2022 Cross Country Roster
Anthony Benitez
- Height:
- 5-6
- Weight:
- null
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- San Diego, CA
- High School:
- Serra HS
2022-23 -- Cross Country: Competed in four meets in fifth season ... ran season-best 8K time (25:02.6) at Bronco Invite ... placed 19th at Pacific Collegiate Invite.
2021-22 -- Cross Country: Placed 27th in Stump Invitational and 45th in Bronco Invitational. Track & Field: Placed 11th in the 1,500 at the Big West Conference Championships with a 3:57.20 … ran a season best of 3:50.54 in the 1,500 at the Bryan Clay Invitational … ran the 800 twice in 2022, posting a season best of 1:55.12 at the Mustang Invitational … finished third in the 800 at the Cal Poly Open … received Big West Conference All-Academic honors.
2020-21 -- Cross Country: Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Outdoor T&F: Placed fourth in 1,500 at Big West Conference Championships with a season-best time of 3:50.37 ... also competed in 5,000, finishing 20th in 15:04.76 ... personal best is 3:48:41 for second place in Fresno State Invitational ... placed second in Spring Break Invitational with time of 3:51.82 ... earned Big West Conference All-Academic honors.
2019-20 -- Cross Country: Helped lead the Mustangs to the Big West title on Nov. 2, as Cal Poly lifted the conference trophy with a victorious team score of 44 points ... came in 12th place individually at the Conference Championships, with an 8k effort of 25:08.5 in Riverside ... went on to finish 69th at the NCAA West Regional Meet hosted by Washington State on Nov. 15, clocking a 10k performance of 31:15.5 ... also helped lead Cal Poly to three consecutive team victories in 8k formats to open the fall — as he earned eighth place as an individual at the UC Santa Barbara Lagoon Open on Aug. 31 (via 25:29.4, toward a 28-29 Blue-Green Rivalry win) before tallying 16th at the UCR Invite on Sept. 14 (at 24:41.8) and then eighth again at the Capital XC Challenge in Sacramento on Sept. 28 (24:23.9) ... also made the Big West All-Academic Team. Track: Spring 2020 season was canceled; however, retains year of eligibility moving forward ... meanwhile, earned Conference Commissioner’s Highest Honors academically.
2018-19 -- Track: As a true freshman, took seventh place in the 1,500-meter final at the Big West Championships, with a time of 3:55.62 ... the same day at the Conference Championships at UCSB on May 11, returned to Pauley Track to run the 5,000 meters, in which he added a 14th-place showing of 15:09.83 ... clocked his season-best 1,500m performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific on April 19, finishing seventh in 3:50.76 ... also came in second at the Gaucho dual April 27, via 3:52.74 ... in addition, earned 2019 Big West Commissioner’s Honors academically. Cross Country: While redshirting his first fall on campus, competed on an unattached-scoring basis at a trio of meets.
Prep -- Competing for Serra High School in San Diego, took sixth place at the 2017 CIF Division 3 State Cross Country Championships, running the 5k in 15:42.6 ... as a Conquistador junior coached by Jonn Pisapia, finished ninth at the State Championship Meet, with a performance of 15:23.8 ... his 2016 season also included a win at the Southern Cal Invitational, crossing first with a time of 15:32.6 ... in track season, clocked a 1,600-meter PR of 4:17.45 at the 2018 Mt. SAC Relays, earning 10th place, after winning his second straight Eastern League title ... came in fourth at the San Diego Section Division 2 Finals as a senior, in 4:18.57 ... top 3,200m performance, 9:22.0, took sixth place at the 2017 SDS Finals ... claimed back-to-back Eastern League crowns in the 3,200m in 2017 and 2018 ... also earned San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic honors while volunteering for Key Club.
Personal -- Also visited San Jose State, UC Davis and UCSB; chose Cal Poly because of the university being “an in-state school with the best possible courses as well as an equally amazing team to bond with” ... majoring in psychology.
