It really was an amazing race. And it was a virtual repeat of what had happened 2 weeks earlier at the DuPage Conference meet at Wheaton Warrenville South. Don and Tim ran neck and neck for much of the race with Don usually tucking in just behind Tim- and the blasting forward in the final lap. In the state meet, which I have on video, they were so consistent in knocking off 66s, save for one lap, and then you have this move just past the finish line on lap 7 when Don begins what looks like a hard sprint, which he holds all the way around the last 400. Tim has by that time given his all, and hangs on for an 8.56 or so, collapsing at the finish. Tim, like I said, ran sub 9 minutes 5 times that season. And Don was honest enough to credit Tim for helping him run as fast as he did, for pacing and breaking the wind.
Don later did the exact same thing in the 1600, taking off on the first curve to win that race over Amason, who was fresh in his race.