The best high school miler since Alan Webb is going pro a year earlier in his career than Webb did. Drew Hunter, a recently graduated high school senior from Loudoun Valley, Virginia, is turning professional. He signed with adidas and Flynn Sports today.

This indoor season, Hunter ran 3:58 to break Webb's indoor high school national record, and 7:59 in the 3K to break Edward Cheserek's national record. (He later lowered his indoor mile to 3:57.81) Hunter was set to be Cheserek's teammate at the University of Oregon this fall.

Hunter only ran open events at four meets this outdoor season: a 3:42 1500 at Princeton, a 1:48/8:43 double at the Dogwood Classic, a 3:58 mile at Prefontaine, and a 1:54/9:17 double at the Virginia state meet. After the Virginia state meet, reports came out that Hunter had been struggling with Lyme disease.

Webb turned pro after his freshman year at Michigan. Galen Rupp briefly turned professional out of high school, but returned his prize winnings and travel stipends after Vin Lananna and Alberto Salazar reached an arrangement for Salazar to coach Rupp in college.

When asked about Hunter's coaching situation, his new agent Ray Flynn said that "there is currently no plan to make any changes."

Watch Hunter's epic 800 race at Dogwood:


And listen to him after breaking Webb's mile record for the first time:


And watch his thrilling kick in the Penn Relays DMR: