Courtesy of Newberry Academy Athletics
Courtesy of Newberry Academy Athletics
Courtesy of Newberry Academy Athletics
Courtesy of Newberry Academy Athletics
NEWBERRY — Newberry Academy sit at the top of the mountain in cross country as they were crowned the 2025 SCISA state champions for the first time in school history. These student-athletes made history, but the man standing behind their success is Jimmy Stephens
Stephens took over as head coach for Newberry College Track & Field and Cross Country team in 2020, but he called it a career at the end of the 2024-25 season after spending over four decades in the sport. Then, Newberry Academy athletic director Scott Gardner along with the parents of the student-athletes and his own son convinced him to put the whistle around his neck for one last ride.
“I was done after Newberry College and was ready to enjoy my retirement, but the parents reall didn’t let up and they pulled me right back in,” said Stephens during a phone interview with the Observer.
The legendary coach served as President and CEO of Event Timing Solutions, LLC, keeping times for events all over the Southeast for nine years before coming to Newberry. In addition, he served as Head Track and Field/Cross Country coach at USC-Upstate 2006-2011 and served as Director of Track and field/Cross Country Operations at the University of Alabama and as the Head Track and Field Coach at Wofford College. He was also inducted into the South Carolina USA Track and Field Hall of Fame as a Coach/Administrator in 2008.
He coached 27 Atlantic-Sun Champions and won two Atlantic-Sun conference titles in the program’s first five years of existence. He has also mentored, coached and propeled the career of countless other student-athletes, but didn’t think state champion as a head coach would be added to his resume.
“My first time approaching the team, I asked them how many days we had until November 1st. They all looked at me with a perplexed look but then pulled out their phones and yelled, ‘90 days.’ I then told them that was the date of the cross country state championship and told them that ‘we will be there’,” said Stephens.
Stephens then explained that he knew it was going to be hard work, but he knew he could get these young men and women into shape to compete for a state title. They didn’t have all summer to prepare like most programs nor did they have a preseason to get them prepared. Stephens took over with two weeks before their first meet.
“I had to first start with the basics and fix their running mechanics. They were all very raw but they gave me something to work with and that is all I needed. Then, I had to work on other things to improve their times. Believe it or not convincing them they could be state champs was the easy part. These are wonderful kids who didn’t mind putting in the extra work. They are easily some of the most hard working athletes I have had the pleasure of working with and they made this experience so fun,” Stephens explained.
The Eagles began to slowly knock off their team goals throughout the season and found themselves competing for a region title in mid-October. Stephens stated that it really set in his mind that they could win it all after they ran their best times in region championship.
“I told them after the region championship that I would need them to do even better than their best. I scouted some of the schools we would be competing against at state and said to myself that if I could get their very best one last time then we could win it all,” said Stephens.
Well, he did just that because the group came together for one last time this season and blew the competition at state championship. Stephens turned the Eagles from worst to first in 90 days.
State Championship Results
Boys
1) Crider, Lance (JR) 18:13.50
Region Champion & State Individual Champion / 45 second PR at State
2) Vinci, Michael (SR) 19:51.20
All Region / Runner-up & All State Team / 1 minute PR at State
3) Lake, Campbell (7th) 19:59.80
All Region & All State Team / 1 Minute PR at State
4) Stephens, Landon (SO)21:13.90
2 minute PR @ State
5) Long, Jevin (Jr) 22:37.71
3 minute PR @ State
6) Mangum, Whit (FR) 24:37.21
4 minute PR @ State
7) Darby, Zeb (11) 25:39.40
3 minute PR @ State
Girls
1) Beevers, Hannah (JR) 23:21.76
All Region & All State / 1 minute PR at State
2) Beevers, Savannah (SR) 23:46.02
All Region & All State / 1 minute PR at State
3) Beevers, Julianna (JR) 23:49.76
All Region / 1 Minute PR at State
Reach Greg Hollis @ 803-768-3117 or on X @TheNBOnews