“You don’t just leave behind records, you leave behind a mindset,” said legendary sprinter Maurice Greene. And why bring this up now? Because stars like Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and even Kishane Thompson better stay on their toes, as the next generation isn’t just chasing records; they’re snatching the spotlight. Case in point: the Pan American Junior Games in Asunción may have just unveiled the future of sprinting.

Davonte Howell lit up the Pan American Junior Games by shattering his own 100m record in the final. The Caymanian sprinter clocked a blistering 9.98s (1.9), lowering the Games Record he had set in the heats. Howell stormed past Colombia’s Ronal Longa, who claimed silver in 10.07s, while the Virgin Islands’ Jaleel Croal settled for bronze in 10.16s. In addition to his records, Howell broke the 13-year-old record set by his countryman Kemar Hyman (9.95) and is now the fastest Caymanian in the 100m sprint. He has also achieved the World Championships standard and has now punched his ticket to Tokyo, where the best global sprinters from Noah Lyles to Kishane Thompson are set to show up!

The 2025 season has been nothing short of spectacular for the 19-year-old sprinter, defined by one word: consistency. Indoors, Howell clocked a blistering 6.63s in the 60m, cementing his place among Tennessee’s finest. He carried that form outdoors, setting personal bests in the 100m at the NCAA Championships and 200m with a 20.76s run at the SEC Championship. To top it off, he anchored Tennessee’s SEC-winning 4x100m relay squad that stormed to 38.20s, proving his worth as both a star individual and a clutch relay runner.

If we were to talk about his international endeavors, Howell defended his national crown at the Cayman Championships and won the Barbados Grand Prix 100m. And now, he has set another 100m PB, making it two personal bests in just a few months. His performance talks about the depth of talent in the younger generation. Well, he is not the only one!

Davonte Howell is not the only star sprinter of the next gen

Apart from the stars of the sprinting world, the next-gen athletes are making waves in the 2025 season as well. Shifting focus to the Oceania region, Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy is exploding onto the scene with a 6.43s national record in the 60m and a near-sub-10 performance at the national championships.

Back on US soil, the 17-year-old Tate Taylor is making a name for himself. With the American U20 100m record of 9.92s and added a 20.14s 200m, proving he’s already mixing with elite senior times. Diverting our course to Asia and Europe, Japan’s Sorato Shimizu, only 18, stunned the world with a 10.00s 100m in Hiroshima, a new under-18 world best that sparked comparisons to Bolt’s teenage rise.

In addition to that, Spanish runner Ander Garaiar delivered a spectacular performance by smashing multiple U-20 national records. With teenagers and young talents rewriting the history books, the sport appears to be in safe hands.