BURSA, Turkey - Richmond freshman Andrew Benford (Ravenswood, WV) finished 12th at the World Junior Mountain Running Championships on Sunday, leading Team USA to its best finish in the 22-year history of the event.
Benford finished the 8.5 kilometer course with an elevation ascent of 3,000 feet with a time of 46.36 to take 12th out of 80 runners. That was the best finish for an American Junior in the 22-year history of the World Mountain Running Championships and it helped the U.S. to its best-ever finish in the event, taking eighth out of 20 countries represented with its lowest-ever score of 102 points.
The top three runners from each team score. Joining Benford to close out the USA team scoring were New York native Zach Rivers, who finished 43rd in 51:36 and Arkansas native Rory Egelus, who placed 47th in 51:44. Georgia native John Horn finished in 57th, covering the course in 53:27.
\"I was really happy with my race and my finish,\" Benford said. \"My experiences in Turkey and at the World Championship were incredible. I really enjoyed meeting all the people from all over the world, and of course racing them. The views of the mountains, countryside, and Bursa at the base of the mountain were unbelievable. I\'m so glad I got the opportunity to take this trip and to represent the USA. It is something I will take with me for the rest of my life.\"
\"Andrew raced extremely well, we are very happy for him,\" Richmond men\'s cross country coach Steve Taylor said. \"He showed how competitive he is and that he has the heart of a lion. He has proven that hard work does indeed payoff. To place 12th in the World is very impressive, there are only 11 junior men on Earth that out ran him today. We are thrilled and believe it shows the top student-athletes in the nation that their dreams will be realized at the University of Richmond.\"
Photos of Benford\'s trip will be posted here at RichmondSpiders.com when he returns to campus.
For a personal recap of the race, visit Andrew\'s blog on YouthRunner.com: http://www.youthrunner.com/pwps/pwpview_blog.cfm?sys=900
Complete results of the 22nd World Mountain Running Championships can be found at: http://www.wmrt2006.org/index.htm