Cooper runs 45.45 outdoor 400 opener but DQ's in 200

By Ka’Deem Wynn for DyeStat

The early bar for fastest in the nation outdoors was established across numerous sprint events at the Louie Bing Classic, as several meet records were broken in Florida.

Miami Norland’s Tyrese Cooper dazzled fans in his usual fashion when he ran his marquee event ─ the 400 meters. Cooper dropped a 45.45 in the event, breaking his own meet record set last year by almost a full second.

Cooper also ran the 100-meter dash, taking second behind Anthony Schwartz of American Heritage in 10.81.

Additionally, Cooper ran what might have gone down as an all-time sophomore record in the 200 meters when he ran 20.44 seconds. But he was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct when he raised his hands and made a 'W' with his fingers. The time that came up on the scoreboard, however, would have moved him to No. 8 on the all-time list. 

Because of the disqualification, that performance won't officially count. 

Miami Southridge senior Symone Mason dropped the hammer in girls 400, running a new meet record of 53.26, breaking her own meet record set last year. She finished three seconds ahead of second-place finisher Jermecia Brown from St. Thomas Aquinas.

Schwartz was the 100-meter dash champion in 10.54, breaking Cooper’s 2016 meet record by 0.03, while running into a -2.1 head wind.

Twanisha Terry kept her 100 title in the girls race, running in 12.01 into a -2.3 head wind.

The Lady Bulls of Miami Northwestern improved on Friday’s nation-leading performance in the 4x100 relay, running a meet record of 45.81.

Damian Lewis of Plantation cleared a height of 6-8 in the high jump, second best on the meet’s all-time list.

In a three-way battle to the finish, Rylee Pustilnik of Spanish River, Maria Fernandez of Braddock, and Natasha Strump of West Christian all clocked 5:19 during the girls 1,600 invitational race. Pustilnik was timed in 5:19.15, Fernandez was at 5:19.46, and Strump was at 5:19.56.    

Miami Southridge senior Kayla Johnson took the top spot in the girls 800, running 2:10 ─ just a second shy of her own meet record.

Karimah Davis of Palm Beach Central ran the fastest time of the day in the 200 meters with a 23.86. Her time was 0.01 off of Twanisha Terry’s 2016 meet record. Terry finished as runner-up in 24.17.

Miami Northwestern also ran 3:43.40 in the 4x400 relay, breaking their own meet record from 2016 by two seconds. 

Miami Northwestern was represented on the boys side as well in the 4x400 relay, running a meet record of 3:12.79 to close out the night.