Will Sumner (born 22 October 2003) is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He competed for the Georgia Bulldogs before turning professional in 2023.

Career

In high school, Sumner ran the third fastest ever 800 meter time outdoors in 1:46.53, as well as the second fastest ever indoors in 1:48.14. Sumner won the 800m race at the NCAA Championships in June 2023, running a personal best time of 1:44.26. This was also the second fastest freshman collegiate time ever, the fifth fastest overall in NCAA history, the second-fastest in meet history, breaking the stadium record set in 2019 by Bryce Hoppel and placed him third fastest in the world in the year. Competing at the

2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from July 6–9, 2023. They served as USA Track & Field's (USATF) national championships in track and field for the United States. The results of the ...

, in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

, he reached the final of the 800m competition, where he finished fifth. was a gold medalist at the 2023 U23 NACAC Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, in the mixed 4x400m relay alongside Bailey Lear, Caleb Cavanaugh, and Kiah Williams.

Personal life

Sumner attended Woodstock High School in Georgia. His parents were also an athletes with father Brad and mother Tosha both being NCAA champions, and multiple-time All-Americans. He has a sister called Brynne. He is a keen piano player.

Sponsorship

In July 2023, Sumner announced that he was turning professional and had signed a sponsorship deal with

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Will 2003 births Living people American male middle-distance runners Georgia Bulldogs men's track and field athletes People from Woodstock, Georgia 21st-century American sportsmen