TUKWILA, Wash. — The state track and field championships began Thursday.
In this week's Prep Zone Chris Egan has more on a Foster High senior who's not only one of the fastest in the state this season, but he's also one of the fastest of all time.
18-year-old Lyricc Lopez is making history every time he's on the track.
"About every 10 or 12 years a kid comes through like this," said Louis D'Andrea, Foster High coach.
This season Lopez broke school records at Foster High in four events. The 100, 200, 400 and the 300-meter hurdles.
"Whenever I'm stressed out, I can go out there let all my anger out on the track and just make something great happen," Lopez said. "I know that I can be the fastest one in the state, probably in the nation. I don't really feel like I'm going fast until I see myself running. So, if I look back at a video, I'm like dang, I look fast but like when I feel like when I'm running doesn't feel like I'm moving that fast."
But Lopez is moving. His best event is the 300-meter hurdles.
"I just think you just need to know how to just run through pain, need to know how to hurdle, and you need to know how to be fast between the hurdles," Lopez said. "I was always told that if you're fast between the hurdles, you'll win the race, you have to have more foot speed than everybody."
At the district championships Lopez set three meet records, but it was at the Kingco Championships where Lopez shocked the track world.
"We knew he was destined for something really special like this," D'Andrea said. "He's motivated."
Lopez ran the 300-meter hurdles in 36.26 seconds.
"I crossed the finish line and I hear my girlfriend screaming and my coach was screaming," Lopez said. "And I didn't know what happened until I remembered what the time was in the state and I remember where I ran. I just started freaking out."
"When he crossed the line, it was like wow, something special just happened," D'Andrea said.
Lopez broke a state record that had been standing for 36 years.
It's the fifth fastest time in the nation this year.
"Oh my, it's been coming," D'Andrea said. "I remember his Lyricc as a freshman. He made it to state I think he placed 11 out of 16 kids. And he said one day I'm going to break this all-time record. I said, 'sure, I believe you.' Lopez has earned a track scholarship to the University of Arizona, but his goal is to run at the Olympics.
"I'm going to be happy if I get to represent Washington as a home because I love my state," Lopez said. "I just want to show that people can come out of the state for track."
Lopez wants to finish his time here at Foster with three state titles for a triple crown..
Then this Bulldog will become a Wildcat.