The 2024 State Meet was a historic year for track and field performances in the boys meet. If it seemed like you were seeing more great performances than ever before, you were not mistaken. Particularly in the boys 800 to 3200, the times were fantastic and add in some great relays as well as a few throws, jumps and sprints. Speaking from a strictly statistical standpoint, the last two state meets have greatly impacted the top 10 all time lists in each classification on the boys side. 2024 has more than twice the marks of any year other than 2023. If you would have only been able to go to one track meet to see great performances.. 2024 was it…

Here are the years with the most marks inside the top ten all times lists
33 - 2024
19 - 2023
16 - 2016
15 – 2012
12 – 2021, 2011
11 – 2022, 2019, 2007
10 – 2018, 2017, 2014

As you can see from results, the only meet outside of the last 15 years to make the list was 2007. It is the natural tendency for people to get stronger, better training, better equipment, running on cinders in the past, etc. Marks are meant to be broken, but the last two years in particular have really saw great strides made in top end performances. That does not mean that marks can’t stand for a very long time. If you roll back at least 25 years, you will find over 150 marks that are still on the all times lists. Let’s hear it for the 80s – 1989 and 1982 have 9 marks each. From the 1990’s, 1997, 1993 and 1990 still have seven marks. 1978 still waves the banner for the 1970s with 8 marks on the lists. 10 marks still remain from the 1960s and you have to really tip your hat to those marks from before 1960 that still make the lists - Carl Hickey’s 1931 Long Jump, Bill Fields’ 1957 Discus and Bill Hearts’ 1959 400 – If you set marks that are still relevant after 50+ years, that is amazing.

On an individual runner basis, each class had athletes jump into the top ten and join the list.

AAA
Drew Zundell moves up to #3 after his senior season on the strength of multiple years of excellence. Coming off an outstanding junior season meet, Ty Steorts debuts at #9 with a year to go. Tristan Blatt makes the list at #26 on the strength of his sizzling 800. Keyshawn Robinson moved up one spot to #8 in his senior year. Torrence Walker and Dante Price fall out of the top 10 to 11th and 12th respectively. Justin Gottlieb fell out of the requirements to make the list after 3 people raced past him this season to turn the 800 on its head.

AA
Justin Lipscomb makes a huge leap in his senior year to jump onto the AA list at #3, pushing Nathan Bernarde to #11. No one else joined, but two athletes no longer meet the requirements to stay on the list – Cody Shultz of Point Pleasant and Joe Wilson of Big Creek, who were victims of other great performances in their specialty events.

A Class A had the most people join. Nick Pitchford jumps onto the list at #4 after high pointing and making lists in every event he participated in. This pushed Tom Still to 11th all time. Also joining the list is Isaac Agee who hurdled and jumped his way to #13 with one year to go. Wyatt Milhoan sprinted his way to 17th after his outstanding senior year push. No longer meeting the requirements to make the lists are Mark Harless and Kevin Biggs who were both on the lists for more than two decades.