Brent Benedict's two year Gannon career can be summed up in one word: dominance. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Benedict made an immediate and historic impact upon his arrival, leaving behind a résumé that stands among the most accomplished in Gannon Athletics.
Benedict was named the PSAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year in both 2018–19 and 2019–20. Across those two seasons, he emerged as the conference's premier swimmer while establishing himself as one of the elite performers in NCAA Division II.
By the conclusion of his career, Benedict held Gannon records in six individual events—the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle; the 100 and 200 backstroke; and the 100 butterfly—along with four relay records. His impact extended beyond the program record book, as he set PSAC conference records in four events: the 100 backstroke (48.01, also a PSAC Championships meet record), 200 backstroke (1:46.83), 100 butterfly (47.31, also a PSAC meet record), and 50 freestyle (19.73).
Benedict's senior season in 2019–20 was nothing short of remarkable. At the PSAC Championships, he captured four individual conference titles in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 100 backstroke, while also helping Gannon claim gold in the 400 freestyle relay and 800 freestyle relay. His six gold medals earned him the meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer honors.
On the national stage, Benedict closed his career with his third All-America finish after placing 10th in the 100 butterfly preliminaries at the 2020 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at SPIRE Institute. The remainder of the meet was canceled between sessions on the second day, but his performance still earned All-America recognition and capped an extraordinary collegiate career. He was also named to the PSAC Winter Top 10 in 2020.
As a junior in 2018–19, Benedict was a two-time All-American at the NCAA Division II Championships in Indianapolis, finishing ninth in the 100-yard butterfly and 16th in the 50 freestyle, while narrowly missing the finals in the 200 backstroke with a 17th-place finish. That season alone, he set five individual school records and swam on four school-record relay teams. His program-best times in the 50 freestyle (20.27), 100 freestyle (45.68), 100 butterfly (47.48), 100 backstroke (49.39), and 200 backstroke (1:46.83) established new benchmarks, with his marks in the 100 butterfly and 200 backstroke also standing as PSAC records.
Benedict's dominance extended throughout the regular season, where he went undefeated in individual events, winning all 19 races he swam. At the PSAC Championships that year, he recorded multiple top finishes and played a key role on Gannon relay teams that placed second in the 800 freestyle relay and third in both the 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay.
