Benitez-Chaparro Drops the Hammer In Golden South Mile


The boys classic mile at the Flo Golden South Classic came down to an epic kick. 

Ben Hartvigsen, the 3200m FHSAA 4A state runner-up, led the race from the start taking the race out in a brisk 63 second first quarter. 

FHSAA 1A 800m and 1600m state champion, Junious Brown and Domonic Macias followed behind Hartvigsen in 64 seconds with Lewis Benitez-Chaparro and Joseph Wester coming through in 65. 

Hartvigsen pushed the pace through the half, gaining about a ten meter lead on the field and going through in a consistent 2:08 half mile with Brown right behind. 

As Hartvigsen, Brown, Wester, and Benitez-Chaparro came around into the final lap, Benitez-Chaparro makes a move and takes the third place with authority. Third was not good enough for the Vanguard junior. 

The field approached the 200m point and it was a battle between Brown and Benitez-Chaparro who had both now passed Hartvigsen and knew the race would go down to a kick. 

Two very strong middle distance athletes came down the home stretch and the question became -- who would have another gear? 

Vanguard 4x800m FHSAA 3A State Champions

Benitez-Chaparro answered that question by dropping the hammer to kick it in the final 50m. 

The junior won the race in a brisk time of 4:17.67. To put this time in perspective, Benitez-Chaparro finished third in the 1600m at the FHSAA 3A State Finals in a time of 4:20.04, a personal record. The last time Benitez-Chaparro raced the mile run was back in January where he finished in a time of 4:39.86 -- an excellent progression for the Vanguard Knight. 

Similarly, Brown also finished his state meet 1600m in a time of 4:20.92 -- also a personal record for the Maclay junior. Brown had a very strong second place finish in a time of 4:18.80 to add another outstanding race to his decorated season. 

Hartvigsen closed in a strong 66 second last lap to finish third in a time of 4:21.57, a new personal record for the Sarasota senior and Harvard signee.