At Mike A. Myers Stadium, under the Texas sun, history unfolded. A 17-year-old track and field star, just a high schooler, stunned the crowd at the 2025 UIL Class 6A championships. He first took the national lead in the 200m with a smooth 20.14—but he wasn’t done. In the 100m, wearing black and with quiet confidence, he didn’t explode out of the blocks. He chased. Then came the kick. With meters to go, he soared past Brayden Williams and crossed in 9.92 seconds, breaking the high school record. He smiled, jumped, and hugged his competitors. A teenager, racing with heart, just became unforgettable. What is even more unforgettable for the young gun is the comments from the legends. What do they have to say?

“For you to be able to run that fast and your glasses don’t fall off, you’re a cool dude, bro. I’m trying to tell you. You’re a cool dude, bro.” These were the words Justin Gatlin had for Tate Taylor, the young track and field prodigy who ran through records with his regular glasses on. Yes, regular glasses, no strings, no nothing!!! The track and field legend sat down with his friend Rodney Green once again in the latest episode of Ready Set Go, where Tate Taylor was a topic of discussion.

Pointing out his performances where he clocked a 9.92 in 100m and 20.14 in 200m in the 2025 UIL Class 6A state track and field championships, Gatlin said, “Tate Taylor’s on fire right now. Yes. Tate Taylor is on fire.” Agreeing, Rodney had only one single message for the young star: not to lose his aggression in the coming years of his career.

The advice sat right with the Olympian next to Rodney, who said that today’s athletes are running in a new realm where “guys are running their PRs and that’s not their PR.” What the man means is that the track and field athletes today have so much in themselves that cracking their personal bests is not even their full potential. 

“I mean, hell, when you look at the numbers, he would have gone out there and won Shanghai. He ran 992. They ran 998. You know what I mean?” In the 2025 Shanghai Diamond League, Akani Simbine clinched the number one spot with a time of 9.98 seconds in the 100m. Matter of fact, Noah Lyles’ Olympic rival Kishane Thompson clocked a time of 9.99, finishing second.

Citing this, the Olympian pointed out that Taylor has the capabilities of going out there and running at a high level. It’s just a fact of where his consistency is. Giving a shout-out to the coach (Kevin) of the young athlete, Gatlin remembered his last meeting with him. He was told Tate can run 99 going into next year, “and here we are next year. He ran 99 already. So the sky is the limit for him. He looks great, man. He keeps God first, which is an amazing thing, man. And he goes out and handles business, man.”

After his record-breaking performance at the 2025 UIL State Track and Field Championships, Taylor said he spoke to God before the race, telling Him, I don’t care if I win; I’m part of history already and reminded himself to just have fun and not feel pressure. Gatlin also remembers advising the young talent. In the podcast, the track and field legend shared how Tate used to be a slimmer kid, and just tall. “He’s a little taller than I am. So, he’s like 6’2, 6’2 and a half. And I said, ‘You got to put some shoulders on you, man.’

What he told the young gun was that he was reaching for strength around the turns in 100 meters, and what would happen is that he would open himself up too much. Gatlin’s advice to him was, “You’ve got to find strength within your shoulders so you can be able to rotate better and be more aggressive.” And did he follow this advice? Why don’t you hear from the Olympian himself?

“I’m going to tell you right now, he went out there. Shoulders got a little bigger. He looks a little stronger. And now he’s putting down times from the indoors to the outdoors, man”. Gatlin said. Last year, Taylor’s best in the 100 meters was 10.28, and in the 200 meters it was 21.06. Click to 2025, and the man has shocked the track and field community with his record-breaking performance, going beyond the marks set by Noah Lyles himself.

Tate Taylor broke Noah Lyles’s record

Noah Lyles carved his name into track and field history long before he ever stood on an Olympic podium. Back in 2016, as a high school senior with unshakable confidence and world-class acceleration, Lyles delivered a blistering 200m indoor run of 20.63 seconds at The Armory in New York City. Enter Tate Taylor. In 2025, at that very same Armory track, the 17-year-old phenom stood at the starting blocks with history staring him in the face.

Lyles’ record loomed large, unbroken for nine years; standing in the way were Issam Asinga’s 2023 national record of 20.48 seconds and Jaylen Slade’s 20.62. But Tate Taylor didn’t seem to care. When the gun cracked the silence on the track, the sound of shoes functioning against the rubber echoed in the arena. And the fastest of them all? Tate Taylor, of course, is going not for the win but for the record.

When he crossed the line, the clock read 20.46 seconds—a new national high school indoor 200m record, a new Armory meet record, and the end of a reign that had lasted nearly a decade. Tate Taylor had run a run so iconic that even Noah Lyles took notice. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist saw one of the posts made by Taylor, and he said, “Records are made to be broken, and he took that to heart. This is a crazy, impressive time and win! Congratulations.”

The rise of the young guns does leave a question in the mind: Are we closing in on the time when one of these young track and field stars starts challenging the records of Usain Bolt? Do let us know in the comments.