When I was a junior in high school, I went to the New England High School Track and Field Championships held in Plymouth, Mass. I had qualified for this meet in the mile run, but after a long string of hard races I decided to call it a season and just go for the sole purpose of watching. At this time, Ben True was just a sophomore and was running the unseeded heat of the two-mile. Ben won this race in a time of nine minutes and 25 seconds with a huge finishing kick and placed fifth overall beating out many of the runners from the seeded heat. Needless to say, I was incredibly surprised and impressed to see a sophomore run that fast, but I must admit the thought never crossed my mind that I would spend a significant portion of my life chasing that sophomore around tracks, through the trails of pine park, and along the roads that circumscribe Hanover.
In the two years following that race in Plymouth Mass., Ben achieved a great deal of success as a prep athlete. He finished ninth at the Footlocker National Cross Country meet as a junior and fifth as a senior, he also, like myself, applied early decision to Dartmouth. Outside of the running community Ben's finish at Footlocker Nationals might not mean too much, but to put it in terms anyone can appreciate, Ben was the fifth best high school distance runner in the nation, a blue chip recruit, and -- perhaps more importantly -- he was going to be one of my teammates.
Fast-forward three years, and it's clear to see that Ben's had an incredible athletic career thus far at Dartmouth. He's won five individual Ivy League titles; two in cross country, two in the 1,500 meters, and one in the 5,000 meters. He's run under four in the mile (albeit on a relay rather than in an open race) carrying our team to a school record in the process, he's been an all-American in cross-country running helping the Dartmouth team to an Ivy League title, and he's been all-American in cross-country skiing, a feat that contributed greatly to Dartmouth's national championship this past winter.
Ben is one of the finest athletes I've ever had the pleasure to watch race, to train with and to compete against. He's a model competitor, humble in victory and gracious in defeat, and a model teammate, wanting success for his team before individual glory. He's also the caliber of athlete who -- and I am 100 percent certain of this -- will be lining up for a race when I watch the Olympics in a few years time, whether it's in skiing or running.
On Saturday Ben will be running the 800 meters at the New England Intercollegiate Track and Field Championships held at Dartmouth's Memorial Field. Due to the infrequency of home track and field competitions there really aren't many chances in a year to see Ben run, even fewer because he skis in the winter.
So, if you have a chance on Saturday, think about taking some time to come to this track meet to watch Ben compete. I truly believe that in the brief moments of this short race you'll see an embodiment of everything the iconic distance runner Steve Prefontaine meant when he said, "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they're capable of understanding." Then, in just a few years time when Ben's in Beijing or London or Vancouver, you too can say, "I saw him compete back when..."
