Darren Cammauf didn't appear to be in the best position with 75 meters left in the boys' 400 meters at Sunday's PTFCA Indoor State Championships.
Cammauf was sitting in third place, as North Penn's Devin Nugent was in the lead, hugging the inside rail, and Butler's Guinness Brown moved to Nugent's outside shoulder looking to make a pass. Cammauf, a Manheim Township senior, looked to be boxed in between the two leaders with nowhere to go.
But as they rounded the final bend and came onto the homestretch, Nugent inched towards the outside and created a small lane on the inside. Cammauf didn't miss his opportunity to pounce squeezing in between the rail and Nugent.
It turned out he was in the perfect position, after all.
Cammauf kicked his way into the lead, making the decisive pass in the final meters to take the win, and the state title in the 400 meters. As he crossed the line, he raised his arms in celebration. He clocked a PA No. 1 time of 48.81 in his winning effort.
Nugent ended up second in 48.99 (PA No. 2), Brown was third in 49.14, and North Pocono's Colin Kravitz ran well to take fourth in 49.30.
It ended up being one of the state meet's most thrilling races, and a sign that sometimes patience can pay off in a big way. For Cammauf, this season has marked a big improvement in the quarter mile. He was ninth at the outdoor state meet last spring, just missing the podium. On Sunday, he was the top 400m runner in the state.
With Cammauf, Nugent, Brown, and Kravitz all in PIAA Class AAA, the outdoor 400 meters is looking like it will be among the top events to watch for this spring.
Watch the race above and check out a post-race interview with Cammauf below.