James Benson II - Men's Track & Field - Arkansas Razorbacks

James Benson II

-- | RS Sr. | 6-4 | Sprints | Charleston, Illinois | Salmen HS / Southeastern Louisiana

Senior (2023)
Outdoor: Member of 4 x 400m relay during semifinal at NCAA Championships (3:00.97) … Also ran on 4 x 100m relay (39.23) in NCAA semifinal … Finished fifth in 400m at SEC Championships with career best 44.82 after a 44.97 in prelims … Qualified for NCAA West Preliminary round in 400m, where he ran 46.60 in first round … Ran on both relays in NCAA West, 39.30 and 3:04.29 … Opened outdoor season at Stanford Invitational, placing third in 100m with a career best of 10.35 (1.4 wind), after a 10.46 in prelims … Also ran on winning 4 x 400m relay (3:08.42) and third place 4 x 100m relay (40.55) … Won 200m at Mt. SAC Relays in 20.94 and finished fifth in 400m with a 45.50, then added a relay leg on third place 4 x 400m (3:03.33) … Produced a career best of 20.71 (0.0) for third in 200m at John McDonnell Invitational, and ran on pair of winning relays (39.68, 3:04.35) … Placed fourth in 400m with a 45.57 at LSU Invitational as 4 x 100m relay finished fourth in 39.55 … Won 200m at Arkansas Twilight in 20.46w.

Indoor: Earned a pair of first-team All-America honors on two relays at NCAA Indoor … Ran 44.91 second leg split of silver medal 4 x 400m relay as Arkansas clocked 3:02.09, and ran second leg (45.87) of distance medley relay which placed seventh in 9:34.82 … Finished 11th in SEC 400m prelims with a 46.46 … Opened season with a victory at 300m in 32.46 at Arkansas Invitational, with the time ranking as No. 4 performer with the No. 5 performance on all-time collegiate list … Finished sixth in 200m (20.74) at New Mexico Collegiate Classic and ran 44.82 second leg of 3:01.09 winning effort in 4 x 400m relay, which is the second fastest time ever and bettered the UA school record of 3:03.18 from 2022 … Finished third in 400m (46.37) at Tyson Invitational … Ran second leg (45.07) of school record distance medley relay (9:22.13) that finished third at Arkansas Qualifier as Arkansas became the fifth-fastest school all-time with the seventh-fastest performance.

Junior (2022)
Outdoor: Injury caused him to miss majority of collegiate outdoor season … Returned to compete in USATF Championships, posting a pair of career best times with a 45.56 in prelims and 45.36 to finish ninth in semifinal … Ranks No. 7 on UA all-time list in 400 with the 45.36 … Prior to injury, ran second leg of eighth-place 4 x 400 in Texas Relays.

Indoor: Led team in 200 and 400 with career best times of 20.95 and 45.88 … Bronze medalist in 400 at SEC Indoor with his 45.88, which ranks No. 4 on UA all-time list in 400m … Posted 20.95 to place third in Razorback Invitational … Opened with a then PR of 46.21 as runner-up in 400 at Razorback Invitational … Finished fifth (46.35) in Tyson Invitational … Placed 10th in prelims of NCAA Indoor with a 46.65 …

Anchored 4 x 400 relay with a 45.01 split as Razorbacks broke school record with a 3:03.18 to place third in Tyson Invitational … Supplied 44.65 second leg as Arkansas finished sixth at NCAA Indoor (3:05.96) to earn first-team All-America honor … Also member of school record performance of 9:24.45 in distance medley relay, splitting 45.49 on second leg, as Razorbacks placed fifth in Arkansas Qualifier.

College
Competed at Southeastern Louisiana. Bronze medalist in 400m at 2021 Southland Conference Championships, member of silver medal 4×400 relay and fourth place 4×100 relay. Finished third in 400m at Texas Relays in 46.12 after a 46.05 in prelims. In 2020, Southland Indoor silver medalist in 400m and finished fourth in 200m. Bronze medalist in 400m at 2019 AAU Junior Olympics. Career best marks include 20.79 in the 200m, 46.05 in the 400m, and 1:23.45 in 600m.

James Benson | Career Stats

Career best marks

Indoor

200m | 20.95

300m | 32.46 (No. 4 performer, No. 5 performance collegiate all-time)

400m | 45.88

600m | 1:23.45

Outdoor

100m | 10.35

200m | 20.79

400m | 45.36