How Tampa's Hillsborough High cheered on Olympic phenom Erriyon Knighton

The fourth-fastest human on the planet over 200 meters will start his senior year at Hillsborough High School in a few days.

• I kept thinking that as a crowd of HHS students, teachers, coaches and lunch ladies mingled in the old school's auditorium after watching Erriyon Knighton finish fourth against grown men on the world stage.

What happened: He ran a 19.93, finishing behind Canada's Andre De Grasse (19.62) and Team USA's Kenneth Bednarek (19.68) and Noah Lyles (19.74).

The big picture: Knighton is the youngest U.S. athlete to place inside the top 4 in an Olympic track event since Wilma Rudolph finished third in 1956's 4x100 relay at age 16, per ESPN.

• "He's definitely going to be a monster in the future," Bednarek said after the race.
• "We’re just going to come back again," Knighton told USA Today.

Here at home: His teachers and friends were beaming at the watch party while they waited for the race to start.

• Joseph Sipp stood off to the side, a smile on his face. He's the football coach who noticed Knighton's speed three years ago and encouraged him to join track.
• What would Sipp tell young Erriyon? "Get a good start, and finish strong," Sipp told me.
• Good advice for the school year, too.