Ben Thomason Wins Second Straight Pentathlon State Championship
BIRMINGHAM- James Clemens senior Ben Thomason continued to be his best at the State Indoor Pentathlon Championships as he won his second consecutive state title with 3,463 points. His victory is now rated the fourth best in the U.S. and becomes the first to win back-to-back state titles.
Thomason’s teammates also fared well at the event held in Birmingham as Isaac Pollard finished third and Austin Abney took sixth. All three Jets earned All-State honors with their top six placements.
In the multi-event Pentathlon, Thomason placed first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.23), long jump (21-8.25) and high jump (5-9.5). The 5-foot-11, 171-pound Thomason also finished second in the shot put (41-0) and fifth in the 1,000m (3:09.26) The two-time state champ will continue to participate in the upcoming outdoor track season, as well as, at Samford University next fall.
Pollard, a former soccer and football player, claimed his bronze medal with his efforts which included sixth in the 60m hurdles (8.89), fourth in the long jump (20-4) and shot put (39-1.25), tenth in the high jump (5-3.75) and second in the 1,000m. He totaled 3,144 points.
For Abney, who will run track and field at the University of Montevallo next fall, scored 2,855 points. He was 14th in the 60m hurdles (10.03), fifth in the long jump (20-3.25) sixth in the high jump (5-5.75) third in the shot put (40-6.5) and ninth in the 1,000m (3:12.58)
In 2023, Thomason and Pollard finished 1-2 in the Pentathlon becoming the first teammates to do so in the history of the annual AHSAA event. Ther individual performances were good enough for a No. 4 national ranking for Thomason and No.7 ranking for Pollard.
