Connor Burns was dead-set on it.
Maybe his third time really was the charm.
The Southern Boone (MO) High School senior broke four minutes in the mile on Sunday at the Last Chance Qualifier at the BU Track and Field Center at Boston University, posting a time of 3:59.11 in a men's field.
He's the first boys athlete of 2023 to break four and only the fifth high schooler in history to do so indoors, only behind Hobbs Kessler (3:57.66), Drew Hunter (3:57.81) and Colin Sahlman (3:58.81). Burns ran faster than Alan Webb's all-time high school indoor time of 3:59.86.
Burns had come up short in two previous quests, one in a high school-only race at the New Balance Grand Prix and another in a professional field at the Millrose Games.
This time, he got it right.
The Oregon signee, now occupying the U.S. No. 1 slot, finished sixth in heat three and hit a new 1,500m PR en route to his mile in 3:42.21.
He was one of 34 men to break four in the mile.
St. Raphael Academy senior Devan Kipyego, a Iowa State signee, came up just short, hitting 4:01.04 on the clock. Collin Boler, another high schooler, went 4:04.05.
Christ School's Rocky Hansen is the closest to the mark in 2023, having run a time of 4:00.84 on Feb. 11 at the Millrose Games. Wichita Trinity's (KS) Clay Shively has run 4:04.95 and Rapid City Stevens' Simeon Birnbaum has recorded a time of 4:05.29.