By Dave Kiefer
The revelatory moment that revealed the track and field potential of Harker’s Brady Tse ’26 came in his senior season debut.
In a low-key non-scoring league meet at Sacred Heart Prep, Tse lined up as the only competitor in the 110-meter high hurdles.
A less than all-out effort would be expected. Instead, Tse blasted to a time so fast that Harker sprint coach Sean Gwi refused to believe it.
“I think the timer’s broken,” Gwi said. “It says you ran 13.9. There’s no way.”
After missing nearly all of the 2025 season with a concussion, Tse was the state’s breakthrough star in 2026.
Tse became Harker’s first state track and field champion, winning the 300-meter hurdles and placing second in the 110 hurdles at the California Interscholastic Federation Championships May 30 in Clovis.
His 300 hurdles time of 36.23 was the second-fastest in Central Coast Section history and his wind-aided 13.46 in the 110 hurdles was a CCS record for all conditions and the sixth-fastest in state history. His 18 points (10 for first, 8 for second) placed Harker seventh in the state boys scoring, second from Northern California and first from the CCS.
Tse, whose parents are Canadian, has qualified for the Canadian under-20 championships in the 110 and 400 hurdles events. By winning, and dipping under 53.00 in the 400 hurdles (his best is 53.35), Tse would represent Canada at the World U20 Championships in August in Eugene, Oregon. And then on to Stanford in the fall.
How will his success make an impact at Harker?
“I hope it inspires people to push their limits not just in track, but in sports in general,” Tse said. “It’s OK for Harker students to make sports a priority. I hope my success can show Harker students the value in that.”
Tse, a former half-miler who didn’t take up the hurdles until last year, was the first from the CCS – an area spanning from San Francisco to Monterey and San Benito counties – to win the state boys 300 hurdles title in 36 years.
Because Harker doesn’t have its own track, Tse and his teammates trained at Prospect High, under head coach Jorge Chen and Gwi. Humble and friendly by nature, Tse was a team player in every way and a hard worker at practice, pushing himself to the limit and seeking to perfect his technique.
There were trials along the way. At the West Bay Athletic League finals, Tse stumbled in the 300 hurdles when a fall might have prevented him from advancing. But he regained his balance in time. And in the CCS 110 hurdles and State 300 hurdles finals, Tse came from behind on the last hurdle to win each race.
“When I’m in a race, the only thing I’m thinking about is, I need to win,” Tse said. “I need to get faster. I’m never giving up.”
