Rising Ben Lippen ninth grader Liam Thompson recently represented the Falcons at the New Balance Nationals following an outstanding middle school season, during which he helped lead Ben Lippen to the 2025 Middle School Cross Country State Championship.

At New Balance Nationals, Liam finished second in the nation in the middle school one-mile and placed among the top 10 nationally in the middle school two-mile—an incredible accomplishment against the country's top middle school distance runners.

Liam has been competing with Ben Lippen since fifth grade and has established himself as one of the top distance runners in school history. He now holds the Ben Lippen school records in both the one-mile and two-mile. At New Balance Nationals, he set new school records with a time of 4:26 in the one-mile and 9:37 in the two-mile.

His outstanding performances throughout the track season earned qualifying times in both events, securing his place at the New Balance Nationals to compete against the nation's best middle school athletes.

To prepare for the national meet, Liam extended his training beyond the regular track season, continuing his conditioning into the summer with a focus on improving his speed and personal bests. His dedication and hard work were evident in his performance at New Balance Nationals.

As Liam begins his high school career at Ben Lippen this fall, he plans to continue competing in both cross country and track. He is expected to be a key contributor to the Falcons' distance program.