It took me a long time to realize that, by the time high school is over, a huge chunk of people don't really have a plan for the rest of their lives. We're supposed to have some idea, some kind of arc in mind, but for many people, it just doesn't happen like that.
But Matthew Boling knows where he's headed — and he's going there in an awful hurry.
There are few athletes as dominant in their sports as the Jamaican sensation. At the height of his career, he simply couldn't be caught.
He might not be able to catch up to a cheetah, but I'm pretty sure he's the only human who could even stand the slightest chance to do it.
And will that speedy person be able to even trail closely behind his world record times, let alone surpass them?
His name is Matthew Boling.
Or I guess you could call him Matthew Bolting.
That's just 0.4 seconds off Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58!
I'm just as confused as you are. Let the kid have his moment!
The official American under 20 record for 100m dash still belongs to Trentavis Friday, who ran it in 10 seconds flat in 2014.
I'm sure there have been tailwinds during other running events, and the fact that he still ran that fast should not be overshadowed!
"In middle school, when he was in seventh or eighth grade, it was like watching a deer run," Matthew's father told KHOU.
"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."
"It definitely felt good," he told the Houston Chronicle. "My block start was pretty good and right out of the gate I knew it was going to be fast, so I decided to turn it up a little bit and ran my best. I was really happy with the time."
No doubt!
In addition to his incredible race, he also won the long jump and anchored the 400m and 1600m relay teams to victory. That's a big day no matter how you slice it.
"White Lightning" is the obvious one, but Matthew says there are others, too. "Some people call me the bogeyman. I heard some people calling me the horseman. I've heard different stuff," he said.
Oh, and given the times he's been posting, don't be surprised if you see his name at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Check out Matthew's big race below!
h/t Houston Chronicle, KHOU
