Briggs Brown 

Staff Writer 

    Benton Sullivan has been a cornerstone on the R.J. Reynolds High School varsity lacrosse team during his four-years at RJR. For Sullivan, lacrosse has been a source of stability and a channel of growth, building skills that help him both on the field and off. 

    Sullivan began playing lacrosse in the third grade and immediately found his role on the field: faceoffs. It didn’t take long for that early passion to turn into performance. Sullivan would continue his lacrosse journey in his freshman year and immediately become one of the top faceoff specialists in the conference. This trend continued, season after season, as he racked up all-conference, all-region, and all-state honors.

    “Playing lacrosse has taught me the importance of bonding with the people you spend most of your time with,” Sullivan said. “Being a leader isn’t about forcing people to do things—it’s about leading by example and letting people learn and follow.”

    Sullivan’s welcome to high school lacrosse came fast and intense. Early in his freshman season, Sullivan faced off against one of the best high school teams in the nation. The game did not go favorably for the Demons, but Sullivan used it as a learning opportunity instead of taking it as a loss. 

    “A memorable moment for me was playing St. Mary’s during my freshman year,” Sullivan said. “Playing at a higher level than I was used to taught me a lot about the game and set an example of how I wanted to play the game.” 

    It is safe to say that Sullivan used that as a motivator. From that moment forward, Sullivan committed himself to becoming the best athlete he could be, working with college coaches and faceoff specialists daily. His hard work eventually caught the attention of college coaches, and he was left with a verdict to make. 

    “When it came time to make a final decision,” Sullivan said. “I realized I wanted to balance school, lacrosse, and my social life. So I landed on Sewanee because they offered an outstanding balance.”

    Sullivan looks forward to next year, where he will join two of his previous RJR lacrosse teammates at Sewanee: The University of the South, and he hopes to leave behind a legacy of hard work and leadership.

    “When starting out as a freshman, consider what you want to gain from high school,” Sullivan said. “While schoolwork and extracurricular activities may seem frivolous, reflect on the position you aspire to be in when graduating and applying to colleges.”