Hazelwood West High School’s Justin Robinson has been named the 2018-2019 Gatorade Missouri Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
The award recognizes both athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and character demonstrated on and off the track, and distinguishes Robinson as the best high school boys’ track & field athlete in Missouri.
Robinson, who just completed his junior year, won three individual events and anchored the winning 4×200 relay team at the Missouri Class 5 State Championships this past spring.
He won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.56 seconds, the 200-meter in 21.96 seconds, and the 400-meter in a state-record time of 46.30 seconds; his performance also helped the Hazelwood West Wildcats win the Class 5 team championship.
Robinson’s season-best time of 44.84 seconds in the 400 ranked as the nation’s top performance among prep runners in 2019 at the time of his selection; that time also ranks second in American prep history.
He also volunteers locally as a mentor for young athletes and maintains a B average in the classroom.
“Justin has become the best high school 400 runner in the U.S., but that’s not his goal,” Hazelwood West High School coach Tim Levine said. “His goal is to be the best 400 runner, period. For the first time in my coaching career, one of my athletes has a legitimate chance to be an Olympian. It’s no guarantee, but the talent, work ethic, focus, and intangibles are all there.”
Robinson is the second Hazelwood West student-athlete to earn this recognition, following Daniel Harris during the 1999-2000 school year.
