Kaitlyn Benner

Photo by: Dan Madden

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

Position:
Distance
Height:
5-6
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Superior, Colo.
High School:
Monarch

PERSONAL BESTS
INDOOR
800-meters: 2:14.30 (2017)
Mile: 4:56.40 (2019)
3,000-meters: 9:08.30 (2018)
5,000-meters: 16:01.56 (2016)
OUTDOOR
800-meter: 2:15.46 (2016)
1,500-meters: 4:25.32 (2015)
3,000-meters: 9:48.74 (2015)
5,000-meters: 15:47.23 (2018)
10,000-meters: 32:45.05 (2018)

MPSF SCORING
2015 5,000-meters, 1st (16:08.22)
2016 3,000-meters, 3rd (9:09.75)
2017 3,000-meters, 2nd (9:11.42)
2019 3,000-meters, 8th (9:09.25)

PAC-12 SCORING
2015 5,000-meters, 8th (16:24.70)
2016 5,000-meters, 1st (16:12.82.70)
2018 10,000-meters, 2nd (32:45.05)
2019 10,000-meters, 2nd (33:36.38)

NCAA SCORING
2016 (I) 3,000-meters, 8th (9:09.66)
2018 (O) 10,000-meters, 7^th (33:13.38)

ACADEMIC HONORS
CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team (2019)
CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team (2018)
2019 Pac-12 Woman of the Year
2019 Tom Hansen Pac-12 Medal Honoree
2019 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Track and Field
2017 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Cross Country
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2018)
CoSIDA All-District First Team (2016, 18, 19)
Academic All-MPSF (2016, 17, 18)
Pac-12 All-Academic First Team (2016, 18, 19)

HONORS
2015 Cross Country All-American
2016 All-America First Team (Indoor 3k)
2016 All-America Second Team (Outdoor 5k)
2016 Cross Country All-American
2017 Cross Country All-American
2018 All-America First Team (Outdoor 10k)
2019 All-America Second Team (Outdoor 10k)

2019: Indoor: Competed sparingly at the two home meets as well as the Husky Classic and MSPF Championships. Set a new personal best in the mile at 4:56.40 (1/12) to open the season at the Potts Invitational, then set a personal best in the 3,000 at 9:08.30 in the Husky Classic with a 10th-place finish. Aimed for the NCAA qualifying position at the MPSF Championships, finishing just outside the mark with an eighth-place finish in the 3,000.
Outdoor: Ran a NCAA West Preliminary qualifying mark in the 5,000-meters at the Cardinal Classic in 15:59.19. Finished as the runner-up in the Pac-12 Championship 10,000 while qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminaries. Ran a smart race at NCAA West to send herself to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 after finishing eighth with a time of 33:44.70. Battled the heat in Austin to finish as a Second-Team All-American in the 10,000 with a 16th-place finish att 34:06.39. Was named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second time, then continued to rake in the honors as the Tom Hansen Medal Honoree, CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honoree and the 2019 Pac-12 Woman of the Year, the first in school history.

2018: Indoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.
Outdoor: Benner competed in the 5,000 and 10,000 but turned her focus on the 10,000 late in the season. She finished second at the Pac-12 Championships in the event. At the NCAA Championships in June, she earned First Team All-America honors in the 10,000 with a time of 33:13.38 for seventh place.

2017: Indoor: Benner participated in three events during the season, but her main event was the 3,000-meter run. She placed second in the 3k at the MPSF Championship (2/25), finishing with a season-best time of 9:11.42.
Outdoor: Redshirt. Did not compete.

2016: Indoor: Benner had another great season as a sophomore, starting in the 5,000 at the Husky Classic (2/12) where she finished in 16:01.56 for 11th overall, placing herself seventh on CU’s all-time performers list. Benner switched gears to the 3k for her final two races. She was fifth at the MPSF Championship, finishing in 9:09.75, which qualified her for nationals. Two weeks later at NCAAs, Benner earned her first indoor All-America first team honor by placing eighth in 9:09.66, becoming the fourth fastest Buff in school history.
Outdoor: Benner spent most of her time competing in the 5k during the outdoor season. In her first race of the outdoor campaign, Benner ran a personal best (15:56.52) at the Stanford Invite. She went on to win the 5,000 at the Pac-12 Championship, crossing the finish in 16:12.82. Benner qualified for NCAA West Prelims in the 5k and moved on to nationals after a fifth-place finish. She earned her first outdoor All-America honor (second team) with a 12th place finish at NCAAs.

