Back in Miami, Thomas Burns has nation’s top hurdles time — again

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 11:24 PM

Thomas Burns disappointed more than a few WPIAL track fans this winter when the star hurdler transferred home to Miami.

Here’s why: The former Pine-Richland senior owns the top 300-meter hurdle time in the country for the second year in a row. Outdoor track season is only a few weeks old, but the 36.56-second mark Burns posted March 17 remains the best so far, according to Milesplit.com.

James Smith of Meza, Ariz., is second at 36.58.

Burns, who’s brother is Steelers cornerback Artie Burns, spent the fall semester at Pine-Richland and won a state football title with the Rams. He signed his letter of intent in November to run track for the Miami Hurricanes and soon afterward transferred back to Northwestern High School in South Florida.

It's fire ?everytime Thomas Burns touches the track! Burns ran 36.56 for a new US No. 1 300mH. #TastyRace pic.twitter.com/9XAXiFInBv

— MileSplit US (@milesplit) March 19, 2018

Had Burns stayed in Pennsylvania, records could have fallen.

Consider, Burns won the Florida state title in the 300 hurdles last spring in 35.90 seconds, which was the fastest time in the country for that track season.

The WPIAL Class AAA championship meet record for the 300 hurdles is 37.78 seconds, set by Latrobe’s Jeff Elam in 2012. Penn Wood’s Eric Futch holds the PIAA record at 36.43 since 2011.

As a junior last season, North Allegheny star Ayden Owens won the WPIAL title in 38.16 seconds and the PIAA title in 37.47.

Thomas Burns ran 36.56 in the 300mH over the weekend! ? Watch the best 300m hurdler in the nation do his thing: https://t.co/bKG2Ii7KY5 pic.twitter.com/dUDsHskKr0

— MileSplit US (@milesplit) March 19, 2018

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Pine-Richland