On February 21, 2025, at the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge, Owen Powell, a senior from Mercer Island High School in Washington, set a new U.S. high school indoor mile record with a time of 3:56.66. This remarkable achievement surpassed the previous record of 3:57.66, established by Hobbs Kessler in 2021.
Powell’s performance was part of a historic event where, for the first time, three high school athletes ran sub-four-minute miles in the same race. Joining Powell were Crater High School seniors from Oregon, Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen, who finished with times of 3:57.47 and 3:59.61, respectively. Notably, Tostenson’s time also broke Kessler’s previous record, making him the second-fastest high school indoor miler in U.S. history.
In the race, Powell split 1:58.5 through 809 meters and maintained a strong pace, completing four consecutive sub-30-second laps to finish eighth overall. The race was won by New Zealand Olympian Sam Tanner in 3:51.85, followed by Kieran Lumb in 3:52.39.
This event marked a significant milestone in high school track history, as Powell, Tostenson, and Kitchen became the seventh, eighth, and ninth high school athletes to break the four-minute barrier indoors. Additionally, Oregon became the first state to have three high school runners achieve sub-four-minute miles, with Matthew Maton being the first in 2015.
Owen Powell’s journey to this record-breaking performance includes a previous sub-four-minute mile of 3:57.74 at the UW Husky Classic. Powell, the son of University of Washington track and field coaches Andy Powell and Maurica Powell, is committed to joining the University of Washington, where he will continue his running career. Tostenson will join Powell representing the Purple and Gold adding two rising stars to a formidable collegiate track program.
This historic race not only redefined high school middle-distance running standards but also showcased the exceptional talent emerging from the Pacific Northwest.