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The final 50m of the AAU 17-18 age group 400m came down to an exciting photo finish
RESULTS l VIDEOS l PHOTOS
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA- Maxwell Mitchell was not on many pundit's radar prior to the 2021 indoor track and field season. The junior from Naperville Neuqua Valley got his start competing in youth track and field as a tot. How ironic that he would win his first AAU 400m age-group individual title several years later.
Mitchell, competing unattached, in order to get to the promised land and the gold, had to endure qualifying rounds. In his semi-final, Mitchell clocked the fastest time in 50.49.
In the final, Mitchell used a rocket start that propelled him to the pole first and some early breathing room. As things began to tighten with less than 100m, Sebastian Pesante of Texas began to fade which prompted Noah Norris of Nevada to throw in a last-ditch strike for the win. It would be too late as the scoreboard read Mitchell 49.17.