Lorenz breaks longstanding cross country record, sets new bar for runners

Rachel Olefson '25, Staff Writer|October 21, 2022

Ben Lorenz ’24 runs in a cross country race at Wickham Park. (Photo contributed by Ben Lorenz ’24).

Every team has its center, a core member that sets the standard for others and leads the way. For the Staples boys’ cross country team, this member is Ben Lorenz ’24. 

It is Lorenz’s spirit and leadership that pushed him to snatch the record for the four-kilometer (4K) race that Staples competed in on Sept. 28 at Danbury High School. 

“Ben is someone who is always reliable in meets, strongly motivating the rest of the team to perform well through his consistent achievements and determined mindset,” Zach Allen ’23, captain of the Staples boy’s track team, said. “Ben’s success serves as proof that hard work and dedication can allow someone to succeed.”

Not only is Lorenz’s recent success praised by his teammates, but coaches also appreciate his hard work and charisma.

“As a strong runner he brings to the program a racing maturity and ability that is seldom matched at an early age,” Staples cross country coach Laddie Lawrence said.  “He was a varsity runner as a freshman and as he continues to grow in the program, I’m sure we will see only the best from him.”

Ben Lorenz ’24 has been on a winning streak recently, taking first place in multiple cross country meets and breaking two records in the past month. (Graphic by Rachel Olefson ’25)

Lorenz considers his mentor to be his brother, Jonathan Lorenz ’21, who is the person who initially inspired him to take up running cross-country.

“[My brother] used to just hype me up,” Lorenz said. “He always had the right thing to say.”

More recently, Lorenz ran a course at Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut on Oct. 8 in only 15 minutes and 56 seconds, a top-ten time in Staples history, beating out the second-place competitor by 11 seconds. He held an average 5:09 mile pace.

Overall, one of Lorenz’s favorite things about running for Staples is getting to do it all with his teammates. 

“Through running, the relationships [that I’ve built] have just been very positive,” Lorenz said. “You’re all running alone but you’re net scoring, so you’ve really gotta push your teammates.”