College of Staten Island Athletics

There is no more fluid a movement than a run, and no one did it better at the College of Staten Island than Jeff Benjamin.  In his short four-year window at CSI, Benjamin almost single-handedly redefined the sport at the College, serving as a cornerstone for the developing program his entire four-year career at CSI.  Not only was his movement on the terrain instrumental to the success of the program, but his leadership was imperative to the sustenance of the program at a time when the Cross-Country circuit was challenged as a four-year sport within the City University of New York Athletic Conference.

It did not take long for Benjamin to impress.  He was instantly appointed team captain as a freshman, and followed by breaking the school record in the five-mile course at the New York College of Technology Invitational, coming in with a time of 27:12.  That same season, Benjamin led the CSI field with a 9th-place showing at the CUNYAC Championship Meet, qualifying him for the NCAA National Championship.  Benjamin’s running career blossomed from there, becoming a beacon of success for a program that often suffered in numbers.  He doubled his efforts on the CSI Track & Field Club program, representing CSI at various meets that spanned across all NCAA divisions.  He was a consistent scorer at the annual CUNYAC Championships, and continued his undergraduate career captaining the squad at every turn.  Benjamin’s call to action spanned more than just weekend varsity meets.  He was a force behind the intramural scene as well, leading the way at the CSI Open (Student & Alumni) Run for Fun program, taking first place every year of his participation.

Benjamin’s successes at CSI translated to a career after college.  One of the most recognized faces on the racing circuit today, Benjamin is as busy on the course now than ever before.  Since 1981, he has participated in hundreds of local, regional, and national races.  Alongside his work at New Dorp High School, where he has taught Social Studies since 1987 and served for ten years as the school’s Cross-Country and Track & Field Coach, Benjamin served as the President of the Staten Island Athletic Club from 1989-95, and since 1990, has served as a writer for American Track & Field Magazine, runblogrun.com, and The Runner’s Gazette.  Having had stops as site coordinator for the NYC Marathon and PSAL Borough Coordinator for Cross-Country and Track & Field, he has been a part of the Staten Island Advance’s All-Star Selection Board for Cross-Country and Track & Field for 12 years and counting.