Outdoor Track & Field
2010-11: Captured first in the 3,000m steeplechase (8:56.87) and eighth in the 800m (1:57.54) at the Fred Hardy Invitational... Placed ninth in the 1,500m at the GMU Spring Invitational (3:49.68)... Came in second-place and qualified for the NCAA East Regionals in the 5,000m Open-A race at the Mt. SAC Relays (13:55.88)... Named A-10 Track & Field Performer of the Week following his first-place finish in the 3,000m at the Penn Relays... While at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Conference Championships, Benford placed second, recorded a career best, and qualified for the NCAA East Regionals in the 3,000m steeplechase (8:46.12). He also finished 10th in the 1,500m (3:54.57)... Received Academic All-Conference Team honors...
2009-10: Red-shirted.
2008-09: Academic All-Atlantic 10 selection... USTFCCA Scholar Athlete... Became the first-ever Spider to be named the A-10 Championship Outdoor Track & Field Most Outstanding Performer thanks to his gold-medal performance at the A-10 Championship in the 3,000m steeplechase in 8:52.41 - a time that ranked among the 25 fastest in the NCAA... Benford also was the A-10's individual champion in the 5,000m (14:34.23 -- the fourth-fastest winning time in A-10 Championship history)... Competed at the NCAA East Regional in the 3,000m steeple and was eighth overall in a time of 8:56.29.
2007-08: Earned NCAA Regional qualifying standards in two events -- the 3,000m steeplechase and the 5,000m... Ran an 8:59.11 in the steeple at the Penn Relays to finish ninth in the college championship division... Won the silver medal in the Mt. SAC Relays in the 5,000m in a time of 14:09.01... Third in the steeple at the A-10 Championship (9:04.35) leading to All-Conference honors... Was ninth in the NCAA Regional in the steeple with a time of 9:00.85 to win his heat...Won the 3,000m at the Duke Invitational with a time of 8:19.60.
2006-07: Took ninth in the 3,000 at the Duke Invitational (8:28.62)... Lapped the field at the Legacy Invitational in Baltimore, Md. in the 5K (14:46.42) to win the event... Won the 5,000 a the Georgia Tech Invitational with a time of 14:50.68... Named Rookie of the Year for the Spiders during the outdoor season making it a clean sweep over the three seasons.
Indoor Track & Field
2010-11: Placed third in the 3,000m Championship race at the New Balance Games (8:09.34)...Took first-place in the mile at the Vince Brown Invitational (4:12.05)...Captured the A-10 Conference Championship title in the men's 3,000m (8:18.27) and the 5,000m (14:32.21)...Placed third in the 5,000m at the Notre Dame Last Chance Invitational (13:59.99)...Received Academic All-Conference Team honors.
2009-10: Red-shirted.
2008-09: Did not compete.
2007-08: Won the silver in the 3,000m at the A-10 Championship... The second-place finish led to All-Conference honors... Teamed with Matt Llano, Sean Welsh and Jeff Strojny on the Spiders' DMR to take third at the Maryland Invitational. Indoor - Won the silver in the 3,000m at the A-10 Championship... The second-place finish led to All-Conference honors... Teamed with Matt Llano, Sean Welsh and Jeff Strojny on the Spiders' DMR to take third at the Maryland Invitational.
2006-07: First ever indoor season... Placed 3rd in the 3000M at the Atlantic 10 Championships (8:35.59)... Finished second at Mid-Atlantic Track Clash 3,000 race (8:43.13) in his first collegiate race... Named the Rookie of the Year for the Spiders indoor program.
Cross Country
2010-11:Set his season-best 8K time at the Paul Short Invitational and received A-10 Men's Co-Performer of the Week honors for the week of Oct. 4 ... Placed 66th at NCAA Pre-Nationals with a time of 24:37.5 ... Claimed the men's title at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship; his win stands as Richmond's first individual title since Richmond's John Ciccarelli won on the same course (Schenley Park) in 2004. He also set a course record for the 8K with his time of 24:12, received A-10 1st team All-Conference honors, and was named the Atlantic 10 Men's Performer of the Year ... Finished 10th at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship, posting his season-best 10K time at 30:30.5 ... Placed 75th at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship with a time of 30:54.7.
2009-10: Red-shirted.
2008-09: Captured first at the Spider Alumni open with a record time of 15:03.20... Captured third at the Navy Invitational with a time of 24:55.30... Was named A-10 Performer of the Week on Sept. 3... Recorded a time of 24:15 at the Paul Short Invitational capturing 18th place... Placed 10th at the Penn State Nationals with a time of 25:28... Placed fourth at the A-10 Championship with a time of 24:13.7 and was named an All-Conference performer... Captured 29th place at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship with a time of 31:37.1.
2007-08: Led the Spiders to a runner-up finish at the A-10 Championships, finishing sixth overall to earn All-Conference honors... Finished 52nd at the prestigious Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival... At the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, he took 67th overall as the Spiders were 13th as a team.
2006-07: Represented the United States at the World Mountain Running Championships in Bursa, Turkey where he placed 12th overall which is the highest ever placing for a US Junior (under 20)... Also led Team USA to their highest ever team finish... Named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year and led the Spiders at the Championships with a eighth-place finish to earn All-Conference honors... Placed fifth in the Spider Alumni Open 5K... At the Winthrop Fall Classic he placed seventh... Named Co-Rookie of the Year for the Spiders program.
High School
Capped a stellar prep career with the coveted High Point Trophy for the AA classification at the West Virginia State Track & Field Championships ... defended his state titles in the 3,200 (9:30.47) and 1,600 (4:29.52), placed second in the 800 and ran on the championship 4x400 relay team scoring 28 points for his team ... has personal best marks of 9:30.47 (3,200), 4:26.20 (1,600) and 1:59.97 (800) ... won the 2005 and 2004 AAA WVSSAS State Cross Country titles and placed second in 2003 to his brother ... while a member of the Red Devils team they won four consecutive state cross country championship titles ... he was also a starter for the boys' basketball team that won the 2006 WVSSAC State Basketball Championship.
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