Jackson Spencer and Josh Hamblin produced two of the greatest track and field performances ever by high school athletes in postseason competitions last weekend.
Spencer, a senior from Herriman High who has signed with BYU, won the mile at the annual Hoka Festival of Miles in St. Louis with the fourth-fastest time ever by an American high school athlete: 3:57.24. Two other athletes also dipped under four minutes in that race.
Spencer’s time was nearly fast enough to win the professional race in that same meet (3:57.01) and would have tied for second place.
Hamblin, a senior at Weber High who also has signed with BYU, finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles at the annual Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle. His time of 13.24 makes him the fifth-fastest in high school history. The race was won by Texas sensation Andrew Jones with a time of 13.14, the second-fastest ever.
On another postseason note, Johnny Parker of Davis High won the hammer throw with a heave of 232 feet, 6 inches at the Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque. The previous record of 221-5 was set in 1994 by his late father, James, who died three years ago. James represented the U.S. in the 2004 Olympic Games.
Notwithstanding his historic mile in St. Louis, Spencer said afterward, “I just wish the time was faster.” He had hoped to break Alan Webb’s 25-year-old national high school record of 3:53.43. Spencer reportedly plans to make another attempt on the record later this summer.
“I think (the record) is still within reach,” he said.
Until 2001, only three American boys had broken four minutes in the mile. Since 2017, 25 have turned that feat, no doubt aided by the emergence of the carbon fiber-plated shoes. Spencer has broken four minutes three times this season. The only other Utah prep to break four minutes was Olympus’ JoJo Jourdon (3:59.87) in 2024.
Utahns are turning up increasingly on the all-time national top 10 lists, especially in the distance and middle-distance races. Of Utah’s 18 top-10 marks, 14 are in the distance/mid-distance events, and 15 of the marks have been produced in the last three seasons. Here is a look at those marks:
Boys
- Jackson Spencer #4, mile (2026) 3:57.24
- Jackson Spencer #6, 2 miles (2026) 8:34.77
- Daniel Simmons #1, 5,000 meters (2024) 13:25.86
- Josh Hamblin #5, 110 hurdles (2026) 13.24
- Josh Hamblin #8, 300 hurdles (2026) 35.35
- Herriman, #1, 4x800 relay (2025) 7:26.12
- American Fork, #7, 4x800 relay (2024) 7:31.57
- American Fork, #2, 4x1 mile relay (2024) 16:43.21
- Herriman, #5, 4x1 mile relay (2026) 16:58.10
- Ogden, #6, 4x1 mile relay (2016) 17:04.55
- Niklas Arrhenius, #3, discus (2001) 234-3
- Bill Schuffenhauer, #10, decathlon (1991) 7110w
Girls
- Jane Hedengren, #2, 1,500 meters (2025) 4:04.68
- Jane Hedengren, #1, mile (2025) 4:23.50
- Jane Hedenren, #1, 3,000 meters (2025) 8:40.03
- Jane Hedengren, #1, 2 miles (2025) 9:17.75
- Jane Hedengren, #1, 5,000 meters (2025) 14:57.93 #1
- Lone Peak, #5, 4x1 mile relay (2026) 19:55.17
