Gatorade 2022 - 2023: Player of the Year

Boys Track & Field - Michigan

athletes playing Boys Track & Field
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BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Benne Anderson

Distance
OTTAWA HILLS HS
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
SENIOR
Height: 6-FOOT-3
Press Release

Peak Performance

1st - 4:01.60

OK Gold Conference Championships - 1600m

1st - 8:40.90

Distance Night Under the Lights - 3200m
“Benne Anderson solidified his place amongst Michigan’s all-time prep distance greats this season. His decision to forego the indoor campaign to focus on the outdoor arena reaped major dividends, resulting in an unbeaten 2023 that included the nation’s fastest 1600-meter run and fourth-fastest 3200 time.”
Rich Gonzalez
editor of PrepCalTrack.com
excellence star

Athletic Excellence

The 6-foot-3, 155-pound senior won the 1600-meter run at the OK Gold Conference Championships this past season with a time of 4:01.60, which ranked No. 1 nationally among prep competitors in 2023. Anderson completed an unbeaten campaign in the event by winning gold at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 state meet. He won the 3200 at the Distance Night Under the Lights by 37 seconds, and his time of 8:40.90 ranked No. 4 nationally this spring. He also ranked No. 13 nationally in the 800 (1:49.68) and No. 44 in the mile (4:08.62).

a graduation cap

Academic Achievement

Anderson, who attends City High School while competing for Ottawa Hills, has maintained a 3.66 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at Syracuse University this fall.

first place ribbon

Exemplary Character

An Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, Anderson helped create a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk for a local business as his culminating project. He has volunteered locally at a nursing home and at a summer camp for children with physical and intellectual challenges.