Valley Lutheran’s Benjamin Benally repeats as Division IV state champ

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Nov 20, 2025 | Cross-country |

PHOENIX

It took about ten minutes for Valley Lutheran harrier Benjamin Benally to gain the separation he needed to win his second consecutive Arizona Interscholastic Association Division IV state boys crown.

The Diné runner, who has roots in the Shiprock area, received an early challenge from St. Michael Indian School junior Evans Tracy for the first mile. But in the second mile, Benally gained a six-second advantage before cruising to a 27-second win on the state meet course at Cave Creek Golf Course in north Phoenix on Saturday afternoon. Benally won the state crown in 16:11.3 while Tracy clocked in at 16:38.8.

“I want to give a shout out to Evans,” Benally said. “He really pushed me in that first mile. I was definitely worried about him going into this race. I have raced against him before, so I really wanted to get out fast and get ahead of him.

“My goal is to burn my opponents’ leg in that first mile,” he added. “And then I leave it up to heart and determination, but I really wanted to win it again this year.”

As the top-seeded runner in his division, Benally says he felt that pressure to repeat. Nonetheless, he wanted to focus on his running form and his racing plans.

“It kind of lingered in the back of my head, but it also was a good motivator,” Benally said of the pressure. “I was hoping to win again, but it all comes down to how I perform, so I wanted to stay focused on the process, on my form and my racing plans.

“This is the result of the hard work I put into it,” he added.

The championship win on Saturday was Benally’s fifth race that he’s won in his senior campaign. His other wins included the Peaks Invitational, Juan Reyes Invitational, the Lions Run 2025 and the AIA Division IV Metro Sectionals two weeks ago.

“It’s kind of the same thing from last year where I had some confidence going into the state meet after I won sectionals,” Benally said. “It gave me the energy to run.”

Benally’s parents are Michael and Molly Benjamin. His mother is from Iowa and his dad is from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona.

“I have a lot of pride being Navajo,” Benally said. “I come from a long line of runners and I’m doing this for my family and ancestors. I really feel like winning this title is a good motivation for all Native runners.”

Benally plans on running at the collegiate level next year. At the moment, he’s still contemplating his choices.

“I can’t say for sure,” he said. “I’m not quite sure, but I’m definitely on the lookout for colleges but I’ve been communicating with some college coaches.”

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