ever,” Hill said. “Also, getting the nice gear and stuff (was nice).”
Clark and Hill represent a demographic of young athletes that Vin Lananna hopes to see at the 2021 IAAF Outdoor World Championships, which will be at Hayward Field. Six years is a long time, but that doesn’t mean Clark and Hill aren’t already prepping for the United States’ first outdoor worlds.
Clark will enter his freshman year at Florida next year. Hill, a soon-to-be junior, said she isn’t quite thinking about college yet.
“I can’t even describe how it feels,” Hill said. “It was really awesome. Knowing that I’m just a sophomore, to come to this meet and actually win it, feels pretty good. I feel excited that it’s going to be at Hayward Field, knowing that I’m familiar with the track now. “
