Ping Pong And Hills. How Drew Griffith Won Foot Locker.

* Drew Griffith competes midway through Foot Locker Nationals on Saturday

Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit

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SAN DIEGO, Ca. -- Ping pong. Lots of ping pong. 

Was that the difference-maker for Drew Griffith? 

"I was just playing ping pong with the guys a ton yesterday," the Butler High School senior said of his pre-race vibe on Friday. "Honestly, that might be the reason I won. Just tons of ping pong. Hanging out with my friends."

Well, he's not wrong. Griffith's big shots landed in just the right way on Saturday, as the Notre Dame signee took control of the final hill at Foot Locker Nationals and then held on to win his first national title at Balboa Park in a time of 15:06.90. 

"I just was really focusing on getting back here," Griffith said of his approach all season long, "and then once I was here, just laser in." 

Griffith took control on the final hill, surging past Ty Steorts, and then he held off a sturdy challenge from Berkley Nance and withstood Ryan Pajak's last charge, making an emphatic surge into the finish line. 

Pajak, the high school senior from Ringgold (PA) and fellow Notre Dame signee, was second in 15:12.10, while Tamrat Gavenas, a junior from Phillips Academy Andover, was third in 15:16.60 and Nance was fourth in 15:17.50. 

Winfield's Brayden Marshall was fifth in 15:18.40, while Steorts closed off his run in 15:21.20. 

Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit

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The way Griffith saw it, his moment on Saturday was made possible by his past. His home course at Butler -- at 120 Campus Lane -- was a near carbon-copy of Balboa Park. It was there when his strong legs and aerobic engine were borne. 

"I've been running that course since the seventh-grade," Griffith said. "I came here and just decided it was the same exact thing. No pressure. It was just like a home meet." 

Much like Balboa Park, the landscape in Pittsburgh is shaped by big hills, long sloping grass and hardened surfaces. 

Griffith made his winning move on the deadliest hill. 

"I felt super strong on it," he said. "I knew in this race it would be the deciding factor." 

But he wasn't the only athlete at Foot Locker to put down a championship-level effort. There was also Pajak, a native of Ringgold, located roughly 55 miles east of Butler. 

Like Griffith, Pajak also made his move late on Saturday, surging with less than 400 meters to go. With one mini-hill left, he went to the well. But Griffith pounded down the last hill into the finish. 

"There were times when I sensed myself closing a tad bit," Pajak said. "Then he (Drew) picked it up and it went back and forth until that home stretch." 

It wasn't the effort Pajak wanted. "It was kind of an unorganized move up," he said.

But there was no lack of trying. "I'm feeling really gassed," he added. "It's a surreal experience." 

The season was left with Griffith, who was the fastest high school boy to finish out the season. He ran 14:21.00 at the MileStat Invitational in October, then ended his season with a national title. 

Griffith had notably opted out of another regional to focus exclusively on Foot Locker, where he was one of four returning All-Americans. 

The decision paid off. 

"The nerves weren't too bad," he said. "Just because, last 5K race ever. I just wanted to have fun." 

DREW GRIFFITH'S POST-RACE INTERVIEW

RYAN PAJAK'S POST-RACE INTERVIEW

TOP PHOTOS

Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit

HISTORY: TOP 15 BOYS TIMES AT BALBOA PARK