A gigantic hush rippled through the crowd Monday during the first 100 meters of the boys age 15-16 800m semifinal at Rynearson Stadium at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
One of the nation's top athletes in the 800m -- Missouri's Brandon Miller -- was clipped just seconds into the race and fell to the track as the rest of the field barreled ahead.
Not curtailed, however, the Ultimate Speed Academy half-miler urged his way back from the deficit and took over the race with 50 meters to go in the first lap.
Once silenced, the crowd began to boom with applause as Miller raged through the last 400 meters.
Miller finished the field with the fastest overall time of 1:55.74, though it wasn't near what the rising sophomore from John Burroughs High was hoping for in his first heat.
Afterward, Miller restated his goal for Wednesday's final: Sub-1:50.
Miller will have to run faster than 1:49.42 to break his third-straight world age group record in the 15-year-old division.