Some recent Richmond Hill High School graduates who competed in track and field and cross country are continuing their athletic careers in college.
A few are staying in state while others are going across the country -- from Augusta and Clayton State in Georgia to USCB in the Lowcountry, Howard in Washington, D.C., and Montana State in Big Sky Country.
Levi Sybert, who coaches the Wildcats’ perennially strong cross country and track and field programs, talked with Prep Sports Report about these seven members of the Class of 2025: Billy Cunningham, Benjamin Hall, Carlee Hodges, Mmekom Inyang, Kobe Mitchell, Selah Moore, and Santonio Rio.
Billy Cunningham, Montana State University
Sybert described Cunningham as having a smooth personality with a no-nonsense demeanor whose confidence builds to meet the moment at critical times.
After ending his junior year on the highest note with a state long jump championship, Cunningham’s senior track and field season began at the other end of the spectrum.
“This year, the very first day, the very first practice we had, he strained his hamstring,” Sybert recalled.
The senior had to physically recover as well as deal with the mental side and doubts about readiness, all of which impacted college recruiting.
“That really hampered his whole year,” Sybert said.
He credits his wife and assistant coach Heather Sybert, who coaches the sprinters and jumpers, for patiently working with Cunningham through his comeback.
Cunningham was third at the Region 1-6A meet (21 feet, 5 inches) in April, then fifth at Sectional A (21-9) and eighth at the GHSA Class 6A state meet (21-6.75) to make all-state.
“He made the podium, which is good, which was totally a surprise,” Levi Sybert said. “He was not having that kind of year.”
The head coach said that Cunningham was on a college visit in North Carolina when he talked to another recruit and learned about Montana State.
“They didn’t directly recruit him,” Sybert said. “Billy heard about the fact that they were looking for jumpers on a different visit. They ended up flying him out to Montana. He liked the coach. He liked the opportunity.”
Benjamin Hall, Augusta University
Hall had a stellar senior year when he was the fastest cross-country runner in the Greater Savannah area and among the best long-distance runners in the state. His career didn’t start out that way, Sybert recalled. Hall was a shy freshman who didn’t make varsity and showed flashes of ability, but gave no indication of what was an outstanding finish to his high school career.
“He was super shy at the beginning, ” Sybert said. “So his progress has been really fun, really cool.”
Sybert called Hall a super-intense racer who rises to the occasion while being “like a chameleon” in his social ability to adapt to any group dynamic. Specifically, he fit in as an underclassman with a highly accomplished senior group during the 2023-24 school year, then became a mentor to the younger runners on the team as a senior.
“He got along with everybody,” Sybert said. “He was able to take some kids that did not have a good foothold in the group and pull them in. He was like the bridge for all of them. I was very surprised.”
On the 5K cross country course, Hall finished 14th at the Class 6A state meet (16:44.21) as RHHS placed 12th in the team standings. This came after he won Region 1-6A (15:22.72) and was third in sectionals.
During track season at regionals, Hall won the 3,200 meters (9:26.47) and was second in the 1,600 (4:20.48). He was sixth in the 3,200 at sectionals (9:29.65) and eighth at state (9:25.24) for all-state honors.
“Ben really stepped up and brought it together in a unique way,” Sybert said of Hall and the boys' team’s season. “I would have never guessed it would be such a good year.”
Carlee Hodges, Augusta University
Sybert described Hodges as a grinder who does everything the coach asks to make herself better while helping her teammates on the cross country and track and field squads.
Her value to the Wildcats program and team culture, he said, went beyond her physical abilities because of her personality.
“She really got hooked on the running thing and the culture of the team,” said Sybert, noting that, like Hall, Hodges had a modest start as a junior varsity runner.
“She kept doing all the morning runs, all the practices,” the coach said. “Every team event and opportunity we had, she was always there. That eventually started to add up to her overall physical ability and her understanding. She’s very smart. She was able to take advantage of all the opportunities and resources we give them and maximize them.”
Like on the boys' side, the girls' squad graduated standout runners and leaders from the Class of 2024.
“There was a big void in the leadership on the girls side,” Sybert said. “All of a sudden, Carlee, without even having to be asked, she found a way to bring the girls together.”
Hodges scored sixth for the Wildcats cross country team in placing 110th overall (23:29.44) as RHHS finished seventh at the hilly state course in Carrollton. Her personal-best time last fall was 21:30 at the 3.1-mile distance.
During track season, Hodges was fourth in the 3,200 (12:44.75) at the Region 1-6A meet in April and 12th at the Class 6A Sectional A meet (12:58.15) in May.
