Eli Bennett

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

Photo by: Eric Strom

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Montgomery, Ala.
Squadron:
01 Mighty Mach One
High School:
Home School

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

NCAA Outdoor Finalist, 5000-Meter Run (2023)

Mountain West Champion, 3000-Meter Run (2023)

Mountain West Champion, Distance Medley Relay (2023)

All-Region, Cross Country (2022)

JUNIOR YEAR | 2022: All-Region honoree…clocked a career-best 10K time of 28:27.3 to finish 25th at the NCAA Mountain Regional…helped the Falcons to a fourth-place finish as their No. 4 runner in that meet…added a 30:18.0 finish at the NCAA Championships (108th)…clocked a personal-best 8K time of 24:02.0 at the Nuttycombe Invitational (93rd)…finished 54th out of 250 runners in road debut at the Cowboy Jamboree (24:12.6)…claimed a top-20 finish at the Mountain West Championships (24:19.5, 20th)…opened the season with a four-mile time of 20:23 at the Air Force Classic (10th)…academic all-conference selection…named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2021: Competed in the UCCS Open, clocking an 8K time of 25:59.1 to finish eighth out of 75 runners.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2020: Did not compete during the pandemic-shortened season…academic all-conference selection.

MAJOR TRACK AND FIELD HIGHLIGHTS: NCAA Finalist in the 5000-meter run…claimed All-America Honorable Mention after finishing 20th in that event at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships…two-time Mountain West champion…won the 3000-meter title and led off the winning distance medley relay at the 2023 MW Indoor Championships…added a runner-up finish in the 5000-meter run at the MW Outdoor Championships that year…recorded Air Force Top 4 times in the indoor 5000-meter run (13:44.32, No. 3 all-time), 1500-meter run (3:43.78, No. 3 all-time), 3000-meter run (7:53.19, No. 4 all-time) and outdoor 5000-meter run (13:39.50, No. 4 all-time) as a junior…ran on two winning relays at the 2023 Drake Relays (distance medley relay, 4x1600-meter relay)…anchored the 4x1600-meter team to an Academy Record time of 16:23.31 in the win…first debuted on the Academy’s Top 10 in the 3000-meter run as a sophomore.

HIGH SCHOOL: Home Schooled...named to the Footlocker South Region All-South Team as a senior...two-time state champion in cross country...won the 2019 title at the Alabama Independent Schools Associations (AISA) Championships...captured the Texas State Home School championship in 2018...two-time AAU Junior Olympic National Champion in track...won the 1500-meter (4:01) and 3200-meter (8:55) titles in 2019...posted prep-best times of 2:00.96 (indoor 800-meter run), 4:00.63 (indoor 1500-meter run) and 8:52 (3000-meter run)...completed dual-enrollment homeschool courses through Blinn College and Auburn University.

PERSONAL: Full name is Elijah Christopher Bennett...goes by Eli...nickname is “Sid”…son of Christopher and Molly Bennett...father is a 1993 Academy graduate...has three siblings (one older, two younger)...majoring in aeronautical engineering...future plans include becoming a pilot, test pilot or combat search and rescue pilot…named to the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List every semester…earned Jump Wings in the summer of 2021...hobbies include golfing, hanging with the boyz, cross training, eating, and living rent free in Niko’s head...grandfather graduated from the U.S. Military Academy...comes from a long line of military service...has family members in every branch of service …member of Cadet Squadron 01.