Nashua North's Kobe Perry (5) set the school record Saturday in the 100 meter dash at the North Invitational. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Kobe Perry woke up around 6 on Saturday morning and there was no doubt about what the first thought he had.

“Ten-eight,” he said, without hesitation.

That’s 10.8 seconds, which is what he needed to run the 100 meter dash in to break an at least 11-year-old school record of 10.9, a quest of the Nashua North senior speedster from the start of the season. Zak Jenkins was the North sprinter who had previously owned the record.

Mission accomplished. Perry, in the 100 prelim, raced to a 10.82 time at the annual Nashua North Invitational. It was just the latest of a few major accomplishments for a youth who has battled the odds over the years.

Perry felt Saturday was going to be the day.

“I did, I did,” he said. “Practice, trying to work on my starts, my speed, all that stuff. The first meet I ran an 11.6, which was not good, but the first meet was cold, windy. Then (last weekend) I ran at Souhegan, 11.06. Good, I was happy, but I kind of knew then I would do a sub-11 the next meet.”

Why was this record so important? “For the past three years I’ve been trying to keep close, get a 10 (time).It’s been 10.9 for years now, so I thought it would be nice.”

He had a lot of school and staff support.

“It’s a proud moment for Nashua North,” Titans coach Shane Gagnon said. “Kobe has overcome a lot of adversity and works harder than most at practice. It’s really great to see all that he’s accomplished this year. It’s just a testament to his hard work and dedication to his craft.”

“I think something kind of clicked this year,” North assistant coach Nate Burns, one of a few who has worked with Perry. “I see just a different drive in him in practice, what’s going on and the work he’s putting in. He’s been chasing that (record) since his sophomore year when he came out. … Zak was a pretty special kid, I got to coach him back in the day.”

Perry was a defensive back/kick returner in the fall for the Titans football team and admits football is his first love, and wants to play both in college. He has fought some adversity, dealing with a speech impediment and was at first said he was told by some schools he wouldn’t fit, and he’s conqured that as well with several acceptances. That’s made him feel even better.

“Really good,” he said. “There were some schools who thought I would not fit well from an academic standpoint. And here I’ve been (accepted) by 10 schools now.”

One of those is the University of Connecticut, which Perry says may give him a walk-on spot for football.

Perry said later in the day that his record hadn’t sunk in.

“The last 10 meters I felt good and I saw the time (on the board),” he said. “At first I was shocked but then I said ‘Ok.’.”

In the main race, Perry finished second with a time of 11.31, beaten by Souhegan’s Brody Smith, who actually was second to him in the prelim. The two could square off in the Meet of Champions – Souhegan is in Division II. Perry, meanwhile, says his focus now is “a state championship “and probably go 10.6.”

But right now, he’ll bask in this accomplishment.

“Definitely what he wants,” Burns said. “We’ve been talking sub-11 all year, and he shattered it today.”