Four days after running their last meet, the Gray Bees returned to the New York Armory to run the Millrose Trials Jan 14. Running their best time this season, the 4×400 meter relay team will be the first team in Benedict’s history to compete at Millrose Games,  a televised event where high school teams are invited to race on the same track as professionals.

Two years has passed since Benedict’s made an appearance at Millrose. However, this year, the 4x400m relay team of seniors Stephen Valvano, Scott Bamberg, Jared Lampley, and UDII Byron Simmons qualified with a 5th place time of 3:25.55. The track team’s 4x400m is now ranked third in the state of New Jersey.

Byron recognizes qualifying for Millrose Games as a big achievement for the team, but he is determined to qualify for New Balance Indoor Nationals, the championship meet at the end of the season that draws the top competitors from across the northeast.

“We have to step up in workouts because in the long run, hard work will allow us to do big things at Nationals and Millrose,” Byron said.

Despite qualifying for Millrose, Jared walked off the track dissatisfied with the team’s performance.

“Last season, we would have been hyped about a 3:25, but we have to stay hungry rather than settle for that time now,” he said.