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Just nine days after the 110-meter hurdles world record fell at Hayward Field, the next generation of star U.S. hurdlers put the world on notice.
Zacchaeus Brocks, a high school senior who competes at Detroit Catholic Central in Michigan, smashed the high school 110 hurdles record with a personal-best time of 12.975 seconds to win the USATF U20 outdoor track and field championships May 19 at Hayward. He is the first American high schooler ever to clock a sub-13 time, shattering the previous record of 13.08 by Wayne Davis in 2009.
"I'm just blessed, honestly," Brocks said. "Last year, I was injured and wasn't even able to come out here and compete. Being able to do this is a testament to God, man. Without Him, I don't know where I would be."
The feat is made more impressive by the fact that Brocks didn't even clock the fastest 110 time of the day.
Le'Ezra Brown, a freshman at the University of Georgia, ran 12.95 in prelims approximately 45 minutes before Brocks won the final. Although that time won't count toward the high school record book, it is the fastest ever for a U.S. U20 athlete.
Brown went on to place second in the final, finishing narrowly behind Brocks in 12.977. In the process, he earned a spot on the U.S. team for the U20 World Championships.
"I just wanted to get top two, I didn't really care about winning," Brown said. "I ran 12.95 in the prelim after cramping up coming off that last hurdle. Once I saw I had at least second, I knew I was good."
Brocks was watching closely earlier this month when Auburn junior Ja'Kobe Tharp clocked 12.75 at the NCAA championships, obliterating the previous world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012.
"It was very motivating for me," Brocks said. "I saw that and went, 'Hey, maybe I could do that someday.' To see how easily he was able to do it, it just gave me even more confidence and motivation."
Brocks and Brown were far from the only athletes to set records on the second day of U20's.
One day after winning the 100-meter dash — an event in which he already held the U.S. high school record — Tate Taylor also broke the American prep 200 record with a winning time of 19.94.
"I gotta be 100% — I did not think I was going to break the national record again," Taylor said with a laugh. "All glory to God. God is truly incredible. I told (runner-up Blake Hamilton), 'This is yours to win, but you gotta come get me. So come get me.' When I saw him come off the curve, I knew I had a little more in the tank. So, I just pushed it."
Keenen Davis broke the national high school record in the 400 hurdles with a massive personal-best of 49.20.
Jayden Deleon reset the American prep record at 400 meters (44.52), beating U.S. Olympian Quincy Wilson in the process.
Lincoln High School junior Ellery Lincoln, a longtime University of Oregon commit, still has a full senior season ahead of her before she kicks off her collegiate career.
But, the high school distance superstar will be back at Hayward Field later this summer racing against some of the best in the world.
Lincoln took second place in the U20 1,500 in a personal-best 4:07.99. University of Florida freshman Claire Stegall won in 4:04.59. In the process, she secured a spot on the U.S. team at U20 Worlds.
"This was feeling like a home track already, with this being my third meet here this season. Being a kid from Oregon, going to the University of Oregon is super special," Lincoln said. "I'm just grateful to be a part of the history and am really excited to officially join the Ducks. Just super excited — almost antsy to just settle in here."
Even though she is only an 11th-grader, Lincoln was the fastest high school distance runner in the nation during the 2025-26 school year. She owns the top 1,500 (4:07.99), 1,600 (4:25.90) and mile (4:27.65) times in the U.S. and ranks second in the 3,000 (9:06.61).
Lincoln won the Class 6A 1,500 state titles as a freshman, sophomore and junior, won the 800 as a sophomore and won the 3,000 as a junior.
Lincoln also won the cross-country state title in 2025 and owns a 5,000 personal best of 16:28.5.
Before she wraps up her prep career, she's still got a massive milestone: Jane Hedengren's U.S. high school mile record of 4:23.5.
"It's hard to not have eyes on Jane's national record," Lincoln said. "Whether that's coming next year, or potentially even sooner, even if I don't hit that time, I think being able to chase that bar she set really high is making everybody in the sport better."
Lincoln wasn't the only future Duck who shone on the U20 stage.
Jaslene Massey, an incoming Oregon thrower, won the shot put with a mark of 55 feet, 4 3/4 inches. She finished well ahead of Boise State's Addy MacArthur, who was second (50-4 1/2).
One day earlier, Massey also won the discus with a throw of 197-9.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Zacchaeus Brocks makes history at U20 track championships
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Zacchaeus Brocks, a high school senior who competes at Detroit Catholic Central in Michigan, smashed the high school 110 hurdles record with a personal-best time of 12.975 seconds to win the USATF U20 outdoor track and field championships May 19 at Hayward. He is the first American high schooler ever to clock a sub-13 time, shattering the previous record of 13.08 by Wayne Davis in 2009.
