CLINTON, Miss. (WTVA) – Tupelo High School runner Andrew Brown is six seconds away from the fastest time ever recorded by a Mississippi high school runner in the 5K.

Brown finished in 14 minutes, 44 seconds Saturday at the Watson Cross Country Classic in Clinton.

Brown’s 14:44 is the fastest time ever recorded by a Mississippi high school runner at the Watson Classic, held on the same course used for the state championships.

As he prepares to compete for a state championship, he said he was more excited by the performance of his teammates.

“To be honest, I felt like I was more excited with our team’s performance than mine. I thought across the board all the guys ran consistently and really good,” Brown said.

“It is kind of like watching the Olympics; they look so smooth,” said David Wheeler, the head coach of Boys Cross Country. “But you don’t appreciate the work that goes into making it look so smooth. And he is a good worker.”

Brown and the Tupelo Golden Wave will return to Clinton Saturday, Oct. 31, competing for a back-to-back state title.