Championship programs respond when it matters most. Bethesda Academy did just that.
The Blazers are state champions again.
Bethesda scored 126 points to win the South Carolina Independent Schools Association (SCISA) Division II Track and Field Championship at Orangeburg Prep on May 1, pulling away from the field and finishing 40 points ahead of second-place First Presbyterian Academy.
This one wasn’t close. This was control.
And they did it banged up.
Coming into the meet, Bethesda was dealing with key injuries, including questions around some of their top performers. But instead of backing off, the Blazers leaned in.
From the first running event to the final relay, Bethesda showed depth, toughness, and balance across the board.
It started with speed.
Raleigh “Ralo” Wesley set the tone, winning the 100-meter dash in 11.09. Jordan Turner added a third-place finish in the same race, then came back with a strong second-place run in the 200 meters.
That’s how you build points. That’s how you build momentum.
Then came the difference makers.
Christopher Wright delivered a championship performance, sweeping both hurdle events. He won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.60 and came back to take the 400-meter hurdles in 1:00.29. Big meet runners step up in big moments, and Wright did exactly that.
In the field events, Bethesda kept stacking points.
Steve Mitchell took first in the shot put with a throw of 13.54 meters. Zachary Dorsey was a major contributor, finishing second in the high jump and second again in the triple jump, while adding a fourth-place finish in the long jump. Edwards Flannings added another second-place finish in the discus.
Bethesda also picked up key points from Jordan Turner, who finished third in the 100 meters, while Jeffrey Armstrong added a third-place finish in the triple jump.
That’s winning track and field. Not just stars. Production everywhere.
The relays played a major role in separating Bethesda from the field.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Joseph Atkins, Jordan Cheever, Jaden Turner, and Jordan Turner took first place and set the tone early.
In the 4x400-meter relay, Christopher Wright led off, followed by Ka’mond Young, Jeremiah Armstrong, and Sammy Childs, as the Blazers finished second and added key points late.
The 4x800-meter relay team of Christopher Wright, Shaq Hannah, Sammy Childs, and Zeric Parker also delivered with a second-place finish, showing the depth of this team from sprints to distance.
But one of the defining moments of the meet came from Raleigh “Ralo” Wesley.
Wesley, who was dealing with a sore hamstring, was not even expected to run. In fact, he did not bring his uniform to the meeting at first. After talking with trainers and coaches, the plan was to hold him out.
That changed.
“He didn’t even bring his uniform because we weren’t going to run him,” head coach Antwain Turner said. “We care more about the person than the athlete. I didn’t want him to go out there and get hurt.”
But as the meet unfolded, Wesley began to warm up and felt better. After thinking it through, he decided to compete.
Turner made it clear.
“I told him, you don’t need to feel like you can do it, you need to know you can do it,” Turner said.
Wesley stepped to the line and delivered.
Running under control, he won the 100-meter dash in 11.09.
“He told me he was going to do just enough to win, and that’s exactly what he did,” Turner said. “That was probably the best 11.0 I’ve ever seen because of his heart and his toughness. He’s a champion.”
That moment helped push Bethesda forward and showed exactly what this program is built on.
As Turner said earlier this week in a feature on Wesley, “He’s been a rock for our program. He cares about his teammates, he cares about Bethesda, and he has a heart for this place. He’s the kind of player you never forget.”
And on this stage, when it mattered most, Wesley once again showed why.
By the time the meet hit the final events, it was clear.
Bethesda wasn’t chasing a title. They owned it.
The Blazers scored across sprints, distance, hurdles, relays, and field events. That kind of balance is what turns a good team into a championship team.
Final Team Standings showed the gap:
Bethesda Academy 126
First Presbyterian Academy 86
Thomas Sumter 79
Spartanburg Christian 60
Back-to-back state titles don’t happen by accident.
They come from experience, consistency, and athletes who show up ready to compete.
And right now, Bethesda Academy track and field is setting the standard in SCISA.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Bethesda Academy track and Field Program
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