At the SATIS meet in Hobart, the 16-year-old clocked a time of 10.44 to win the under-16 100 metres.

Recorded in legal wind conditions at the Domain, the time is a new under-18, under-19, under-20 and open Tasmanian record, the fastest by an under-18 in Australia this year and the equal sixth-fastest of any age.

It is just half a second behind Patrick Johnson's open Australian record of 9.93 set in 2003.

Athletics Tasmania executive officer Brian Roe witnessed the feat and likened it to David Lean, the Launceston 400m specialist, who qualified for the 1954 Commonwealth Games largely on the back of his performance at a SATIS meet.

"It is a huge achievement for a 16-year-old to run 10.44, let alone in school sports," Roe said.

"I have not seen anything like this before. Everyone here, especially his schoolmates, realised straight away how quick it was, and the excitement was incredible.

"But I reckon Jack knew he was going to run fast because there was nothing exceptional in his reaction."

A member of the Northern Suburbs athletic club, Hale was representing his school, St Virgils, when he achieved the feat.

Hale came to prominence with excellent performances in the long jump, winning a medal at the national junior championships.

Roe reserved some sympathy for Hutchins sprinter Russell Taib, who broke the 15-year-old meet record of 11.12 by 0.14 seconds but was still beaten into second place by more than half a second.