If you have ever won a 400 meter dash in high school, you’ve dreamed about becoming an Olympian. The moment you first get a taste of winning, you get hooked on it. Most sprinters would agree there is nothing more satisfying than “hawking” someone down on the home stretch of any 400 meter race. However, the best runners are  much less concerned about what any of the other runners are doing, and much more with whatever the clock has to say after you cross the line. But what really happens to the fastest girls 400 meter runners in high school? Only 1 girl every year runs the fastest time in the nation. Furthermore, high school is really only the start of any young sprinter’s career.

To make this list as the best 400 meter sprinter in high school, you must run the number 1 recorded time on either MileSplit or Athletic.net that is FAT recorded for a full season. So here is a breakdown of what happened to the fastest high school girl in the 400 meter dash, every single year, for the past 10 years.

Honorable Mentions

Starting off with a few honorable mentions of ladies who did not make the cut as the fastest girls in high school. But they made up for it the moment that they got to college.

Britton Wilson – Virginia (2019)

In 2019 Britton Wilson was only the fourth fastest 400 meter runner, while leading the entire nation in the 400 hurdles. At Tennessee and then Arkansas she became the collegiate record holder in the 400 both indoors and outdoors. She is actually already one of the world’s greatest talents. She has a gold medal in the 4x400 meter realy from the World Championships to go along with a finals appearance in the hurdles, and she’s only 22 years old. 

Athing Mu – New Jersey (2019)

The collegiate record holder prior to Britton Wilson was Athing Mu. She is known for her 800 meter performances more than anything else. She was the fastest runner in the nation in that event for 2019, but she was actually ranked third in the 400 meter at the same time. She ran 51.98 back then, but at Texas A&M she dominated both while setting a collegiate record as a freshman of 49.57. She’s already an Olympic champion with more races left to run, so there is no telling what she may accomplish going forward.

Courtney Okolo – Texas (2012)

Almost nobody on this list has won more NCAA championships than Courtney Okolo out of Texas, who was technically the second fastest 400 meter runner in 2012. That didn’t hold her back at all because as a Texas Longhorn she dropped her PR all the way from 52.40 to 49.71. That helped her to win 4 national championships in the 400 meter both indoors and outdoors.

The fastest girls 400 runners in the nation

Christine Mallard – Texas (2022)

In 2022 Christine Mallard of Texas ran 52.12 to lead the nation. She chose USC to continue her college career and has just finished her freshman season. She never qualified for an individual race at the NCAA championships but won a bronze medal at the Pac 12 championships in the 400 meter with a new PR. So there’s no reason to believe that she can’t become a threat to win the NCAA going forward. 

Shawnti Jackson – North Carolina (2021)

The year 2021 belonged to an underclassmen, Shawnti Jackson who ran 52.54 as the nation’s fastest time. She’s actually more of a short sprinter than anything else, and the daughter of American Olympian Bershawn Batman Jackson. That said, she won the USA Junior meet in 2023 in the 200 meter dash running 22.48. That’s a competition for athletes 20 and under, but she’s only 18! She will continue on to run a the college level for Arkansas, no doubt following in the footsteps of Britton Wilson.

Roisin Willis – Wisconsin (2020)

2020 was a shortened track season for everyone but that didn’t stop Roisin WIllis from outrunning the nation as a sophomore. She ran 54.23 to do it out of the state of Wisconsin and was really a dominant 800 meter runner. She continued on to run for Stanford and just finished up her freshman season, winning the 800 meter at the NCAA indoor meet. Keep in mind that was her first championship meet ever at the college level. Like Athing Mu she is multitalented, and will likely be a threat in the 800 meter for year to come.

Kayla Davis – North Carolina (2019)

In 2019 it was a high school freshman in Kayla Davis, who ran 51.17 at the New Balance National meet, to lead the nation out of North Carolina. However, years later she has slowed down considerably. She recently completed her freshman season in the NCAA but hasn’t run anything close to 51 second at the college level. She actually struggled to be competitive within the SEC outdoor campaign, but did sub in as a 4x4 relay leg for the Florida Gators at the NCAA championships. 

Alexis Holmes – Connecticut (2018)

The 2018 leader was Alexis Holmes of Connecticut, who led the nation during her senior year running 51.21. She actually began her college career at Penn State in the Big Ten finishing fourth indoors at the NCAAs as a freshman. Later she transferred to Kentucky in the SEC. But it didn’t matter because she won her first 4 conference championship meets in a row in the 400 meter dash. She actually finished her college career in 2022, the same way she started it, going fourth in the 400 meter at the NCAA championships. She was also a semifinalist in 2023 in the 400 meter at the USA championships, running a new PR of 50.58 to get there.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – New Jersey (2017)

From 2017, the fastest girl in the nation is now an Olympic Gold medalist who needs no introduction. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran 51.88 to lead the nation in the 400 meter dash, alongside the 200 meter dash, and the 400 hurdles! Now we know just how good she actually is. She is a collegiate record holder, world record holder, world and Olympic champion, and now an American champion in the 400 meter dash. She accomplished all of this by the age of 23 years old. Honestly she has a good change at going down as perhaps the greatest woman to ever race on a track, regardless of her event.

Lynna Irby – Indiana (2015/2016)

Interestingly enough in 2016 Sydney was the second fastest 400 meter runner. That’s only because Lynna Irby of Indiana dominated the nation in both 2016 and 2015. She was actually a 400 meter prodigy from as early as age 12, and ran 51.79 and later 51.39 to do it. She continued her career at Georgia in the SEC, where she would win the outdoor NCAA title as a freshman, running 49.80 seconds. After failing to medal at the indoor meet as a sophomore she shockingly turned professional, ending her college career. Since that point she has broken through to make the USA national team in the 400 meter dash for the 2023 World Championships, finishing third.

Oliva Baker – New Jersey (2014)

In 2014 it was Olivia Baker, once again out of New Jersey who ran the fastest time in the nation. She went 52.46 to do it, and ran her entire college career at Stanford in the Pac 12. She was actually a dominant 800 meter runner who battled to make the NCAA championship final almost every season she ran in college. She ultimately finished as high as 4th overall at the USA outdoor championships, and she is still on the track competing in 2023. 

Kendall Baisden - Michigan (2013)

Rounding out this list, one full decade ago was Kendall Baisden of Michigan who ran 52.03 to lead the nation. She only ran in college for 2 seasons with the Texas Longhorns after that, and turned pro after finishing second overall at the NCAAs in the 400 outdoors. However, since that point, she has struggled to maintain even her high school form. She’s showed up to the USA championships a few times, but struggled to make the finals when she does. Beyond that she has never made a USA team for any major international championships. But the talent that she has still remains undeniable as she is back on the track running races in 2023.

The Bottom Line 

To become the fastest quarter miler in high school you must have great talent and great potential. However, it does not mean a whole lot if that potential is never realized. The honorable mentions who did not originally make this list are proof that high school success, is not the end of your career but rather the beginning of it. But one thing is for certain, that in the United States of America, there is no shortage of talent in the 400 meter dash.

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, RUN GOOD.

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