Now that's racing!
It was an epic finish in the boys 800m final on Thursday at the 5A State Championships in Vilonia between Connor King and Chris Hardin.
Entering the day, the two mid-distance stars were ranked 1st and 2nd in 5A, with Hardin owning the slight advantage, having run a 1:56.58 earlier in the season at the Shelby County Track & Field Jamboree in Tennessee.
But this time around, it was the senior from Mountain Home who would rise to the occasion and win his "first" (second, he won the 1,600m title earlier in the day) outdoor state championship.
The future Little Rock Trojan has been waiting for this moment for almost a year.
Last spring, King finished 4th in the 1,600m and 3,200m, just one position off the podium. Later that year, King finished 3rd at the cross country state meet, leading his team to their 3rd straight state title.
You could feel King was closing in on a championship of his own, and on Thursday, one of the state's best distance runners made it happen.
After giving up the lead on the home stretch and it appeared as if Marion's next 800m star was born. King had other thoughts, however, and would come back to hawk down Hardin and win in thrilling fashion.
Congratulations to Connor King and Mountain Home on their 5A state titles!