Haley Benjamin’s swimming trajectory has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Now, she has committed to continue swimming in a town known for rockets.
Benjamin, a senior at Animas High School who competes for the Durango Swim Club, signed a National Letter of Intent on Friday to swim at the University of Houston, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the American Athletic Conference.
Benjamin chose Houston ahead of colleges such as Hawaii, Iowa and Oregon.
“It was stressful leading up to it, but right now it’s a huge relief to have that next step and move forward with everything,” Benjamin said of making her decision. “The last year leading up to it was rough at points. You have to perform a certain way for them to notice you.”
Benjamin’s times wouldn’t let her go unnoticed. She had NCAA caliber times as a 14-year-old, and she said that’s when she fell in love with the sport.
The daughter of Arin and Gwin Benjamin set a record in the 500-meter freestyle at the Colorado Mesa University pool when she was only 14. She has set a time in the 400-meter freestyle that would be good enough to qualify for the Olympic trials, and earlier this year she finished in the top 10 in the 800-meter freestyle at the Speedo Junior National Championships in East Meadow, New York. She also has won numerous Colorado state championships for club swimmers.
Those results led to top offers from elite programs around the country, and she picked Houston based on the feel she got during her visit.
“It was the girls,” Benjamin said of what sold her on the Cougars. “The girls I met when I visited were super nice, and I felt an instant connection when I was there. When I was on the recruiting trip, I met 10 other girls and two on the same recruiting trip also committed to Houston. It’s nice to go in already knowing a few people. Other than that, I enjoyed what I saw when I visited.”
Benjamin won’t be a little fish in a big pool in Houston. She is used to competing at the highest level and said she doesn’t believe there will be many nerves before her first NCAA competition.
“It’s been a lot of fun to experience the big meets,” said Durango Swim Club coach Alex Martinek. “It’s also great to experience someone who is extremely coachable and adaptable. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Benjamin’s father was a big runner and soccer player, and the family tried to get their daughter into soccer when she was little. Benjamin hated it and eventually told her parents she didn’t like sports in which she sweat or a ball was coming at her.
Benjamin always loved being in the pool, and she wanted every birthday party to be at the pool at the Durango Swim Club. With that in their mind, the Benjamins thought they’d have their daughter try swimming. She’s been hooked ever since and has rarely missed a day in the pool.
“She came to the club, and that was it,” Gwin said. “She could not wait to swim club every day.”
Benjamin has never competed with a high school team. She prefers the higher competition she feels she gets from the club and the year-round schedule it provides.
Benjamin’s favorite event is the 400 free, and she hopes to swim that event in the 2020 Olympics. But Martinek believes her best even at the NCAA level will be the 1,500 free, especially for a high-altitude swimmer going down to sea level.
“She’s got a lot of potential to be incredibly successful,” Martinek said. “Going to a big college program where everyone wants to go fast and there are people beating her, once she gets to that environment and drops to sea level, it’s going to be a huge help. Swimming is such an explosive and powerful sport, I’m excited to see what happens.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
