KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Rockhurst boys 4x800m relay team won first place at the prestigious Penn Relays over the weekend, covering the distance in a blazing 7:33.83. The Hawklets’ time is the fastest in the nation this season.

“It kind of all clicked and we all kind of had our best days of our lives just right on the same day,” said Henry Acorn, a Rockhurst senior committed to run next year at the University of Virginia. Acorn was the team’s anchor and ran a 1:51.7 to lead the Hawklets to a come-from-behind victory.

Rockhurst’s time was also the fastest in Missouri high school history by seven full seconds.

“We knew we had the talent to get the Missouri record, but to beat it by seven seconds, that was just beyond what I think any of us thought we could do,” said Rockhurst Track & Field coach, Troy Harding.

The 4x800 team – made up Bill Hayes, Jake Bond, Andrew Davis, and Acorn – also ran the 12th-fastest 4x800 relay at the boys’ high school level in the last 25 years. The group credits their camaraderie for part of their success.

“I think one of the biggest things is our chemistry,” Davis said. “We’ve been running together; we run together every day for these past years.”

The group won the Missouri high school state title a year ago and hopes to repeat this season. Their victory at the Penn Relays was also the first for a Missouri high school team.