Today, Northwest High School will host a high school record attempt at their very own Texan Stadium. This record-breaking attempt comes off the heels of one of the most impressive high school records of all time. Earlier this month, at the annual Milrose Games in New York City’s Armory indoor track, high schooler Cooper Lutkenhaus joined a field of pro athletes to try to break the high school record in the indoor 800m. Ironically, he was going up against the previous 800m high school record holder, Josh Hoey, who set the record at 1:47.67 in the Boston University Last Chance Meet in 2018. The race did not disappoint. Not only did Lutkenhaus smash the record by almost a second, running a blazing 1:46.86, but Hoey also broke the American record in the indoor 800m with an insane 1:43.90 (Hoey has since broken his record, running 1:43.24).
It seems now that Lutkenhaus has a taste for breaking records and wants more. This is where Colby Huntress comes in. Lutkenhaus and Northwest High School have assembled a field toating the best middle-distance runners in Texas to break current US high school outdoor record holder Marcus Riley’s 2:21.81 1000m time. Huntress joins Lutkenhaus, Caden Gary, Noah Strohman, Zachary Brumfield, Liam Bengtsson, and Devin Muaina for the national record attempt.
Colby has some of the deadliest speed in this field and ran 1:52.04 last outdoor track season, the second fastest time in this field, only behind Lutkenhaus. In addition to his speed, Huntress also possesses elite endurance, which he showcased at the 5A XC State Meet, where he ran 15:52.1 and placed 6th. His indoor 2025 season went well, as he ran an indoor 800m time of 1:53.15 at the Missouri Distance Festival, where he led the whole race. Colby’s versatile range makes him stand out in this talented field of athletes. He undoubtedly has the tools to challenge Lutkenhaus and the 1000m record.
Other notable contenders in the field include sophomore Noah Strohman from Holiday High School, who has an 800m personal record of 1:53.47 and is the defending 3A state champion in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m. He has some of the most pedigree in this field and undoubtedly will be in the mix. Senior Caden Gary, hailing from Lucas Lovejoy High School, also has an elite 800m speed, running 1:53.15 last year. Gary ran 4:08 flat at the 5A State Track Meet last year, proving he has the speed and endurance to be a threat. Junior Zach Brumfield from Wylie and senior Devin Muaina, also from Lucas Lovejoy, have both broken 1:55, running personal records of 1:54.15 and 1:53.71, respectively. Byron Nelson’s Liam Bengtsson, who kicked off his junior season by running a new 800m personal record of 1:56.83, will round out the field.
This field of track athletes is stacked and will undoubtedly create the perfect atmosphere for a fast race. I predict the national high school record will fall, and the 2:20.00 barrier will be broken. I see Lutkenhaus taking this race out anywhere from 1:53 to 1:51 and using his kick to break the record. This fast pace should allow everyone to run fast times, and I think that Huntress, Strohman, and Gary can all break Marcus Riley’s record.
An article on the results of this race will be out next week.
