Difference Between Plural And Singular Nouns After "Any" When Asking Questions

Question

I have a question related to the usage of "any". I have seen "any" is used with both singular and plural nouns when asking questions, though the plural is more common. Could any native speaker please tell me the difference between the two following sentences?

Here are the examples:

1. This girl named Jane runs very fast. She is so fast that even many boys find difficult to compete against her in running races. Can any boys in this school run faster than this girl?

2. This girl named Jane runs very fast. She is so fast that even many boys find difficult to compete against her in running races. Can any boy in this school run faster than this girl?

Of the two above sentences, Which one is correct and does sound more natural?

Note that I am at a sports school (which consits of both boys and girls). I am asking this question only to the boys of the school.

Answer 1

Both sentences are acceptable. Since you are asking this question to the boys, though, example #1 sounds like you simply want to know if there are boys in the school who can outrun her, while example #2 comes across as a challenge, as if you are asking if there is a boy who would be willing to race against her.