Assistant Coach: Eric Bennett

• Primary Event Groups: Men’s and Women’s Throws, Pole Vault, and Multi-Events
• Alma Mater: Elizabethtown College ‘04

Coach Bennett enters his third season of working with his beloved Blue Jays in 2006-07. Said Coach Straub, “Eric’s work ethic as an athlete has only been surpassed by his work ethic as a coach! He was a very good athlete and is now an even better coach. It is true that sometimes the best coaches are the ones who had to work for everything they ever achieved as athletes.”

Coach Bennett is in charge of off-season strength and conditioning for all sprinters, jumpers, and throwers. During the season, he focuses his attention on the field events and has had a tremendous amount of success in so doing. Like the rest of the coaching staff, Coach Bennett has a knack for getting his best athletes ready to peak when it matters most.

In 2006, Amanda Morrisette ’09 re-wrote the record books, setting new school records in the indoor shot put (36’11”) and weight throw (41’1-1/2”) at the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. She then went on to set new school records in both the outdoor shot put (37-8-3/4”) and hammer throw (119’7”) at the MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Two school records were achieved by the male throwers this year including Phil Alder in the javelin (159’1”) and Bryan Marison in the hammer (110’0”). With several solid male throwers joining the 2006-07 team, Coach Bennett is quickly building momentum in those events.

Coach Bennett has, along with Coach Hoffsmith, led numerous multi-event athletes to All-MAC performances. These all-around talented athletes include Phil Alder ’09, Sarah Chick ’07, and Zach Fogel ’07.

In the pole vault, Samantha Adams ‘08 became Coach Bennett’s second female vaulter to clear 10 feet when she cleared that height at the indoor conference championships to secure the indoor school record in the event. DJ Lehr ’08 vaulted 14’11-1/2” in 2006 only to be overshadowed by the National Runner-Up in the event—Kevin Clark ’08.

All three vaulters have improved tremendously under Coach Bennett’s watchful eye. The highlight of the 2006 season came when Clark came within one jump of winning the national title in the event at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Benedictine University near Chicago, Illinois. Clark’s runner-up finish at outdoor nationals marked the fifth time an Elizabethtown College track & field athlete fell one place shy of winning the national title. He joined an elite group, including Dave Berdan ’04 (10,000m), Carrie Kerna ’04 (55m high hurdles and 100m high hurdles), and Melissa St. Clair ’05 (10,000m) as the Elizabethtown College track & field athletes who have finished National-Runner-Up at the NCAA Championships. An All-American at both the indoor and outdoor national championships, Clark won several competitions this year including, the Bucknell Bison Open and the Paul Kaiser Classic held at Shippensburg University. His indoor school record of 16’5-1/2” came with his fourth place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. His outdoor school record vault of 16’6-3/4” came with his victory at Shippensburg.

Coach Bennett was also a team captain, All-MAC decathlete, and MAC Champion pole vaulter during his collegiate career at Elizabethtown College.

E-mail Coach Bennett at: xpcoach@comcast.net