"I'm just blessed, honestly," Brocks said. "Last year, I was injured and wasn't even able to come out here and compete. Being able to do this is a testament to God, man. Without Him, I don't know where I would be."
The feat is made more impressive by the fact that Brocks didn't even clock the fastest 110 time of the day.
Le'Ezra Brown, a freshman at the University of Georgia, ran 12.95 in prelims approximately 45 minutes before Brocks won the final. Although that time won't count toward the high school record book, it is the fastest ever for a U.S. U20 athlete.
Brown went on to place second in the final, finishing narrowly behind Brocks in 12.977. In the process, he earned a spot on the U.S. team for the U20 World Championships.
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"I just wanted to get top two, I didn't really care about winning," Brown said. "I ran 12.95 in the prelim after cramping up coming off that last hurdle. Once I saw I had at least second, I knew I was good."
Brocks was watching closely earlier this month when Auburn junior Ja'Kobe Tharp clocked 12.75 at the NCAA championships, obliterating the previous world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012.
"It was very motivating for me," Brocks said. "I saw that and went, 'Hey, maybe I could do that someday.' To see how easily he was able to do it, it just gave me even more confidence and motivation."
Brocks and Brown were far from the only athletes to set records on the second day of U20's.
One day after winning the 100-meter dash — an event in which he already held the U.S. high school record — Tate Taylor also broke the American prep 200 record with a winning time of 19.94.
"I gotta be 100% — I did not think I was going to break the national record again," Taylor said with a laugh. "All glory to God. God is truly incredible. I told (runner-up Blake Hamilton), 'This is yours to win, but you gotta come get me. So come get me.' When I saw him come off the curve, I knew I had a little more in the tank. So, I just pushed it."
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Keenen Davis broke the national high school record in the 400 hurdles with a massive personal-best of 49.20.
Jayden Deleon reset the American prep record at 400 meters (44.52), beating U.S. Olympian Quincy Wilson in the process.
Future Duck Ellery Lincoln secures spot at U20 Worlds
Lincoln High School junior Ellery Lincoln, a longtime University of Oregon commit, still has a full senior season ahead of her before she kicks off her collegiate career.
But, the high school distance superstar will be back at Hayward Field later this summer racing against some of the best in the world.
Lincoln took second place in the U20 1,500 in a personal-best 4:07.99. University of Florida freshman Claire Stegall won in 4:04.59. In the process, she secured a spot on the U.S. team at U20 Worlds.
"This was feeling like a home track already, with this being my third meet here this season. Being a kid from Oregon, going to the University of Oregon is super special," Lincoln said. "I'm just grateful to be a part of the history and am really excited to officially join the Ducks. Just super excited — almost antsy to just settle in here."
You must be registered for see images
Even though she is only an 11th-grader, Lincoln was the fastest high school distance runner in the nation during the 2025-26 school year. She owns the top 1,500 (4:07.99), 1,600 (4:25.90) and mile (4:27.65) times in the U.S. and ranks second in the 3,000 (9:06.61).
Lincoln won the Class 6A 1,500 state titles as a freshman, sophomore and junior, won the 800 as a sophomore and won the 3,000 as a junior.
Lincoln also won the cross-country state title in 2025 and owns a 5,000 personal best of 16:28.5.
Before she wraps up her prep career, she's still got a massive milestone: Jane Hedengren's U.S. high school mile record of 4:23.5.
"It's hard to not have eyes on Jane's national record," Lincoln said. "Whether that's coming next year, or potentially even sooner, even if I don't hit that time, I think being able to chase that bar she set really high is making everybody in the sport better."
Lincoln wasn't the only future Duck who shone on the U20 stage.
Jaslene Massey, an incoming Oregon thrower, won the shot put with a mark of 55 feet, 4 3/4 inches. She finished well ahead of Boise State's Addy MacArthur, who was second (50-4 1/2).
One day earlier, Massey also won the discus with a throw of 197-9.
How Eugene-Springfield prep athletes fared on day 2 of Nike Outdoor nationals
- South Eugene senior Madison Zemper-Prill took eighth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase (7:05.1).
- Fellow South Eugene standout Jacob Loveless, a sophomore, clocked the 19th-fastest 800 (1:55.29)
- Springfield junior Sailor Hall recorded the 39th-best discus mark with a throw of 114-8.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Zacchaeus Brocks makes history at U20 track championships
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