One of the most surprising results from the 2026 indoor track and field season was the record-breaking battle between Jayden DeLeon and Quincy Wilson over 400m at New Balance Nationals Indoor on March 15. In a race decided by .01 seconds, Wilson crossed the finish maybe an inch before DeLeon, in the two fastest indoor times in high school history: 45.37 and 45.38.

Sligh correction: the tight finish was surprising to everyone except DeLeon, who runs for The House and Montgomery Blair High School out of Washington D.C. Last month, the LSU signee sat down with CITIUS MAG to break down the ins and outs of one of the greatest high school races ever, why he had the confidence to hang with an Olympic champion, and how a ridiculous indoor postseason has him set up for an all-time finish to his high school career.

The following interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.

CITIUS MAG: Jayden, it was a pretty crazy end to the indoor season for you, how are you feeling right now?

Jayden DeLeon: I’m feeling very good, a lot of goals have been accomplished. A lot of hard practices, a lot of hard days where I felt like I wanted to quit, but everything came along. I broke a national record. Even though I didn’t come out on top, that’s still something to be satisfied about. I’m very thankful and blessed.

Definitely. The first really great sign from your indoor season came when you went 32.75 over 300m, which was U.S. No. 5 all-time. Especially considering it was in January, how good was it to see a race of that historic caliber to really set the tone for this season that this one would be different?

I saw what Tate [Taylor] and Jake [Odey-Jordan] ran at the VA Showcase, and I felt like I would be a part of that conversation too. So going into the meet, that was the only thing on my mind, just trying to run 32 seconds. I came into the meet very hyped up. Toeing the line and running the way I did, I was very thankful to run 32 seconds. I didn’t know it was Top 5 all-time, I saw that and was like, ‘Oh, that was kinda fast!’

You brought up seeing what Tate and Jake do, and obviously we’re going to get into your race against Quincy Wilson at New Balance Nationals Indoor. It’s impossible in today’s age to ignore what your opponents are doing, but what benefits do you see from tracking what they run? How does that motivate you throughout the season?

It motivates me because I know that I am the best in the country, so I feel like me, holding myself to that type of standard—it will come along when I run on the track. I see what they run and how they’re being talked about, I feel like I should be in that same conversation.

Is there a specific race earlier in your career where that kind of confidence—to say you are the best in the country—came from that you can look back and say ‘That’s where I started making a name for myself’?

I would probably say outdoor at AAU Junior Olympics [last summer] when I split 44.5. After that, my whole entire trajectory changed. At New Balance, I ran 46.3 and I kind of doubted myself. It was a good time, but me splitting 44, there’s only five other high school kids that have done that before. That made my confidence go way up.

Heading into New Balance, you were the runner-up outdoors last year. You know the hype around Quincy at that meet and with him going for the four-peat, what was your mindset headed up to Boston?

The mindset me and my coaches were coming in with was to shock the world. I’ve always been an underdog, going to a meet where nobody thinks I’m going to win. I came to the meet very confident with what I was going to do, I told myself for the past couple months what I was going to do. I feel like I did it. Come out on top or not, I broke a national record. That was what the goal was in the whole season. It was a lot of, I wouldn’t say anxiety or nerves, but I feel like a lot of talks between me and my coaches. I just became obsessed with it, it wouldn’t get off my mind. I became obsessed with it, it wouldn’t get off my mind. The fact that I was so into it, I feel like that’s why I ran so fast.

In the start blocks for that final, you’re on Quincy’s outside with him in lane five and you in six You know everyone is looking at Quincy and there’s a lot riding on this race for him. Do you enjoy that situation where all the pressure is on him? Nobody was expecting you to cross the line .01 behind him, and you could just race free and to the best of your ability without any stress.

I always prefer lane five, where I can see someone, I never run in lane six. I was more on the fact that I have to get out… I like that people don’t see me as I’m gonna go win the race. I feel like when you come back and do something, their eyes open. At the line, nobody knew who won that race, so I feel like me running my own race probably was the best plan for me. If I was in five and he was in six, I would have to run a whole different race.

