T.C. Williams graduate Noah Lyles became a world record holder on Saturday when he broke the indoor 300-meter world record at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships.
Noah Lyles at track practice last year at T.C.
Noah, who graduated from T.C. Williams High School only last June in the class of 2016 and is now running professionally for Adidas in Florida, took the record in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He edged out track rival Paul Dedewo from New York by 0.05 seconds to set a world record of 31.87 seconds over the distance.
I basically wanted to make it just like the prelims. Get out hard. Stay out. I had a great guy out in lane six. I truly wanted to pass him the first chance I got. He just got out and I used that to sweep me along. I was definitely trying to battle him. He wasn’t letting go and I’m glad he didn’t let go because if he had let go, I wouldn’t have gotten that world record,” said Noah.
Noah and his equally successful brother Josephus both trained with T.C. Williams track coach Mike Hughes and sprint coach Rashawn Jackson, for the whole of their high school careers. Last year, Noah was fourth in the Olympic trials, which put him one place below the third place necessary to compete for the United States.
Last year, Noah became the United States National Champion over 200 meters and held the 2015 World Junior Record for that distance. He also posted the fastest time in the country in the 100 meter dash.
I just stuck with my form. My coach always says, ‘Stick with your composure.’ And I know that if I keep my composure, they might die out. I have really good confidence in my endurance so I knew if I just pumped hard and kept my stride for stride, I’d be good,” said Noah after his setting the new world record.
In addition to their extraordinary accomplishments on the track, Noah and Josephus become poster students for T.C. Williams, starring in the ACPS 2020 Every Student Succeeds video, which promotes the future of ACPS over the next five years.
Watch Noah and Josephus sprint in the ACPS 2020: Every Student Succeeds video below. #EveryStudent