Claire Benjamin
Distance
Major: Mechanical Engineering.
Honors
· 2015 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll
· 2014 NCAA South All-Region Team
· 2014 All-SECTeam
Benjamin’s Track Bio: HERE
Cross Country Personal Bests
4K – 15:19.5 (2012 Belmont Opener)
5K – 17:21.50 (2014 Commodore Classic)
6K – 19:53.50 (2014 NCAA Regionals)
2014 Cross Country: Earned both All-Region and All-SEC honors. … Was the Commodores’ top finisher, and was sixth overall, at the NCAA South Region and took 13th at SECs. … Helped the Commodores capture their first-ever NCAA South region title and a second-place finish at the SEC Championships. …At the NCAA Championships 6K, placed 127th with a time of 21:24.70. … Set a career-best in the 6K with a19:53.50 time at the NCAA Regionals, taking 6th place. … Placed 13th at the SEC Championships 6K, posting a 20:33.80 time. … Earned a 69th finish at the Wisconsin Adidas Inviational, running a 20:54 6K. … Ran a time of 22:58 at the Roy Griak Invitational 6K, placing 92nd. …Finished fifth at the Commodore Classic 5K with a career-best time of 17:21.50. …Took 12th place with a time of 18:08.51 at the Belmont Opener 5K.
2013 Cross Country: Finished 48th at the SEC Championship in 21:53.76… Crossed the line as the Commodores’ second finisher at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational in a personal-best in the 6K of 21:07 for a Top 100 finish… Ran 22:09.85 over the 6K course at the Roy Griak Invitational… Finished 11th overall at the Commodore Classic in a time of 17:37.80 over the 5K course… Opened her season with a personal best 5K effort in cross country at the Belmont Opener running 18:44.35 to help the Commodores to a second place finish.
2012 Cross Country: Placed 16th overall at the Belmont Opener (15:19.5) … Ran the Commodore Classic in 23:22.0 (79th place) … Finished the Greater Louisville Classic (5K) in 20:31.1.
2011 Cross Country: Finished the 4K course at the Belmont-VU Opener in 15:23.57 … Finished 16th in the Commodore Classic … Clocked a time of 18:32 at the Greater Louisville Invitational.
High School (Midlothian): Personal best of 10:57.15 in the 3200, placing fifth at the 2011 Virginia State AAA Indoor Championships …Finished tenth at the Virginia AAA State XC meet, leading her Medlothian team to the State Championship team title … Has a 5K cross country personal best of 18:24, set at the Great American in Cary, N.C. (2010).
Personal: Daughter of David and Jana Benjamin. Sister to Evan (18). Claire enjoys finding new places to hike, drawing and painting, and unexpected thrift shop discoveries.