St. Benedict's Episcopal School is a growing community nestled in the heart of Smyrna, Georgia's vibrant and diverse community. While dedicated to its students' academic well-being, St. B's has a growing passion for outstanding performance through athletics for its students. A shining example of this can be found in The Estep family, whose three student athletes continue to set the standard for competitive excellence on and off the field.
We were privileged to talk with Riess(17), Cavin(16), Christian(13), and their mother, our Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher, Jackie Estep, to learn about their journey at St. B's, accomplishments, and most recent endeavors.
Jackie's support is immeasurable, as she and her husband have attended every game and meet their children have competed in. The three siblings have all thrived in various sports, including cross country, swimming, basketball, and track. Collectively, they've successfully represented what it means to be a St. Benedict’s Episcopal School Stinger!
We asked the Esteps about some of their most memorable achievements while enrolled at St. Benedict's, and Riess credits her most significant memories as the friendships she made during her time participating in Cross Country at St. B's. When asked, Cavin replied "Getting 2nd at Cross Country State [Championships] in 7th grade!". Christian similarly echoed his brother's statement as he, too, placed 2nd in the Cross Country State Championships as a current 7th grader. During the 2023 Season first Track and Field Meet Christian received 1st place in the 3200.
Riess and Cavin graduated from St. B's and are now enrolled at Whitefield Academy, a college preparatory school in Smyrna, Georgia. They've taken with them their learned principles of relationship building, hard work, and yes, having fun, and are now applying them to their current school. Riess is currently a member of the school's swim team and has placed 1st in the 100-meter breast and 3rd in the 200-meter IM. A current member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track teams, Cavin's team won 1st place in Cross Country States his freshman year and 2nd place in Cross Country States his sophomore year.
According to Cavin, "St. Benedict’s helped teach me about working together as a team and always trying my best."
We asked Jackie how the kids’ sports involvement has helped them beyond the field and in the classroom, and she confidently responded, "It has helped all 3 kids with time management and taught them how important always trying your best is. It also helps with energy and stress levels!"
As a member of the St. Benedict’s faculty and staff, she now helps coach the distance runners for track and also co-founded the Helping Hands Club with her daughter Riess. Helping Hands is a Middle School community outreach club for 6-8th grade students that meets weekly during the school day.
St. Benedict's Episcopal School is dedicated to developing students from preschool through middle school through academics, leadership, faith, and athletics. As a close-knit and diverse community of coaches, student-athletes, and young scholars, we strive to produce a superior athletic program that transitions into lessons that can be used in and outside of the classroom.
To learn more about athletics at St. Benedict's, visit us online at https://www.stbs.org/athletics.