By Blake Chadwick
Maize High junior Isaac Benjamin is the type of distance runner who embraces the grind. Still early in his track career, Benjamin has quickly developed into a key piece of the Eagles’ distance group, fueled by a mindset built on challenging himself every day.
“I would say that one of my biggest strengths is that I like to challenge myself,” Benjamin said. “My coach gives me hard workouts, but I really like to push myself so that I can succeed and become a better athlete.”
Benjamin’s goals reflect both his competitive drive and his belief in steady improvement. He is aiming to break 51 seconds in the 400 meters and two minutes in the 800, while also helping push his team toward a potential state appearance in the 4×800-meter relay.
Off the track, his ambitions are just as high. Benjamin hopes to attend the United States Air Force Academy, with dreams of continuing his athletic career there as either a runner or soccer player.
Maize head coach Skeeter Rankins has seen firsthand what sets Benjamin apart, not just as an athlete, but as a person.
“Isaac is a very coachable, respectful student-athlete,” Rankins said. “He has aspirations to get accepted to a military academy, with his preference being USAFA.”
From a performance standpoint, Rankins pointed to how impressive Benjamin’s development has been in a short time.
“This is his second year in track,” Rankins said. “His first year, he ended up running 2:05 in the 800 and 4:39 in the 1,600.”
Within the team, Benjamin values the culture just as much as the competition.
“The distance team has really good morale,” he said. “We are very supportive of each other during hard workouts, and we hang out quite often. I really enjoy being a part of the team.”
