Anchored by the fastest indoor miler in U.S. high school history, Loudoun Valley's (VA) DMR relay defeated defending champion La Salle (RI) by a thousandth of a second in a down-to-the-wire finish at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia in November.

The drama began almost immediately when Loudoun Valley's Colton Bogucki took a tumble in the first 200m of the opening 1200m leg. He quickly got back on his feet, but when he passed the baton, he was near the back of the pack and behind the leading team by about 80 meters. When Loudoun Valley's Drew Hunter began his 1600m anchor, he was eight seconds removed from the leader, 4:08-miler Jack Salisbury of La Salle.

Hunter clipped off runners as he peeled through 400m in 56 seconds and 800m in 2:00. He caught up to Salisbury with a little more than a lap to go. Instead of fighting to maintain a gap between him and Hunter, the La Salle senior continued to coast in an audacious bid to see whose 200m kick was stronger. His strategy ALMOST worked--they were stride-for-stride, but Hunter's 4:00.73 split--the second-fastest in Penn Relays history behind Alan Webb's 3:59.9--capped by a wild lean earned the wheel for Louduon Valley.

Loudoun Valley's Splits: Colton Bogucki (3:11.03), Nathaniel Thompson (49.28), Will Smagh (1:58.97), Drew Hunter (4:00.73) = 10:00.003