One thing I heard Quincy joke about after the race was that you took a long time to get into your blocks. Was that a mind game you were playing?

Me and my coach talked about how in football, you call a timeout to ice the kicker. My goal was to take a long time to get in my blocks, to walk slow.

How much longer was that than it usually takes you to get in your blocks?

I’d probably say at least three more seconds.

In the actual race, 45.38, the second-fastest time in high school history. Talk me through the stages of that race.

The main goal was to run my own race, but we know what he does. He’s gonna get out, so I was gonna try and get out with him and stay on his hip, then use my God-given talent to run past him. I got out pretty cool, I knew he was gonna come and he was coming. I got to the second bend, he passed me, so I stayed with him. My problem with the 400m is getting to the break, so I feel like once I get to the break, 21.5 or that was the goal. I got to the break at 21.4. I just couldn’t let him get too far away from me.

At 150m, you gotta just pull it, so I tried pulling it, came off the home straight and came down the line.

Did you think you had it when you were waiting for the time to pop up?

Yeah, I sure did think I had it. Usually, when I pass someone, I don’t see them no more. After I passed him, I didn’t see him. But I guess the rule is where his shoulder or whatever is, but it was definitely a good race.

In the stadium, nobody was breathing for those 10 seconds until the clock finalized. What was going through your head?

I was just looking at the clock, just waiting for it to pop up. I was thinking, “Please, God, please put me on top.” When his name came first, it was like “I was right there.” I saw .37 and I saw .38, that’s wild. When everyone started cheering, “It could’ve been me” was the only thing going through my mind.

Is there a point in your race you wish you could do over?

Every race you could come back and find something to fix. I feel like coming into the second 200m, on the backstretch, he got a little too far away for my liking to pull him in. If I stay with him a little more on the back stretch, it would have been easier to pull him in.

A week later, you have adidas Nationals, and you win the 200m in 20.77, your first time sub-21. Were you feeling pretty confident you had a race like that in your legs after what happened in Boston?

Definitely, because coming through 21.4 and finishing in 23, that’s kinda fast. I always knew I was a 20-point runner even though I didn’t do it this season, so I came in with the mindset I was going to run 20.7. U.S. No. 1 was 20.71, so I wanted to run 20.6, but kind of celebrated a little too early. That was expected. I ran 21.03 in the prelims, and that was a PR.

I saw on your Instagram that people had been taking pictures with you at adidas Nationals. After what you did in Boston, did you feel like there was any more pressure or eyeballs on you?

I wouldn’t say pressure, because this is all I’ve asked for, this is what I’ve prayed for. All that attention and recognition around my name. I feel like people wanting to talk about me and take pictures with me is all love, even though it’s coming later. I really appreciate everybody, because at some point I didn’t have all this, at some point nobody knew who I was, so there’s no type of pressure on me.

How excited do those two national championships have you for what lies ahead this outdoor season?

Very excited. I’ve seen my progression, coming from last year where I only ran 21.8 indoors and 48.5, I came outdoors and ran 46.3 and 21.0. My progression, the way my time’s been dropping, I’m very excited for outdoors.

Going from 46.3 at NBNO last year to 45.3 at NBNI, has it been a pretty steady training progression, or is there something you and your coach have tweaked and are doing differently that’s helped you take this leap?

My coach, Coach Lindo, has been for sure helping me with training, but he helped me change my mindset when it comes to track. I’m way smarter, I’m way more confident when it comes to track, so the way he’s helped me during these past two years is crazy. I wouldn’t be here without him.

You’re headed down to Baton Rouge next year to become an LSU Tiger—I saw LSU great Vernon Norwood went over and talked to you after crossing the finish line at NBNI. What role do LSU’s legendary alumni play in the recruiting process?

It’s really somebody who you look up to, especially in my position group. He’s an Olympic champion and has made a lot of teams. I feel like he’s a part of that culture, and I feel like I can bring that 400m culture back.

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