Viral track star “White Lightning” breaks 100-meter record

Houston Strake Jesuit senior Matthew Boling ran the 100-meter dash in 10.13 seconds to break the national high school record in the event. He set the record Saturday at the Texas UIL state track and field championships that was held at the University of Texas.

Boling — nicknamed “White Lightning” – surpassed the previous mark held by Henry Neal of Austin (Texas) Greenville High since 1990 by .02 seconds.

The 18-year-old who is headed to Georgia for college became a viral sensation last month when he ran a 9.98 in the 100. That time was not a national record because it was aided by wind measuring 4.2 meters per second. The legal limit for wind in track and field is plus-2.0 meters per second.

ESPN reports that Boling was glad that the wind was not an issue on Saturday.

“Because after last week everyone was like, ‘Oh, the wind was illegal,’ and stuff like that. So I’m like, ‘All right, I’ll just drop a fast time today,'” Boling told ESPN.

ESPN reported that Boling also ran the final leg to help his school win a dramatic come-from-behind win in the 1,600-meter relay.

“I knew he had about a 15-meter lead,” Boling told ESPN. “But I thought I could get him. At the [final] 100 [meters], I heard the crowd get loud and it really helped me.”