Track: Benkovsky advances to NCAA National Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Olivet College senior Andrew Benkovsky has qualified to run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Thursday at the 2015 NCAA Division III National Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The championships are being held at the Merrick-Pinkard Track & Field Complex in Canton, N.Y., with St. Lawrence University serving as the host school.

Benkovsky advanced to the national championships by virtue of posting a school-record time of 9:05.36 on May 15 at the North Central (Ill.) College Final Qualifier Meet. The time ranks him fifth among the 20 official entries in the event. The preliminaries of the race will take place Thursday at 5:50 p.m., with the top five runners in each heat and then next four fastest times advancing to the finals Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

Benkovsky is seeking to be the first Olivet student-athlete to earn All-American honors (top eight finish) at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships since 1984 when Stan Baker tied for second in the 200-meter dash.