Maybe a new look helped Brandywine track standout Nathan Anders break the school-record in the 110-meter high hurdles.

On May 3, Anders accomplished that feat at the Centreville Invitational when he finished with a time of 14.72.

Just a day before, Anders cut his hair and shaved his beard.

“I used to have long hair and a lot of facial hair,” said Anders. “My date for prom wanted me to look classy so I shaved off my hair.

“I like it. I have no hair in my eyes. I feel like my head bobbles less. I’m going to keep it like this until state.”

Anders is no stranger to the state finals and he appears headed to that meet again this year as a senior.

As a junior, Anders placed sixth in the 110-meter high hurdles and 1,600-meter relay and was 11th in the 300-meter hurdles.

As a sophomore, Anders’ 1,600-meter relay team finished sixth.

“He’s worked hard,” said Brandywine track coach Terry Borr. “He started working out in the winter. He has a goal to get back to the state meet and place high in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.”

Anders was driven to get the school-record in the 110-meter high hurdles and he has that same focus to get the school-record in the 300-meter hurdles.

He’s pretty close to the person who has the school-record in the 300-meter hurdles. In 1980, Nathan’s father, Kent, finished with a school-record time of 38.9 in the 300-meter hurdles. Nathan’s best time in the 300-meter hurdles is 40.5

“I’ve wanted that record in the 110-meter hurdles since the seventh grade,” Nathan said. “I really wanted my name up there (on the Brandywine track leaderboard) next to my dad.

“It will definitely be a challenge (to set the school-record in the 300-meter hurdles), but I’m up for it. It would feel great to get that record.”

How would his dad feel if his son accomplished that feat?

“He teases me a little bit about the record in the 300 hurdles, but he told me that he really wants to see me beat it and he encourages me,” Nathan said.

“Me and my dad usually talk about my technique and if I need to stride out more or make my arms tighter or head straighter. It’s simple stuff that can make a big difference in a race.”

Kent Anders comes to all of his son’s track meets. He sat in the bleachers Monday watching his son compete in a home meet against Buchanan, Marcellus and Marian.

At that meet, Anders placed first in the 300-meter hurdles (41.59), 110-meter hurdles (15.40), 800-meter relay (1:37.27) and 1,600-meter relay (3:48.45).

Anders ran the first leg in the 800-meter relay and was the anchor in the 1,600-meter relay.

“I felt pretty good,” Anders said about his performance on Monday. “It was a pretty stress free day. I tried not to psyche myself up too much.”

Another factor in Anders’ improvement in the hurdles is the affect teammate Andrew Duckett has had on him.

“He’s figured out something the last few days because he’s starting to beat Duckett,” Borr said about Anders. “He hasn’t been able to do that this year in both hurdles. Both of them are very good in the hurdles. It’s one little technical thing Anders has changed and it has helped him. He’s improving week after week and meet after meet. We expect big things out of both those guys.”