He could not have scripted it any better.Ben Randolph saw Saturday’s 800-meter race as the perfect conclusion to his career.It entailed everything a storybook ending should — hard work, adversity, disappointment and, ultimately, triumph.Crossing the finish line in seventh place, the Wright City senior established himself as one of the most elite middle-distance runners in the state.“Top 8 was my goal, and I got seventh, so I’m happy with that,” said Randolph. “I was so exhausted at the end, I didn’t even know where I had finished.”About a month ago a misunderstanding had led Randolph to believe he’d broken the school’s 800-meter record. But a deeper look into the history books revealed otherwise.On Saturday, it finally belonged to him.“That’s all she wrote,” said Randolph, holding his all-state certificate in one hand and his medal in the other.But it was the abstract reward that meant the most. He had broken the record, officially this time.“I always knew he wasn’t going to leave anything on the track,” said Coach Sue Wright. “He looked so smooth at sectionals, I just knew he had more in him.”Randolph had finished third at sectionals, running a 1:59.35. But on Saturday he was presented with the unique challenge of having to run against time, instead of just against competition. The 800-meter race was divided into two final heats, fastest and slowest based on seeding times.“Since I’ve been chasing the record for so long, I knew how fast I was going,” said Randolph. “My split was really fast on the first lap compared to what I usually do.”His name will now appear on the track board next to his time of 1:57.64, which eclipsed Larry Paul’s record from the 2006 state meet. He also owns Wright City’s 400-meter record.“I feel more accomplished now that I got (the record) after they took it away,” said Randolph. “Without that motivation, who knows if I would have even made it to state.”Randolph’s picture will also adorn the coveted all-state wall in the hallway at Wright City High School.“He’s in an elite group,” said Wright. “I can’t say enough about his work ethic, talent and inner drive.”She says the unveiling of a new all-weather track early in Randolph’s career has helped the Wildcats compete better since moving to Class 3 six years ago.“I can attribute a lot of it to the ability of our new track,” said Wright. “It’s been a God-send.”

Wright City senior Ben Randolph broke the school's 800-meter record at the MSHSAA Championships on Saturday.

Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor