“It was crazy,” Benedict said. “It was such a great experience for me. It showed me all the hard work pays off and you can have some really good outcomes.”
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Benedict was nervous heading into both the regional and state meets last year. The atmosphere at Jesse Owens Stadium can also be intimidating, she said.
“It was a such a big meet,” Benedict said. “Now that I’ve done it before, I understand the environment. I can handle the pressure a lot better now.”
Of the nine girls who competed in the state finals, seven were underclassmen. Benedict also won the D-II regional championship in the 400 in 57.56. She knows she’ll have a target on her back, but she plans to focus on reaching her own personal goals each week.
“In order for me to get to state again and possibly win it, I just need to focus on myself, my run and how I do it,” Benedict said.
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The Knights graduated a lot of talent, meaning the squad will be very young, said coach Greg Fenwick. Freshman Hallie Gilley will be one of the team’s top sprinters.
“It’s a building year for us looking forward,” he said. “We’ve got some kids who will do some big things and we have some kids will do big things for us in the future. We’re building this year.”
The Knights are set to open their season Saturday at the Tecumseh Invitational.
In two seasons, Benedict has already set new Greenon girls track records in the 100 (12.38), 200 (25.54) and the 400 (55.69). She also set a new Clark County meet record last year of 57.85, beating the former record of 58.73 set by Kenton Ridge’s Jamari McDavid in 2016.
Benedict expects to run the 200, 400 and 800 throughout the season, but the 400 is her main focus, Benedict said.
“The 800 is something we’re going to try and see how it goes for me,” she said, “because one lap is enough.”
Those events will help her prepare for the state meet, Fenwick said.
“She does a lot of 800 training for the 400,” he said.
Benedict also plays soccer and basketball, but said track and field is what she wants to focus on beyond high school.
“I can definitely see myself running track in college,” she said.
GIRLS TRACK, 5 storylines to watch
1. Shawnee finished second at the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division Championships last season, finishing behind Bellefontaine by just 18 points, but the Braves are ready to make a run at the title this season. Shawnee had four athletes compete at the combined Division 2/Division 3 Indoor State Championships earlier this year. Freshman Audrey DeSantis finished second in the 3,200 in 11:17, while junior Olivia Warax was fourth in 11:25.45. Senior Hannah Schartz was fifth in the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches) and junior Jace Mitchem was 16th in the long jump (14-10). They won the Clark County meet last season, beating Tecumseh by 5.5 points.
2. Tecumseh will also be gunning for both the CBC and Kenton Trail Division titles this season. The Arrows return juniors Jaci Rife and Kylee Mastin. Rife won the 400 and placed second in the 100 and 200 to earn CBC Kenton Trail co-division player of the year. Mastin set a new meet record in the 800 in 2:19.82.
3. Springfield returns junior hurdler Tiffany Moss, who recently competed at the Division I OATCCC Indoor State Championships. She placed 17th in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.63 seconds. She’s the defending Clark County champion in the 100-meter hurdles (16.50).
4. West Liberty-Salem will look to defend its Ohio Heritage Conference North Division title. The Tigers were dominant, scoring 210 points. They beat second-place Fairbanks by 93 points. Junior pole vaulter Lydia Moell placed seventh at the D2/D3 indoor state meet, clearing 11-6.
5. Catholic Central junior Addie Engel placed fourth in the 3,200 at the D-III outdoor state meet last season in 11:21.76. Engel set new meet records at both the Clark County (11:22.38) and the OHC South Division Championships (11:40.77).
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