LaShawn Merritt, Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth, VA

Merritt had the best senior year an athlete could have. During his indoor and outdoor seasons he won a combined six state titles. For his efforts, he was named the No. 1 male for the 200m and 400m on the Track and Field News HS All-America teams. As a freshman at East Carolina University, he set a world junior record of 44.93 for 400m. He went on to win two Olympic gold medals, six World Championship titles, two World silver medals, and four national titles.

<p> <em>As McFarland, USA hits theaters this weekend, MileSplit takes a look back at the nation's best high school track and field stars in history. </em></p>