Lutkenhaus wins title, races into record books

Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus broke the freshman national record set by former Texas A&M runner Brandon Miller at the 2017 AAU Junior Summer Olympics (1:49.87) by running 1:49.84 in the boys 800 to win the 5A state title May 3 in Austin. MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

One of the youngest runners on the track Friday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus ran away with the top prize on the final lap. 

Sitting in fifth place (55.42) after 600 meters of the 5A boys 800, Lutkenhaus pulled away from the field to claim the gold medal, clocking 1:49.84 in his first state race. 

“It’s super exciting to win my first race,” Lutkenhaus said. “There was a lot of great competition — basically everyone was 1:53 or under. My biggest focus in that race was just to stay patient, which is something a lot of people like to do. I just let it unfold. With 250 left, I tried to move out but I couldn’t. My coach and I had discussed that the 200 mark would be the last time I would be able to make my move and really go for it.”  

Lutkanhaus outran runner-up Anthony Zapata of San Antonio Southwest Legacy (1:53.17) by more than three seconds. Red Oak’s Caleb Atkinson clocked 1:53.74 for bronze.  

The freshman Texan’s state title run broke the freshman national record set by former Texas A&M runner Brandon Miller at the 2017 AAU Junior Summer Olympics (1:49.87).  

“When I ran 1:53 as an eighth-grader, we looked at [Miller’s] record as something we could go for this year,” Lutkenhaus said. “At [Texas Distance Festival] this year, I finished one second shy of it (1:50.80). So coming into today, I was thinking that this is the state meet, and everyone’s going to be running fast. Sitting in fifth with 200 to go, I just decided to go for it. The main goal was to get the win, but breaking the record was definitely the icing on the cake.”   

Standing on top of the podium, Lutkenhaus was presented his gold medal by his father George, who serves as Northwest ISD’s Director of Athletics. 

“That was a pretty awesome moment, and I don’t know if it can get any better than that,” George said. “He’s worked really hard, and that was the one race he was aiming to win. It was amazing to see him accomplish his goal with his coaches, and it really made for a special day.” 

Lutkenhaus competed against a fast field in the 5A boys 400 an hour later, finishing seventh in 48.82. 

“Going into the 400, I thought I had a chance to medal, but everything doesn’t always work out the way you want it to,” Lutkenhaus said. “I had tired legs going into it, but I try to never use that as an excuse. It’s the state meet, so everyone’s at the top of their game. I’m not mad that I finished seventh, but I am a little bit disappointed in all honesty. It is what it is, and there’s not much you can do about it.”

Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt’s Malik Neighbors, who finished second behind Lutkenhaus at the 5A Region I championships April 20, earned his second straight 5A state title in 47.23. Fort Bend Marshall’s Jordan Riggs garnered silver in 47.55, while McKinney North’s Taylor Briggs ran 47.72 for bronze.

“The level of competition in the 400 was amazing,” Lutkenhaus said. “Everyone was between 46 and 48 seconds across the board, and competing against the now two-time state champion [Neighbors] was tough again, but it was a good race.” 

In his final event of his first trip to state, Lutkenhaus and the Texans’ 4×400 team of Lamaah Carter, Sam Smith and Adam Thurston placed ninth in 3:27.53. 

McKinney North’s Dakalon Tyler, Keithon Davis, Jayden Walker and Taylor Briggs ran away with gold in 3:13.36. Mansfield Timberview’s Brandon Gilmore, Nye’gil Wright, Chance Collins and Cameron Bates placed second (3:15.95), while Corpus Christi Flour Bluff’s Austin Villanueva, Owen Argus, Elijah Gonzales and Zachary Dewalt ran 3:17.03 for bronze. 

“It definitely wasn’t our best race,” Lutkenhaus said. “We’ve run 3:19 this year, so our execution wasn’t really good. We still raced great, but it wasn’t our best, and there’s always room for improvement.”

With his sophomore season on the horizon, Lutkenhaus is looking forward to tougher competition as Northwest moves up to 6A starting next season. 

“I’m excited because there’s really good competition in 6A,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, the level of competition in 5A has been amazing, but there’s going to be a good increase in that level. I’ll be ready for it, and it’s definitely going to be a lot tougher. Everyone gets faster when you move up divisions, so I think it’ll be a good experience.”

Later this month, Lutkenhaus is planning to run the mens 800 at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Alabama. He will also compete in June at the Brooks Running PR Invitational in Seattle, Washington, and the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals at the University of Oregon.