Joel LeonBenitez

  • Joel
  • Leon Benitez

  • Event
    Pole Vault
  • Class
    Freshman
  • High School/Other
    Millfield
  • Hometown
    Nottingham, United Kingdom

Updated: June 2, 2018

2018 outdoor: Punched his ticket to Eugene for the first time of his career in the pole vault, posting a mark of 5.35 meters (17 feet, 6.5 inches) at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds ... Finished fourth at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the pole vault, clearing a height of 5.30 meters (17 feet, 4.5 inches) to earn second-team All-ACC honors ... Logged a mark of 5.22 meters (17 feet, 1.5 inches) to place fifth at the Liberty Twilight ... Placed fourth with a leap of 5.45 meters (17 feet, 10.5 inches) at the National Relay Championships.

2018 indoor: Won bronze in the pole vault at the ACC Indoor Championships with a height of 5.10 meters (16 feet, 8.75 inches) ... Leaped a height of 5.15 meters (16 feet, 10.75 inches) to place second at the Tyson Invitational … Jumped a height of 5.26 meters (17 feet, 3 inches) at the Gladstein Invitational to finish fourth … In his first collegiate meet at the Nittany Lion Challenge, recorded a height of 5.37 meters (17 feet, 7.25 inches) to place second.

High school: Participated in track and field, specifically pole vault, at Millfield School in Somerset, UK under the guidance of head coach Alan Richardson ... In 2016, he was ranked the No. 1 U-20 pole vaulter in the United Kingdom ... Benitez was crowned the British U-20 National Champion, jumping a mark of 5.25 meters (17 feet, 2.75 inches) to qualify for his second international team ... In 2015, Benitez broke a long-standing record in the United Kingdom and was a finalist at the 2015 World Youth Championships … He also is a two-time U-17 British National Champion … During his time at high school, Leon Benitez represented GB at global championships at the youth and junior levels and also achieved his first senior GB selection in 2017 … Currently the UK Junior Indoor and Outdoor Champion … 2017 top ranked pole vaulter overall in the UK … Personal best marks are 5.40 meters in the indoor season and 5.51 meters for outdoor.

Personal: Born August 31, 1998 … Son of Juan Carlos Leon Benitez and Jackie Leon Sysum … Major is undecided.

Leon Benitez's Track and Field Career Bests

Indoor

Outdoor

PV – 5.37m (17 feet, 7.5 inches), Nittany Lion Challenge (2018)

PV - 5.45 meters (17 feet, 10.5 inches), National Relay Championships (2018)