IT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY SURREAL DAY WHEN WILL SUMNER SMASHED THE NATIONAL RECORD!
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RESULTS I VIDEOS I PHOTOS I SUMNER INTERVIEW
2022 presented itself well. It would be an opportunity of a lifetime that Will Sumner seized right away. The then-senior from Woodstock HS in Georgia had targeted the national record held of 1:17.58 by Strymar Livingston of New York. Livingston, who broke the mark in 2012, had four of the top marks, and it seemed that no one was able to pressure his venerable status.
That is until the arrival of Sumner.
Sumner's great mix of speed and a solid base of distance made him the perfect candidate to not only go after a record like the 800m but also the mystic of the indoor 600m. After breaking the national 500m record at the VA Showcase, Sumner targeted the 600m and the CYUP Misfits Invitational seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Gately Indoor Track & Field Center's banked 200m oval has a reputation for being very fast. Enough said.
The original recap account of Sumner's great feat:
We can only speculate how things would play out before the gun went off concerning the 600m. Immediately, Sumner was off to the races as he hit the opening circuit in 24.48.
The crowd was buzzing and evermore high-pitched at the 400m mark which was a ridiculous 49.66. It was no one but himself, the energy of the crowd, and the clock as motivation. Sumner hit the finish line a full two seconds ahead of New Yorker Strymar Livingston's great 1:17.58 standard. The emotional Sumner stood in the infield appreciative of the feat and the fans acknowledged him as well for the historic accomplishment.