6000 track athletes, representing over 25 states, yet our eyes are fixated on that one 16-year-old. Why wouldn’t they be? Quincy Wilson has earned every bit of that spotlight. Every time he steps up to the starting line, the possibility of a potential world record cannot be ruled out. And this season, he is truly going after Will Sumner’s high school records. No, not only the 600m one at the Millrose games in February but another one just this weekend.

Yes, the latest news on the track block is that Quincy Wilson will be running the 500m indoor race at the 2025 VA Showcase. Could he snag Will Sumner’s 500m U.S. high school national record this time? After all, all he needs is two-thousandths of a second. Yes, he’s just 0.02 seconds away from Sumner’s high school mark, standing strong at 1:01.25. But is this the last week before it topples? Well, the Bullis High School star hasn’t put a firm challenge out there, as he normally would. But he hasn’t been silent either.

The latest update is that Quincy Wilson has seemingly decided to go with the flow this time. In the pre-VA Showcase press conference, Quincy Wilson was questioned on his goal for this weekend, racing in Virginia. That’s when he replied, “For me, tomorrow, my goal is just to better myself. I’ve been training for two months, and my goal is just to better myself.” Yes, the same boy who was too proud about being half the age as his competitors and still running ‘grown man timings’ is finally looking inward. The reason?

Well, Quincy Wilson continued, “It’s been a long season, so I’m just trying to better myself here for the national record. That’s the spot.” And getting there will need a slight push that he said he should get from his contemporaries. “I have a lot of great competitors in the field. I think they’ll help me push me into where I want to be. Push me to limits that I’ve never reached before.” But he’s sure about one thing, “It’s going to be a great race this season.”

Yet, Wilson’s prediction box for this weekend in Virginia is surprisingly empty. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ll be here tomorrow with a five-minute. That’s all I know. That’s all I know for right now.” Well, despite the fact that Wilson’s the defending 500m champion here in Virginia, having run a U.S. No. 2 all-time 1:01.27 to win the 500m in Virginia Beach last indoor season, he does not seem overconfident about his race. Is that because this will be his second 500m short track race ever and so he’s probably feeling jittery?

Well, there’s no reason for him to be nervous either. While the distance he’s targeting this time in Virginia remains the same, Wilson’s level of stardom and exposure has shot up. Sure, when Wilson clocked that all-time mark to win the 500m to win the VA Showcase last January, he was already a big name in high school. But so much has changed since then. He became the youngest track and field Olympian from America, won a Paris gold, etched the U18 400m world record, and ran under 45 seconds thrice last year.

And of course, let’s not forget he was the USATF Young Athlete of the Year awardee. Nonetheless, here’s what we can expect from Quincy Wilson’s race this week at the VA showcase. PS: a big collegiate competitor is waiting to chase him down to the finish!

What to expect from Quincy Wilson’s VA Showcase race?

We’ve already seen Wilson hit the ground running this season—literally. He clocked an incredible 1:17.19 for 600m at the U.S. Marine Corps Holiday Classic. That time? It’s the second-fastest-ever run by a U.S. high schooler at that distance. Plus, he pulled that off after casually splitting a controlled 2:01 in the 800m for Bullis School’s SMR team at the Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival. So, be rest assured, he’s going to go big, in Virginia and at the Millrose Games next month.

And since he’s the defending champion from last year, he won’t want to pass on that crown just so soon. But don’t count out his 500m competitors too. Most importantly, Bayside’s senior Andrew Salvodon. Salvodon is currently US #1 in this event at 1:01.90 and this is his home track. So, he could really push Quincy Wilson in the 500m. But can he edge him out completely? We’ll see that in this weekend’s banger!