Athletes of the Week May 6

Giovanni Benefeldt

This Beacon Middle School eighth-grader was a one-man show May 4 at the McKinnon Invitational in Wilmington, as the talented hurdler represented the Beacon boys’ team in the meet. Gio won three individual events and scored 30 points, setting meet records in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.8 and the 300-meter hurdles at 44.5. He also captured the long jump. “Giovanni is the leader of the Beacon boys’ team and the hardest-working athlete at practice day in and day out. Having Gio on the team is like having another coach out there,” said coach Gilbert Maull.

Timesha Cannon

This Beacon eighth-grader has been with the program for three years. She scored 21 points to help her team win the McKinnon Invitational May 4 in Wilmington. Timesha led off the meet by winning the 100-meter dash in 13.2 seconds and returned to anchor the 200 and 100 relay teams to victory. Timesha also jumped 14 feet in the long jump for third place. Timesha lives and breathes track and field, and she always opens eyes when she receives the baton.

Breahna Kusen

Just a seventh-grader, Breahna stepped up when her teammate Syd Hollinger went down with an injury, and she scored 24.5 points to be the meet’s high scorer, leading the Beacon girls at the McKinnon Invitational May 4. Bre won the 100 hurdles, ran on the winning 100 relay team, won the 300 hurdles in 52 seconds and led off the 400 relay team with a 1:08 split. “We challenged Bre to step out of her comfort zone and challenge herself, and she responded the way we hoped she would,” said coach Gilbert Maull. “She is setting herself up for a great eighth-grade year of track and field.”

Christian Partlow

A freshman who runs the 400 meters for the Cape track team, Christian has dropped his time 10 seconds since the beginning of the season just by following the program laid out in front of him, according to assistant coach Jay Maull. Christian had gotten his 400 time down to a respectable 54.7 seconds against Smyrna and Lake and has also run the 200 in 24.9. “He never misses a practice. He is the kind of athlete you want as a key foundation to your program.” His mom Terez was a top-flight sprinter for Cape back in her day, and both grandparents on his mom’s side also ran for Cape. Christian is an emerging great Cape story.