Bair records second fastest 100m in the country this track season, sets eyes on state records

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Burley junior Gatlin Bair continues to impress everyone with his athleticism and speed, especially after what he accomplished Thursday in the Great Basin Conference District prelims of the 100 meter dash, held at Mountain Home High School.

Bair now has the second fastest time in the country this season, recording a blistering fast time of 10.15. He’s tied with Josiyah Taylor of Denton Ryan High School of Texas and Brody Buffington from Catoctin High School in Maryland.

On Friday in the district final, he hoped to set a new PR at the Great Basin Conference District Championship. Bair posted a bit slower time than Thursday, but still very impressive, taking first place with a time of 10.31.

We caught up with Gatlin after the race to get his reaction on his district performance and what he’s looking to do at the state meet.

“Pretty good, it’s right where I want to be going into the state track meet,” Bair explained. The weather is supposed to be nice so definitely hoping to break some records. Hopefully I can break the overall records, that’s the goal, its been the goal since day one really. Obviously, the recognition for hard work is nice but it also drives you to work harder too.”

Bair is coming off a year in which he set the 3A state track meet record for the 100 (10.72) and 200 meter dashes (21.41) during his time at Kimberly High School.

The 4A state meet records were just recently broken as well. In 2022, James Onanubosi of Bishop Kelly set the current record of 10.51 in the prelims for the 100m. The 200m dash record is owned by Taeo Schneider of Jerome who set that mark back in 2021.

Bair doesn’t just want the 4A records, he’s looking at the overall records which have stood since 2011. Rocky Mountain High School’s Dallas Burroughs owns both. His 100 time is 10.34 and the 200 sits at 21.06.

Bair’s time of 20.47 in 200 meter dash set last weekend at the BYU Invitational, is the second fastest in the nation as well this season. He won the GBD championship on Friday in this race with a time of 20.74.

Only Isamm Asinga out of Georgia is running at a faster clip in both the 100 (9.83) and 200 meter dashes (19.97).

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