Blazing through the final 100 meters of her high school career, Caitlin Hambor heard the cheers from the crowd in the bleachers next to the track at Northern Burlington High School as she focused on her three Southern Regional 4×400-meter relay teammates awaiting her arrival at the finish line.

“Most of them weren’t cheering for me, but I kind of pretended they were,” said the Southern senior, mustering as much humor as she could in between gasps.