A new sprint phenom or a flash in the pan. Read this article from the San Antonio Express News and decide for yourself:
Here are the 100-meter times of top U.S. sprinters as teenagers or high schoolers (and what happened to each sprinter since):
Rynell Parson, Stevens, March 3: 9.99 (Hand-timed and wind-aided at the East Central Invitational. His automatic 10.43 was the nation's fastest 100-meter time by a freshman in 2006.)
Mark McNeil, Sam Houston, 1980: 10.0 seconds (His time, run at the state meet, was a city record until it was broken by Parson two weeks ago. McNeil ran track at the University of Houston and is a sports agent today.)
J-Mee Samuels, Winston-Salem, N.C., 2005: 10.08 seconds (His 10.08 is recognized as the national high school record by Track and Field News. Samuels is a sophomore at Arkansas.)
Henry Neal, Greenville, 1990: 10.14 seconds (His 10.14, run in Austin, is recognized as a national high school record by the University Interscholastic League. Neal was a standout in the indoor circuit.)
Bob Hayes, Jacksonville, Fla., 1961: converted 10.15 seconds (converted from a 9.3-second 100-yard dash, which he ran as an 18-year-old while competing at Florida A&M. Won the 100-meter dash at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo in a world-record-tying 10.05 and anchored the world-record 39.06 400-meter relay with what many observers said was an 8.7-second split. He had a 10-year career as a wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys and is a member of the team's Ring of Honor.)
Houston McTear, Baker, Fla., 1976: 10.16 seconds (Qualified for the 1976 Olympics but suffered a hamstring injury and missed the Games. He held the 60-meter world record of 6.54 from 1978-86 before falling on hard times throughout the 1980s).
Roy Martin, Dallas Roosevelt, 1985: 10.18 seconds (His 10.18 ranks No. 5 nationally on the high school list. He was a two-time All-American at SMU and made the 1988 Olympic team in the 200.)
Johnny Jones, Lampasas, 1976: 10.23 seconds (After running on the Olympic gold-medal winning 400-meter relay team in 1976, Jones was a standout football player at Texas before a short career with the New York Jets.)
Jim Hines, Oakland, Calif., 1964: converted 10.25 seconds (converted from a 9.4-second 100-yard dash. Held the 100-meter dash world record of 9.95, which he set at the 1968 Olympics, from 1968-83).
Justin Gatlin, Pensacola, Fla., 2000: 10.36 seconds (Won the 100 at the 2004 Olympics and in 2006 ran a 9.77, tying the record held by Asafa Powell of Jamaica.)
Maurice Greene, Kansas City, Kan., 1993: 10.43 seconds (Won 100-meter dash and was part of the winning 400-meter relay at the 2000 Olympics. Set a world record with a 9.79 in 1999.)
Sources: Track and Field News, USA Texas and Field and the University Interscholastic League
Compiled by Express-News news researchers Michael Knoop and Julie Domel