R.J. WEST JR. CELEBRATES AFTER WINNING NBNI WITH A TIME OF 6.79
West Ridge Middle School eighth grader R.J. West Jr. travelled to the Northeast part of the nation last week looking to make his mark at both the Nike Indoor Nationals in New York and then the New Balance Nationals Indoors in Boston, Massachusetts.
It was Mission Accomplished for West who set new records in both meets. His final race in Boston- in the middle school 60m-West left no doubt that he is the nation's premiere young sprinter. It was a classic case of a man running against boys. The winning time was 6.79.
The significant thing about that time is that it is the fastest time run by a Louisiana high school sprinter this season. Rummel's Micah Green ran the same time in the finals of the 2026 LHSAA State Indoor Meet.
For an athlete so young, West is wise beyond his years. Times like the ones he put up don't just happen by chance. West took care of his body between meets. Despite being over a thousand miles from home, he found a facility where he could undergo some cryotherapy and made sure utilize his Normatec compression boot.
News of West's exploits travelled fast, but in case there was a student or faculty member of West Ridge Middle School who didn't know about West's accomplishments, principal Brent May got on the intercom and made a school-wide announcement.
MileSplit LA state editor Jerry Byrd interviewed West to talk about his amazing weekend in New York and Boston and what's in store for West in the future.
R.J. WEST JR. CELEBRATES AFTER WINNING NBNI WITH A TIME OF 6.79
West Ridge Middle School eighth grader R.J. West Jr. travelled to the Northeast part of the nation last week looking to make his mark at both the Nike Indoor Nationals in New York and then the New Balance Nationals Indoors in Boston, Massachusetts.
It was Mission Accomplished for West who set new records in both meets. His final race in Boston- in the middle school 60m-West left no doubt that he is the nation's premiere young sprinter. It was a classic case of a man running against boys. The winning time was 6.79.