2015: Indoor: Benner showed great potential in her debut season. Her first race was a 3k at the Air Force Invite and she did quite well placing second in 10:05.23. At the Husky Classic (2/14), she improved her time to 9:24.20. Her final race of the season was the 5k at the MPSF Championship. Benner won the race in 16:08.22, making her the seventh fastest CU performer in the event.
Outdoor: Benner continued to do well for the Buffs as a freshman. She won her first outdoor race, a 3,000, at the Jerry Quiller Classic (3/21), finishing in 9:48.74. Her next race was at the CU Invite (4/11) where she won the 1,500 in 4:30.08. Benner’s season best in the 1,500 (4:25.32) came at the Payton Jordan Invite (5/2). She raced the 5,000 three times for the Buffs, clocking a 16:15.79 PR at Mt. SAC Relays. Benner placed eighth at the Pac-12 Championships (16:24.70) and finished her season 17th at NCAA West Prelims (16:28.10).

CROSS COUNTRY: (2017) Benner capped off her CU career with another great season. She recorded her third consecutive All-America honor as well as all-region and all-conference awards. Benner started the season with a ninth-place finish as the Buffs third scorer at the Joe Piane Invitational. In the following race, the NCAA Pre-Nationals, she took 24th overall. Benner helped the Buffs to their third straight team conference title with an eight-place finish, earning second-team All-Pac-12 recognition. CU also won its fifth straight region title as Benner recorded 14th place as CU’s fourth scorer. At the NCAA Championships, Benner was 36th overall, helping CU to a third-place team finish.
(2016) Benner had another great season for the Buffs, earning her second straight All-America honor with a 26th place finish at nationals as Colorado earned a third-place team finish. She played a major role in CU’s success during the campaign, which saw the Buffs win the Pac-12 and NCAA Mountain Region Championships, as well as NCAA Pre-Nationals and the Rocky Mountain Shootout. Benner’s first uniformed race of the season was the RMS, where she placed second behind teammate Erin Clark, finishing with the fifth fastest time in course history (20:02). She went on to place 12th at NCAA Pre-Nationals, again as CU’s second harrier. Benner was fourth overall at Pac-12, recorded all-conference first team honors, and was sixth at regionals to record all-region recognition.
(2015) Benner started the 2015 season early, competing at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships. She didn’t just compete, she won the junior title, finishing in 21:48. Benner went on to lead the U.S. at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships, placing 27th overall (21:45). Benner ran her first race as a sophomore for the Buffs at NCAA Pre-Nationals, recording a 15th place finish as the Buffs second scorer. She led CU in the following two meets, placing second at Pac-12s and regionals, earning All-Pac-12 and all-region honors. Benner finished the season on a strong note, crossing the finish 16th overall at NCAAs. She was the Buffs’ No. 2 runner and helped the team place second.
(2014) Benner earned a spot on the varsity roster after placing ninth overall at the Rocky Mountain Shootout (where she raced unattached). Her first race in the black and gold was NCAA Pre-Nationals; she placed 52nd overall and was CU’s No. 4 runner. Benner moved up to a 29th place finish at Pac-12s a couple of weeks later, scoring as the Buffs fifth runner. She recorded her first individual honor at regionals, placing 13th overall to be named to the All-Mountain Region team. Benner finished the season 81st at NCAAs, helping the Buffs to a seventh-place team finish.

HIGH SCHOOL: Benner was a member of the MHS cross country team that won the state championship in 2011, ‘12 and ‘13. The team went on to compete at Nike Cross Nationals in 2013 and placed fifth overall; Benner was 61st individually. MHS also raced at Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in 2010, placing 15th. Benner was selected to the NXN Southwest All-Sophomore team in 2011 and the All-Freshman team in 2010. On the track, she was a member of the 4x800-meter relay team that placed second at state in 2012, ’13 and ’14. The relay also set the school record at 9:22. Individually, Benner is the MHS record holder in the 3,200 (10:58). She earned four academic letters as a Coyote and was named to the Academic All-Colorado first team her junior and senior years. Benner was also recruited by Oregon State and Utah.

HIGH SCHOOL BESTS: 1,600-meters: 5:03; 3,200-meters: 10:58; 4x800-relay: 9:11.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Benner is a biological and chemical engineering and sociology major. She is also pursuing a pair of minors in leadership studies and engineering management. She owns a 3.934 GPA.

PERSONAL: Kaitlyn Marilyn Benner was born on September 25, 1996 in Sacramento, Calif. She is the daughter of Pat and Kathy Benner of Superior, Colo. She has one younger sister, Grace. Benner has done volunteer work that includes mission trips to Mississippi, Los Angeles and the Bahamas.