Benjamin Happenny '21 Recruiting Profile

As a college athlete, my goal is to progress my 800 meter time and potentially compete on a 4x800 meter relay.  My ultimate goal for the 800 is to achieve a time of 1:50.  If I was to ever achieve a time of 1:50, my goal would be to achieve a 1:45, and so on, until I can't get any better.  My most immediate goal however, is to get better and progress.  Academically speaking, I am different from most because my grades are above average.  When it comes to athletics, I stand out among others because I am willing to do more than my other teammates.  If given the choice to do more at practice, I will always choose to do more.  A few non track related achievements that showcase my work ethic are the 1500 burpees I did at a practice over two days, on top of my normal workout, the 27 straight wide grip pull ups I once completed, and the three sets of five straight minutes of Russian twists with a 45 pound plate.  On each occasion, I had the choice to do less, but I didn't.  I was partially motivated by my  competitive nature or unwillingness to lose to my friends, but mostly by my constant want to improve myself.  As far as my character is concerned, I am very competitive, and team oriented.  At long meets, I can often be found standing at the edge of the track motivating my other teammates while others are playing card games or taking naps.  At practices, I can often be counted on to create small competitions with my other teammates, whether it be a race or a weight exercise, that I believe help us all to progress while also having fun.

I have received the coach's choice award twice, once from my indoor track coach, and once from my cross country/ outdoor track coach.  In both 2018 and 2019, I  along with three other teammates, received an all division title for the 4x800 in indoor track.  In 2019, I achieved an all division title in the outdoor 800.  In 2017 and 2019 I qualified for nationals for the USATF cross country season.  However both times I was unable to compete in nationals due to my school's exam schedule.

Over my cross country and track career some other accomplishments I have attained were receiving a third place finish in the 4x800 on July 7, 2017 at a USATF track meet in Fitchburg Massachusetts, receiving a second place finish in the 4x800 at the Outdoor Track Class Meet in 2018, receiving a third place finish in the 4x800 at the Outdoor Track Class Meet in 2019, going to states in Cross Country in 2019, qualifying for both regionals and nationals in the 2019 USATF Cross Country season.  I have also received an all division title for Indoor track in 2019 for the 4x800 and again in 2020 for the 4x400.  Some medals I have include a sixth place finish in the 4x400 at the Indoor Freshman State Championships, and a sixth place finish in the 800 at the Outdoor Freshman State Championships, two fifth place finishes in the 4x800 at a Division Championship, a second place finish in both the 4x400 and 4x800 at a division championship, two fifth place finishes in the 4x800 at the Indoor JV State Championships, and a sixth place finish in the 4x800 at the Indoor State Championship.  In 2020, I got a pr at the class meet, and placed 16, earning myself an all class title.