ALL-USA PRESEASON

The All-USA preseason boys track and field team for the 2018-19 season was selected by Fred Baer, the founder of Track and Field Writers of America, and Jack Shepard, the high school editor for Track & Field News.

The focus this season could return to the sprints following the conclusion of the Mondo Duplantis pole vault era.

Matthew Boling, Tyrese Cooper and Sean Burrell are the preseason candidates to provide the speed focus after the graduation of Duplantis from Lafayette (Louisiana) High. He set high school class records from his freshman through senior seasons, concluding with the highest clearance by anyone in the world in 2018 at 19 feet, 101⁄4 inches in a meet in Berlin on Aug. 12. That season also produced the No. 2 and 3 all-time high school vaulters, Sondre Guttormsen of Davis (California) at 18-101⁄4 and KC Lightfoot of Lee’s Summit (Missouri) at 18-5.

Bolling, of Strake Jesuit (Houston), has already produced top 2019 times of 9.98 for 100 meters and 20.58 for the 200. He captured real attention in the Texas Relays in March with a long jump of 26 feet, 31⁄2 inches. That ranks No. 7 on the high school list. The future Georgia Bulldog had gained focus in 2018 with a 46.15 time for 400 meters.

Burrell, a junior at Zachary, is the fastest 400 returnee with his Louisiana state-record 45.74. He also won the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics’ 200 and 400 in the summer.

Cooper, at Norland (Miami Beach), set the freshman class 400 record of 45.23 in 2016, which ranks No. 10 on the all-time high school list for all performers. At 200 meters he holds records for both freshmen (20.62) and sophomores (20.51).