Teen Nicknamed 'White Lightning' Runs 100-Meter Dash In 9.98 Seconds

A high school senior in Texas just ran a 100-meter dash in 9.98 seconds — that's fast enough to be an Olympic final. Runner Matthew Boling, nicknamed "White Lightning," broke his school's record, and he may even be the fastest high school sprinter in the country, KHOU-TV reports. 

Boling, who attends Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston, clocked an astounding 100-meter dash in 10.22 seconds last month, according to KHOU-TV. That was just the track star hitting his stride. Last week, Boling announced on Twitter that he broke his personal record.

"New PR and 100m high school record all conditions, 9.98," he wrote. The tweet received more than 11,000 retweets and several people responded with the hashtag #WhiteLightning.

The Houston Chronicle reported that a 4.2 mph wind means Boling's time will not officially count as a national record  but it shattered Jesuit College Prep's school record. 

Before he ran his most recent record-breaking sprint, Boling opened up to KHOU about the sport. The teen said he didn't always know he was fast – he had to practice to become a high school track phenom.

His dad seemed to agree. "I would love to be able to claim that it's genetic – but he just has a work ethic that I've never seen from anybody," Mark Boling said.

Boling will be running for the University of Georgia in the fall. Then, the 18-year-old will set his sights even higher: The Olympics.

With the race times he's been clocking, Boling's dream is not unattainable – he'll be flying to the Olympic finish line in no time.

First published on April 30, 2019 / 9:54 AM

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