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16-year-old Florida track star sets national AAU 200-meter record

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — A Florida high school track and field sprinter has been compared to world-record holder Usain Bolt. Friday morning, Erriyon Knighton bolted out of the starting blocks and set a national record in the boys 15-16 division.

Competing at the AAU National Junior Olympics, Erriyon Knighton, 16, broke the AAU national record in the 200-meter run, Yahoo Sports reported. Knighton finished in 20.33 seconds, breaking the previous boys 15-16 national record of 20.62, set in 2016 by fellow Floridian Tyrese Cooper of Miami Gardens.

Isaiah Davis of Auburn, Washington finished second in 21.68, while Kevar Williams of DeLand, Florida, was third in 21.72.

Knighton, a sophomore at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, is also a wide receiver in football. He has received football scholarship offers from Florida, Florida State and Tennessee, according to Saturday Down South.

Despite the comparisons to Bolt, Knighton has some work to do in order to catch the Jamaican-born sprinter. According to the Indianapolis Star, Bolt ran the 200-meter race in 20.13 seconds a month before he turned 17.

Knighton’s previous personal best in the 200 was 20.89 earlier this season.

But in his quest to catch Bolt, Knighton is off to a good start.