50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Boys #9

THE SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

• 800m – 1:53
• 1600m – 4:15
• 3200m – 9:08
• 5k (XC) – 16:07

• 5^th Place – Region 3
• 7^th Place – OK White
• 7^th Place – D1 State 3200m
• 2^nd Place – D1 State 4×8
• OK White 1600/3200m Champion
• 2^nd Place – Region 3 3200m

Ratings Throughout the Years

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date	Year
9	Ben Romero	16:07.2	Forest Hills Central	191.9	Division 1 State	4-Nov	2023
9	Ben Romero	16:12.3	Forest Hills Central	193.9	Region 3	27-Oct	2023
9	Ben Romero	16:18.7	Forest Hills Central	188.8	OK White Championship	18-Oct	2023
9	Ben Romero	16:13.0	Forest Hills Central	192.7	Portage	7-Oct	2023
9	Ben Romero	16:08.4	Forest Hills Central	194.2	Ottawa Hills	15-Sep	2023
9	Ben Romero	17:16.2	Forest Hills Central	177.0	Bredeweg	9-Sep	2023

The Rundown

These 50 Tickets are formed using both cross country and track. To find one’s way into the Top-10 on these, one must run well into the 15’s for much of the year.

Well, unless you’re a Ben Romero and you unleash one of the better, if not the best freshman track season we’ve seen.

In terms of time, the spring was record-breaking. Hopping into a hot pack at Shepherd, Romero crossed the line in 9:08, shattering the previous freshman record of 9:20. He only ran one 800m race, a tune-up prior to State, laying down a 1:53.5, a second slower than the Michigan freshman record. The only one not challenged was the 1600m, where Ben raced to a mere 4:15, sadly only the 8^th fastest freshman time in the US.

Range was present across all track events and will surely translate to cross.