Texas Teen Runs Faster Than Olympic Gold Medalist

Andrew Jones ran so fast at the Texas Relays that he beat an Olympic gold medalist's time without even being old enough to vote.

The Klein Collins High School senior blazed through the 110-meter hurdles in 12.97 seconds on Friday, becoming the first high schooler in Texas Relays history to break 13 seconds. To put that in perspective, Grant Holloway won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a time of 12.99 seconds.

Jones ran his record time with help from a strong tailwind that pushed it just outside official competition standards. Still, he secured the all-conditions record and later won the official division with a wind-legal 13.15 seconds.

This isn't beginner's luck. Jones has been breaking records all season long, including one that stood for years.

Earlier this spring, he shattered former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III's longstanding 300-meter hurdles record of 35.33 seconds. Jones first ran it in 35.07 seconds, then came back and dropped it to 34.97 seconds at the Bluebonnet Invite.

According to MileSplit, Jones is only the second high school athlete in history to break 35 seconds in that event. He also swept both hurdles events at last year's UIL Class 6A State Championships.

Why This Inspires

Jones represents something bigger than fast times and broken records. He's proof that young people are pushing boundaries we thought were set in stone.

Texas A&M secured his commitment for their track team this fall, meaning college fans will get to watch him compete at the next level soon. But Jones isn't waiting for college to make his mark.

At just 18 years old, he's already running times that would make him competitive against the world's best professional athletes. He's showing up, doing the work, and leaving everyone including Olympians in his dust.

The future of track and field is bright, and it's wearing a Klein Collins jersey.