Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old high school star who shattered his own U.S. 800m high school record and broke the 800m U18 world record with a 1:42.27 runner-up finish at last month’s U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, has opted to forego all of his remaining high school and collegiate eligibility to turn professional and sign a contract with Nike.
The decision comes before he is set to race the 800m at the World Championships in Tokyo next month and makes history as the youngest American ever to represent the U.S. at a World Championship.
“I’m just super excited and blessed for the opportunity,” Lutkenhaus tells CITIUS MAG. “To be able to run professionally at such a young age is not very common, so to be represented by the best brand is very exciting.”
Lutkenhaus will remain enrolled at Northwest High School in Texas, where he’s beginning his junior year. He is represented by Ray Flynn and Flynn Sports, who have also represented top high school stars over the past 30 years, including Alan Webb and Drew Hunter. He will continue being coached by Northwest head cross country and track coach Chris Capeu. Classes started on Aug. 13th.
Lutkenhaus is the fourth-fastest American in U.S. history at 800m (behind American record holder Bryce Hoppel, 2019 World champion, and 2025 U.S. champion Donavan Brazier and 2025 World Indoor champion Josh Hoey) and No. 18 on the World all-time list. He is the sixth-fastest man in the world in 2025.
Listen to previous episodes here:
Cooper Lutkenhaus Interview: https://apple.co/4oRrS9f | Spotify
Chris Capeau Interview: https://apple.co/4m3BnzH | Spotify
Read our full news story here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/cooper-lutkenhaus-signs-nike-contract-turns-professional-before-world-championships-2025
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