CLAREMONT, Calif. – Call it a record-book sweep for Justin Brooks.
 
And he's still just a freshman.
 
Having already set the Seattle Pacific indoor 400-meter dash record last December, Brooks rewrote the outdoor record on Saturday when he clocked 47.86 seconds in the Pomona-Pitzer invitational.
 
 

Brooks' time at Strehle Track broke the previous record of 48.24 set on April 8, 2023 by Isaiah Archer on this same blue oval.
 
On Dec. 14 at the Spokane Invitational – his very first college meet – Brooks set the SPU indoor standard by going 48.58. The old record of 48.78 also had been owned by Archer.
 
"It was always the goal, but I didn't think it would happen," Brooks said of breaking both records. "It was just the weather today – it was a lot warmer (mid-70s) than it had been the last couple weeks, and I was feeling good."
 
Brooks was in the fast heat, finishing third both in the heat and overall. The only two runners ahead of him were also in the 47s (47.63 and 47.76). His 47.86 was just barely outside of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-time top-10 (47.82).
 
"I was just really excited – I don't know what else to say," Brook said of seeing that 47 pop up next to his name. "My goal time (by the end of the season) is I'm going for a low 47 or maybe a high 46."
 
Brooks missed the first two meets of the spring dealing with a minor injury. He made his outdoor debut on March 22 in the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field in Eugene, clocking 49.20 in the 400.
 
He went 49.24 the following Saturday at the UBC Open in Vancouver, then ran the 800 last Friday at the Whitworth Peace Meet in Spokane – a race he had done just once before (last year as a senior at Seattle Christian High School).
 
"Coach Karl (Lerum) just wanted me to have one in for the season," Brooks said of the longer race. "I might run it again next week. It's probably my second-best event."
 
On Saturday, he was back in his favorite. Ironically, while he clocked 48s for all four of his indoor races this past winter, he'd never been in the 48s outdoors, either at SPU or during his high school days – and he still hasn't.

From that previous best of 49.20 at Hayward, he skipped all the way through the 48s and right into the 47s.
 
"It felt good to finally to get a couple weeks of real work in, and it paid off," Brooks said.
 
Lerum certainly liked what he saw after Brooks' various injuries.
 
 

"When he has finally been able to string a few weeks of training together, it was perfect timing for him to get a really top race," Lerum said, "and have some fitness and maybe a little more confidence than he has had."
 
Lerum believes Brooks is capable of even more.
 
"He's such a talented athlete. He just took advantage of the moment," he said. "If Justin can stay healthy and train and race for extended periods, he's going to have a great career."
 
Brooks is one of several speedy freshmen who have given the Falcon men a significant boost.

During the winter, Brooks (400), Andrew Bell (60 hurdles) and Robert Joshua (60 dash) all set SPU indoor records. During the first few weeks of outdoor action, Joshua (100 dash, on Saturday) and Bell (110 hurdles, twice) have posted the program's fastest-ever Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) marks in their respective events.

Now add Brooks' outdoor 400 record to that.
 
"It's just really a fun group of guys," Lerum said. "They're good athletes, they're excited to train and race, and they just look forward to getting better – and they're willing to do the work."


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