Justin Robinson was waiting for the right time.
And Saturday proved to be the perfect moment for the Hazelwood West (MO) High School junior.
Robinson was absolutely incredible over 400 meters at The Great Southwest Classic, clocking a No. 2 all-time high school mark of 44.84 seconds, which solidified a new meet record and put Robinson, the New Balance Nationals Indoor champion at the distance, into the driver's seat toward a potential new national record.
"I was just trying to hold on for the last 10 meters and finish things strong," he said. "I really didn't know how fast I ran until I passed the finish line."
Robinson bypassed 45 seconds entirely, going from a previous outdoor personal best of 46.20 seconds to 44.84. His previous best 400m times in 2019 were 46.22 and 46.30.
In the process, he moved ahead of Jamal Walton, who became the second high school boy to go under 45 seconds in 2017 while competing for the Cayman Islands. He ran 44.99 seconds at the Pan-American Junior Athletics Championships.
Robinson only stands behind Darrell Robinson, who scored the national record of 44.69 seconds in 1982.