Mmekom Inyang, Howard University
Inyang “is super competitive in every aspect of her being,” Sybert said, and there are results to prove it.
She had three podium finishes at the Class 6A state meet, placing third in the shot put (41 feet, 9.75 inches), fifth in the 100 hurdles (14.35 seconds), and 300 hurdles (44.87). Her shot put throw of 44-6.5 was second-best in the state across all classes this year.
With her sprinter’s speed in the 100 and 200, it’s not surprising that she will compete at NCAA Division I Howard and take on seven events as a heptathlete.
“She’s just really good at almost all of the stuff that she does,” said Sybert, also noting Inyang’s talents in javelin and the 4x100 relay. “She’s always been a hard worker, but (was) not really up for anything that’s longer than the 100 meters. This year, she branched out and tried the 300 hurdles and she did so good at that.”
Inyang swept her region events, winning the 100 hurdles (14.06), 300 hurdles (44.06), and shot put (42-2.25). She nearly repeated the feat at sectionals, capturing the 100 hurdles (14.01) and 300 (44.21) and placing second in the shot put (41-0).
Sybert credits Inyang for seeking her coaches’ input – he again noted that Heather Sybert is her high school coach – and maximizing their instruction “for amazing success.”
Kobe Mitchell, Augusta University
The Richmond Hill cross country and track and field programs have had outstanding individuals in addition to team success. Kobe Mitchell graduated in May as the school record holder in the 200 meters and has the second-fastest time in the 100.
“That is saying something,” Sybert commented.
Unfortunately for Mitchell, he also has had to deal with injuries in his career, including a hamstring strain during the 100 meters at the regional meet this spring.
That knocked him out of the 200 scheduled for later in the meet, which also meant he couldn’t qualify for the sectionals and, potentially, the state meet in that event.
Mitchell did win the 100 at region in 10.61 in the finals after going even faster (10.58) in the preliminary round. After missing a lot of training, he placed 11th at sectionals (10.99).
“He didn’t get to have the finish like he was going to,” Sybert said. “He was peaking, week after week, and everything was getting really good. Then he had a slight strain. He ended up taking off with no activity for a week and a half.
“We ran him in relays at sections, and he still wasn’t quite there. But by the state rolled around, he was 100 percent. He kind of missed his opportunity to move on.”
Mitchell did get to contribute in a big way at state in the 4x100 relay, running one leg as the Wildcats placed second (41.28).
His track career didn’t end with the state meet, as he will be competing for Augusta.
Sybert regards Mitchell as “one of the best sprint leaders to ever come through RHHS and the fastest. Augusta got a steal.”
Selah Moore, University of South Carolina Beaufort
Having a teammate like Inyang be so successful in the hurdles took attention away from the accomplishments of Moore, who has a quiet personality, Sybert said.
The coaches appreciated her work ethic, improvement, and contributions to the team. Sybert called her focused and consistent, showing up every day ready to train.
“She’s there doing her business,” Sybert said. “She’s not a distraction. She’s there working on her craft. If you look at her trajectory over the last couple of years, she’s gotten so much better.”
Moore dabbled in the 4x100 relay and tried the long jump, but the hurdles are definitely her passion, the coach said.
“Because she loves the hurdles, she has practiced tons on it and she just gets better,” he said.
Moore placed third in the 100 hurdles (15.46) and fifth in the 300 hurdles (49.55) at the region meet, then eighth at the 100 hurdles (15.53) at sectionals. She qualified for state in the 100 hurdles and ran in the preliminaries, placing 15th.
Santonio Rio, Clayton State University
Sybert sounded like he got a special kick out of coaching Rio, a sprinter whose best event is the 400.
If you want to get Rio motivated, Sybert said, challenge him and then watch a person with a “gentle heart” become a “fierce racer.” Put another way, Rio is not one to back down, nor is he lacking in confidence, whatever the circumstances.
“You could line him up at the Olympics,” Sybert theorized. “When that race starts, he believes he is going to win, no matter what.
“Even if logic and reason tell you this is going to be a rough one, he doesn’t see it that way, which is really cool,” the coach continued. “He’s got this fierceness and goes after it really, really hard.”
That doesn’t guarantee a Hollywood ending, as runners who start too fast, in the 400, for example, can fade by the end.
Rio won the Region 1-6A championship in the 400 (48.17) in Valdosta in April, then placed eighth (49.68) at sectionals to qualify for the state meet. He ran in the preliminaries and placed 14th (50.16).
Sybert noted that Rio was part of an all-state relay team and will continue his athletic career at Clayton State in Morrow, Ga.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Richmond Hiill High School Track and Field program
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