2024-2025: Cross Country – ran in just 3 XC meets after an early season injury shortened his XC season. He was able to return to the course in time for the WAC Championship meet in Orem, UT, where he finished 65th and was the #7 ACU finisher. Indoors – redshirted. Outdoors – by the time the outdoor season rolled around, Benji was 100% and it paid off with a strong season. He opened the season by winning the ACU Wes Kittley Invitational 800, and later in the season, he finished 10 th in the Michael Johnson 1500 at Baylor with a personal best time of 3:57.83. He finished 8 th in the TCU Horned Frog Invitational 800 with a personal best time of 1:50.56. He would
complete the season by finishing 6 th in the WAC Outdoor Championship 800.

Before ACU: Benji finished his HS career with a strong senior year. During the fall, he placed 3 rd in the 3A XC meet, moving up 59 places from his junior year performance. At the state track meet in Austin, he finished 3th in both the 800 and 1600. He would finish the year ranked #45 in the 800 and #59 in the 1600 among all high schoolers in the state and was named to the Texas High School Coaches Association 3A Super Elite Team. As a junior, he went to state in XC (62nd place) and on the track in the 800 (7 th place). He qualified for XC state as a sophomore, placed 70 th in his first state-wide competition. Benji left McGregor HS as the school record holder in the 800 (1:54.18); 1600 (4:18.79); and the 3200 (9:43.35) on the track, as well as the 5k XC – 15:43.2.

Personal: Benji graduated with honors from McGregor HS in 2024. He is planning to major in Business Marketing at ACU. He is the son of Eleuterio and Brenda Castro and has one sister, Selene, and a brother, Abel.