Last year at the Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays, Ida B. Wells High School junior Tyler Marshall described himself as a mess.

Marshall detailed how he was showing up late to events, unsure of what to do in warmups leading up to his hurdles races and feeling a little short on confidence.

In the offseason, Marshall went to work alongside his teammate in Avery Coker, a two-time state champ in the girls 100 meter hurdles, and quickly learned what it took to improve in the sport.

Now in 2025, Marshall currently has the top time in the boys 110 meter hurdles at 14.60 seconds and is first in the 300 meter hurdles at 39.58.

“(Coker has) really been a great role model and I also did an offseason club with her and I think I got a lot better,” Marshall said. “I spent the whole offseason training, and it was a little bit like, ‘Am I going to be able to do this?’ Came back and I’ve been PRing since the first meet.”

Marshall came out of the gates with new personal bests, hitting 15.76 in the 110 hurdles his first time out in 2025 on April 2 at the PIL Relays.

A few days later on April 5 he hit 15.32 at the Oregon Relays down at Hayward Field and then torched the competition a week later on April 12 at the Need for Speed Invitational with his first sub-15 time at 14.92.

Marshall ran a 15.02 at the Twilight Relays to take fourth place, third among Oregon racers and first among 6A racers. While he didn’t win, he improved his standing from 10th the year prior at the Twilight Relays and ran .8 seconds faster overall.

Most recently, Marshall competed at the Cardinal Varsity Invite May 2 and really showed off the wheels with two PRs in one day. He crossed the 110 hurdles line in 14.60 and went sub-40 in the 300 hurdles with a time of 39.58.

Needless to say, Marshall has caught the bug for track and having the competition beside him is fueling the fire.

“I love having a lot of competition, it pushes me mainly when I have kids who I know are better than me,” Marshall said. “It’s why we go to all these highly competitive meets before state, it keeps me locked in.”

Marshall hasn’t had to look far for that competition as Lincoln sophomore Greyson Murff is second in 6A in the 110 hurdles with a top time of 15.07 seconds.

In the 300 hurdles, two other runners have broken 40 seconds this season in Newberg’s Dax Duggan (39.71) and West Linn’s Aidan Sauer (39.85).

That mental drive is the main change that’s led to Marshall’s improvement at the end of the day. The junior has learned the mental aspect of the sport, which ultimately leads to the physical discipline that an event like hurdles requires to make consistent and calculated leaps.

“I used to come into meets totally unprepared,” Marshall said. “Now I have a schedule, I know all my equipment I need to bring, I have the same warmup routine. I’m confident enough to know what to do every time.

“A hurdle race is now another race I know I can do, I’m not confused about how to do it.”

The PIL district meet is quickly approaching, set for May 21 and May 23 at Lincoln High School, the same track where Marshall just set both of his hurdles PRs.

Marshall made state last year in the 300 hurdles, ultimately taking 10th. He also helped the Guardians qualify their 4×100 meter relay team that took 14th at state.

With the technique improving each day, the mentality to be a champion in place and stiff competition in front of him, Marshall is eyeing a low number come state May 29-31 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Most importantly though, the junior is simply having fun on the track with his friends as they all strive for individual goals.

“(The season) has been really fun,” Marshall said. “Obviously I’m excited to compete at state and go against state competition. But it’s been a lot of fun, it’s the perfect mix of fun and intense.”