Benge named Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill Athletic Department has named Carter Benge as the new head men's and women's cross country coach. Benge will also serve as the assistant men's and women's track & field coach.

"I am extremely excited to be given the opportunity to return to Mars Hill and give back to the university I love so much," Benge stated. "I am looking forward to frequent runs in the Blue Ridge Mountains and being closer to my family and friends." 

Benge comes to Mars Hill after serving as the head cross country coach at Southwestern College during the fall of 2022. He led the men's team to their first national ranking in over 10 years and the women's team to their highest conference finish (4^th of 12) in the past five years.

While at Southwestern, he also was the interim head track & field coach where he was responsible for, but not limited to planning daily practice schedules, study hall design and implementation, as well as running the team's social media presence.

Prior to joining Southwestern College, he was the head men's and women's cross country coach at Harnett Central High School from 2016-2021. He led the women's team to Tri-County Conference Championships in 2018 and 19 and was named Coach of the Year in 2017 and 19. He coached three conference Runners of the Year and two All-State runners.

On the men's side, the teams qualified for the state championships in both 2017 and 18 and he was named Coach of the Year in 2017. He coached two conference Runners of the Year and one All-State runner.

Benge, a 2014 Mars Hill alum, was a Division II Academic All-American and DII National Championship participant during his time on The Hill. He was a multi-time All-South Atlantic Conference team selection, including his freshman year in the fall of 2010.

He graduated from Mars Hill with a bachelors of arts in vocal music and a bachelor of science in computer science. He obtained his Master of Divinity from Campbell University in 2017.

Benge was the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon Champion in 2018 and placed first overall at the Nutcracker Endurance Run in 2019 and 2020, setting course records.

Benge is a USA Track and Field (USATF) Level 2 certified coach which focuses on endurance specialization.

Following graduation from Mars Hill, he has remained engaged with his alma mater, serving on the Alumni Board from 2015-2022.

"Carter was a decorated runner during his career at Mars Hill. He also excelled in the classroom and has been very successful as a coach since his graduation from MHU," Director of Athletics Rick Baker said. "He is a great addition to our athletic family and we are excited about the future of Mars Hill cross country."