March is here, and with it brings March Madness.
But college basketball shouldn't have all the fun. Here at MileSplit, we're out to solve a question that's on our minds.
We've created a hypothetical Final Four consisting of four all-time legendary boys teams.
Related Links:
All-Time Girls High School Track and Field Team Final Four
We have chosen four of the best boys teams of the last 20 years in this historical matchup -- keep in mind, our picks are not a definitive 'best of' list, only our views in pitting four of the country's top teams over that stretch.
Which of these programs would win in a four-team, winner-take-all bracket?
- Vista Murrieta (CA), 2016
- New Bern (NC), 2009
- Port Arthur Memorial (TX), 2017
- American Heritage (FL), 2018.
We have two polls open for each bracket. Remember to vote by Friday! We'll keep the semifinal round (first round of the Final Four) open until 12 p.m.
Here's the four-team bracket:
No. 1 Seed, Vista Murrieta, CA (2016)
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There was no mistaking the powerhouse appeal of the Broncos.
Whatever the squad did in 2016 it did well, winning four events outright and placing second and third, respectively, in another.
That was enough to give the Broncos the overall CIF state team championship with 54 points, good for the third best point total of all-time. It was also their second straight CIF title.
Between Michael Norman's exceptional individual display, with wins in the 200m and 400m, and the team's dominant performances in the 4x100 and 4x400, few matched this team in California over that year.
The All-Stars:
- Michael Norman, senior -- 200m (20.42), 400m (45.77)
- Antonio Mitchell, senior -- 100m (10.55)
- Cole Dubots, junior -- 100m (10.58)
- Vista Murrieta 4x100 -- 40.32
- Vista Murrieta 4x400 -- 3:14.97
No. 4 Seed, New Bern, NC (2009)
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Before the Bears would go on to set the No. 2 all-time performance in the 4x400 at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June, the squad secured a NCHSAA Class 4A state championship with 46 points.
Chief among the performances for the team included two wins in the 4x400 and 4x800 and a fourth-place finish in the 4x100. The Hendrix brothers featured in all three relays, while Anthony won an 800m title and his brother Andrew was fourth in the 400m.
The boys from North Carolina would eventually go on to win the 1,600m SMR and the 4x200 at Nike Outdoor Nationals, then would by breaking the then-800m SMR national record of 1:28.20.
The All-Stars:
- Andrew Hendrix, senior -- 400m (49.04)
- Anthony Hendrix, senior -- 800m (1:54.12)
- Miles Sparks, junior -- 300mH (39.43)
- Mike Price, senior -- LJ (22-4.5)
- New Bern 4x100 -- 42.24
- New Bern 4x400 -- 3:14.47
- New Bern 4x800 -- 7:48.11
- New Bern SMR (nationals) -- 3:19.58
No. 2 Seed, Fort Bend Marshall, TX (2019)
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Track is all about dynamics. Individuals alone don't win team championships. Neither do relays.
But in the case of Fort Bend Marshall in 2019, the Buffaloes had the best of both worlds, watching as both their top individuals and their incredible relay squads combined to form the best overall team in Texas that year.
Fort Bend ran away with the Class 5A team championship, scoring 86 points. But crucial toward that team win was victories in all three relays, which snagged 60 points for the program.
That same year, Fort Bend Marshall would become the sixth team to go under 40 seconds in the 4x100, securing a time of 39.99 at the Region 5A-3 Championships. The Buffaloe's peformance in the 4x200 was fourth all-time in high school history.
The All-Stars:
- Bryson Stubblefield, junior -- 100m (10.65)
- Devon Achane, junior -- 200m (20.69)
- Matthias Petterway, senior -- 300mH (37.35)
- Dylan Sanchez, senior -- Discus (153-5)
- Fort Bend Marshall 4x100 -- 40.24
- Fort Bend Marshall 4x200 -- 1:23.38
- Fort Bend Marshall 4x400 -- 3:14.22
No. 3 Seed, American Heritage, FL (2018)
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Sometimes, the team with the most overall talent doesn't always win. That was the case with Heritage, which finished second overall in the FHSAA Class 2A team standings with 59 points, despite fielding incredible performances in the 100m, 200m and 4x100; Hallandale would go on to win with 69.
Chief among the performances on the day included senior Anthony Schwartz's mind-numbingly fast 10.07 (+2.5) time in the 100m, an all conditions mark that went down among the best in Florida history -- it is the fastest time ever recorded at the Florida state championships, wind-aided or not; his teammate, Tyson Cambell, was second overall in 10.39.
Schwartz, Campbell and Patrick Surtain combined -- as well as freshman Jaden McBurrows -- to win in the 4x100 in a state championship best of 40.14. It was also the No. 14 best time in high school history. The first three memebers all seem primed to join NFL programs within the next year. McBurrows, who was a freshman at the time, could eventually join them if all goes well at Michigan.
The All-Stars:
- Anthony Schwartz, senior -- 100m (10.07), 200m (20.41)
- Tyson Campbell, senior -- 100m (10.39)
- Monte Parker, junior -- 400m (48.28)
- Dyllon L ester, senior -- TJ (46-2)
- American Heritage 4x100 -- 40.14
- American Heritage 4x400 -- 3:20.77
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