This story was updated on June 25听to reflect a change in development.
On Saturday, Candace Hill, a high school sophomore from Conyers, Georgia, made history by being the first junior in the world (under 19 years old) to break 11 seconds in the 100 meters, . Running 10.98 seconds at the 听at the Shoreline Stadium in Seattle, Washington, the 16-year-old also set a U.S. high school record and national junior record in the process.
鈥淚 feel awesome.听I鈥檓 speechless right now,鈥 Hill . 鈥淚 just had a feeling that this race was going to be good, and it was.鈥
Besides being an exceptional,听record-breaking prep mark, her time is also the 听for women. She鈥檚 currently the fourth听fastest American and continues the trend of U.S. high school girls competing on the world stage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always an amazing weekend with so many good athletes competing, but no one was ready for 10.98,鈥澨齁esse Williams, sports marketing manager for Brooks,听told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淐andace, her performance, and her attitude are what make this sport so uplifting.鈥
Though Hill鈥檚 mark is well under qualifying standard of 听for the听, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 25 to 28, she ran the time just days after the qualifying window closed on June 14.
Watch Hill run the 100 meters here:
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UPDATE: JUNE 25, 11:00 MST:听On Thursday, Hill was announced as the 2014-15 Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She is only the third high school sophomore to be awarded the honor and the second girl. The first girl听was听the controversial Marion Jones in 1990-91, who would go on to become a former multiple Olympic gold medalist (Jones lost her medals after she was found guilty of doping). The only sophomore boy to earn the award was Lukas Verzbikas, for cross country, in 2009-10. He would go on to become the fifth U.S. high schooler to break four minutes in the mile.听