College Recruit Rankings Profile: Five-Star Matthew Benecki, Class of 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona, September 18. MATTHEW Benecki, a five-star distance freestyle specialist out of the Class of 2009, is the next swimmer in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings Profile series. Benecki swims for his father, Ray, at The Fish and is a member of the Chantilly High team.

Benecki, who keeps his profile in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks updated on a regular basis, owns a pair of times that clear the U.S. Olympic Trials cut (an integral part of the rankings system). He has turned in a 3:59.71 in the 400-meter free and 15:50.21 in the 1500-meter free events.

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Where and when did you start swimming?
I started swimming when I was 2; my dad started teaching me how to swim. I was on my first team when I was 5 with The FISH

Who would you name as the most influential person and coach in your swimming career?
My most influential teammate was Alex Anderson, who was the oldest swimmer in my group when I was just a freshman. My most influential coach is my dad, who has coached me for the past 4 years, and taught me how to swim.

What, to this point, is your best moment in the sport and why?
One of my proudest and most exciting moments in swimming so far has been making Olympic Trials in 2 events at the Ohio State Grand Prix

What is your favorite set?
My favorite set is any set that has a deal attached to it, either a get-out swim or skip-the-rest-of-the-set deal. Sometimes we'll swim 100s, and I can score a point if I go 1500 pace, 2 points if I go 800 pace, and 3 points if I go 400 pace. That really motivates me to swim fast!

What is your least favorite set?
My least favorite set ever was a 4800 IM.

What are your short-term goals?
In the short-tem, I hope to make the right choice in picking a college team with coaches and teammates that will help me for the next 4 years.

What are your long-term goals?
My long-term goal is to help my college team by scoring points at NCAAs, and being part of a winning relay.

What colleges are you interested in so far?
N.C. State, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota – and not in that order

How is the recruiting process going?
I've enjoyed meeting a lot of the coaches at Trials and the U.S. Open, and I will be going on my first trip this weekend.

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