There are meets where you compete and then there are meets where you take over.
Benedictine Military School track and field did the latter.
Over two days, April 21st and 23rd, at the GHSA 4A Region 1 Championships, at Wayne County High School. The Benedictine Military School Track and Field didn’t just win; they separated. Early. Late. Everywhere in between. By the time it was over, Benedictine claimed its eighth region championship with 206.5 points, pulling away by 47.5 points in a meet that quickly turned into a statement.
That statement started on Day 1.
Field events set the tone, and Benedictine answered with production. And it wasn’t just one guy; points started stacking across the board early. Max Carson led the charge, winning both the discus and shot put, giving the Cadets a physical edge right out of the gate. By the end of the first day, Benedictine had already built a 20-plus point lead, sitting at 80.5 points with control of the meet.
And once this group gets control, they don’t give it back.
“As a coaching staff, we just have an extreme confidence in our guys to compete and perform. We train and prepare to excel in big moments. That is a critical piece of our culture and who we are as a school, as a team, and as a program.” BC head coach Galen Houston said.
Day 2 turned into a showcase.
Stanley Smart showed out in the sprints, winning both the 100 and 200 meters, while Tucker Hollis controlled the distance side, taking the 800 and 1600. Different events. Same result—first across the line.
Then came the relays, where meets are often won or lost.
Benedictine didn’t miss a step.
The 4x100 relay team of Eron Mallard, Josh Washington, Johnathan Black, and Smart delivered a first-place finish. The 4x200 group—Mallard, Black, Stewart Dunn, and Smart—followed with another gold. Speed, handoffs, execution. That’s championship track.
But what separated this team wasn’t just the wins; it was the depth.
“We just told the guys that it is their time. It is their opportunity to make an impact on their legacy at BC. We lost our best runner, Cole Minnich, to injury, and we lost two of our best sprinters to early enrollment (Bubba Frazier - Notre Dame & Stephen Cannon - Texas Tech). We were still able to dominate and get the job done. That is a testament to our kids, their families, and our staff. We pride ourselves on developing depth and remaining mentally and physically tough through adversity. Our guys did a tremendous job of persevering and finishing the job! Houston said.
Points showed up everywhere. From distance races to field events, from jumps to relays, Benedictine stacked finishes and kept pressure on the field. That’s how leads grow. That’s how meets get out of reach.
By the final event, the outcome wasn’t in question.
The Cadets had taken over.
This wasn’t about one performance. It was about a program. Preparation showed up. Depth showed up. And when the moment called for it, so did the finish.
“The message is to stay connected, stay together, stay healthy, and focus on us. Every person has a personal responsibility to do their job, and we have faith, trust, and belief in each other to get the job done. We have competed against the best in Georgia and Florida this year and flourished. We just need to prioritize details, techniques, fundamentals, and execution. We want to have multiple athletes in the Top 8 at Sectionals to give ourselves the best opportunity to compete for a GHSA 4A Track & Field State Championship.” Houston said.
Next stop: GHSA Track and Field Sectionals. And they’re not going there just to run. The Cadets will line it up on May 2 at Mundy’s Mill High School at Steele Road Stadium in Ellenwood, competing in Sectional A against Regions 1-4 with a state berth on the line.
Track and Field Box Score
Region 1-AAAA Championships
Team Champion: Benedictine — 206.5 points
Sprints
100 meters — 1. Stanley Smart 10.70; 2. Eron Mallard 10.74; 6. Cole Henderson 11.09
200 meters — 1. Stanley Smart 21.98; 2. Eron Mallard 22.28; 5. Cole Henderson 22.76
400 meters — 4. Josh Washington 51.90; 5. Cole Henderson 52.38; 8. Stewart Dunn 55.98
Distance
800 meters — 1. Tucker Hollis 2:03.30; 4. Will Hoffman 2:05.10; 9. Ved Patel 2:20.40
1600 meters — 1. Tucker Hollis 4:48.07; 3. Will Hoffman 4:51.39; 6. Wyatt Nolan 4:55.34
3200 meters — 2. Will Hoffman 10:29.37; 3. Tucker Hollis 10:39.99; 7. Fischer Valbuena 11:39.44
Hurdles
110 hurdles — 8. Tristan Robertson 18.27; 14. Demari Perry 20.28; 15. Cole Williams 21.25
300 hurdles — 6. Demari Perry 44.30; 8. Tristan Robertson 45.78; 10. Cullen Dunn 48.24
Relays
4x100 relay — 1. Benedictine (Eron Mallard, Josh Washington, Johnathan Black, Stanley Smart) 42.04
4x200 relay — 1. Benedictine (Eron Mallard, Johnathan Black, Stewart Dunn, Stanley Smart) 1:29.03
4x400 relay — 3. Benedictine (Gage Copeland, Stewart Dunn, Cole Henderson, Josh Washington) 3:41.23
4x800 relay — 2. Benedictine (Will Hoffman, Tucker Hollis, Ved Patel, Wyatt Nolan) 8:55.91 (SB)
Field Events
High jump — 3. Ca’ron Hall 6-2 (PR); 8. Gage Copeland 5-8
Long jump — 4. Gage Copeland 20-2; 8. Dontrey Ford 19-10; 14. Kyree Richards 17-10.5
Triple jump — 4. Gage Copeland 41-9; 6. Kyree Richards 40-0 (PR); 12. Konrad Cail 36-10 (PR)
Pole vault — 2. Meyer Hagin 10-0
Throws
Discus — 1. Max Carson 148-6; 2. Meyer Hagin 141-5; 4. John Collins 123-5
Shot put — 1. Max Carson 49-11; 6. Dallas Radabaugh 42-1; 12. Meyer Hagin 38-2
Photo Credit: Benedictine Military School social media posts.
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