Salute to seniors: Landrum's Ben Boatwright

What was your most memorable race/competition?
The most memorable would be my region meet. We dominated the 4x800 and then I took home my first ever individual region track title in the 3200.

Where did you face your biggest competition?
Definitely at the Spartanburg County Meet. Our county is tougher than our state and it’s always fun to go in knowing you’ve got a lot of good competition.

Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
I would have to say winning state in the 4x800. It was a super close race which made it even more stressful at the time, but to come out on top was incredible.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school?
I would have gotten more serious with my training earlier on. I didn’t really start pushing myself to my absolute until my junior year. If I would’ve stepped up my training earlier I bet I could’ve made it a lot farther.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I’ve had pretty serious shin splints, on and off, for the past two years. At first, it was hard to manage but I’ve gotten them under control now.

What will you miss the most?
Definitely my team. I wouldn’t have done half the things I did if I didn’t have such great friends there to push me.

Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
All I can say is stay motivated and keep pushing. Always strive for better and hang in there. You will always have tough days, just remind yourself of the great possibilities that you can get out of this sport.

How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals?
I’ve become extremely close with both of my coaches over these past four years and they are the reasons for many of the decisions I have made in this sport. They have inspired me to be the best student and athlete I can be and they have also helped me move onto competing at the next level.

What are your college plans?
I’ve committed to run at Wofford College and I plan on taking the Pre-Med route. I hope to maintain good grades and continue getting better in my running also.

Shout-outs?
I have to give credit to Coach Jeremy Darby for being a great friend and role model, Coach Walter for being the best training partner out there, and my team for pushing me and making my these past four years of running, a little less painful.