St. George’s School: Ben Morales runs the distance

As one of the top runners in the state, Ben Morales rose from 39th at the State 2B Cross Country Championships as a sophomore to third place as a junior and second place as a senior.

St. George’s distance coach, Rick Riley, couldn’t have predicted that meteoric rise.

“At the end of the middle school track season, Ben began working out and running with varsity kids,” Riley said. “He’s very focused and an extremely hard worker, but I wouldn’t have identified him as becoming as outstanding as he is.”

Morales said he tried “all the sports” in elementary school and started cross country and track in middle school, and then something just clicked.

“My freshman year, I realized I really loved running.”

And because he loved it, he became laser-focused on improving.

“I like the individual aspect,” Morales said. “It’s up to you to make your goals and see what happens.”

What happened is that he won the 1,600 race at the 2023 State 2B Track & Field Championships. He also ran a key leg in the Dragons’ 4x400 victory at state, helping St. George’s win its first state championship in boys track and field last year.

“Ben is driven by a remarkable work ethic,” Riley said. “Distance running is a 12-month-a-year sport if you want to excel at it.”

Morales wanted to excel for himself and his school.

“I love my team,” he said.

Riley said the student is such a fan of the sport that he attended world championship events as a spectator and introduced himself to the runners.

“He’s a student of the sport,” Riley said. “And Ben has excelled in the classroom, too.”

Morales is an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate and has attended St. George’s since kindergarten. He said his athletic endeavors provided a lasting life lesson.

“It helped me see the value in working hard.”

He’s enjoyed the small class sizes at St. George’s.

“We have a tight bond,” Morales said.

In addition, those smaller classes offered him the ability to form deeper connections with his instructors.

“I can talk to my teachers about anything,” he said.

In his free time, Morales enjoys hanging out with his friends and experiencing the outdoors. He also plays piano.

“I started piano in first grade,” he said. “I found an awesome teacher who let me play the songs I liked.”

COVID marked an end to piano lessons but not the end of his enjoyment.

“Now, I teach myself the songs I want to play.”

Riley has appreciated this student’s drive and leadership.

“A lot of the work he has to do is solitary, but he’s a team leader in workouts,” Riley said. “He’s been a huge part of our team dynamic. I’m going to miss him a ton.”

Morales, a Canadian citizen, will attend McGill University in Montreal this fall, where he plans to study psychology with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience.

“McGill is one of the top 25 universities in the world – comparable to Harvard,” Riley said.

Morales is looking forward to spreading his wings as a McGill Redbird.

“They have a great running program, and I love Montreal,” he said.

His coach is confident Morales will continue to excel.

“Ben has such incredible focus,” said Riley. “He’ll be successful at whatever he chooses to do.”