LaRon Bennett - cptf

Women's Track and Field

LaRon Bennett tabbed as VMI’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country

LEXINGTON, Va. – Following a thorough national search, VMI Director of Athletics Jamaal Walton announced Friday the hiring of LaRon Bennett as VMI's next Director of Track and Field and Cross Country.
 
Bennett comes to the Institute by way of the University of Virginia, where he served the past five years as Assistant Coach for sprints, hurdles and relays for the Cavaliers.
 
"We are excited to name LaRon Bennett as our next Director of Track & Field and Cross Country," Walton said. "We welcome his wife, Kali, and two children, Malachi and Naomi, to the Keydet family. The VMI Cross Country and Track & Field program needed a change agent - a teacher, a leader, a winner, and more importantly, a great person. LaRon will create a positive environment built on trust, respect, empowerment and effort.
 
"His reputation, network, player development and world-class experience will elevate the program to new heights. He is ready to lean into the VMI experience and build a winning program that can deliver championships in the SoCon. Rah Virginia Mil!"



During the 2025-26 indoor season, the Cavalier sprints and hurdle group turned in two All-ACC and one All-America performance. Maya Rollins and Peter Djan garnered Second Team All-ACC accolades in the men's and women's 60m hurdles at the ACC Indoor Championships. Rollins broke the school record in the prelim clocking an 8.30 and later matched the same time in the final.
 
The 2025 outdoor season proved successful for the Cavalier sprints and hurdle group as Alex Sherman earned the bronze medal and First Team All-ACC honors and honorable mention All-America accolades in the mens 400m hurdles. Sherman took down the program record in the event clocking 49.98 at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Rollins made a statement at her first ACC Outdoor Championships winning the silver medal in the women's 100m hurdles and earn first team All-ACC.

"First, I am thankful to Jamaal, the VMI Alumni, and the search committee for their time invested in this hiring process," Bennett said. "I am grateful for my wife and two kids for their support in joining the VMI family. Lastly, a huge thanks to the current and future Keydets for their belief in me and the future success of the program.

"Maximum Effort, Play fair when others don't, Finish what you start and Have fun! will be the principles of our program. All of these built on a winning culture of faith, excellence and purpose. Let's go get it - Rah Virginia Mil!"
 
Sarah Akpan (200m) and Emily Alexandru (400m hurdles) contributed valuable points to the Virginia women's team title victory. The Cavalier women scored 93 points to win the ACC Championship crown, the first since 1987 and just the sixth team title in program history. Under Bennett's direction, seven Cavaliers earned All-ACC accolades between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
The 2025 indoor season saw the fastest distance medley relay run by the Cavaliers at 9:14.19. With Sherman contributing on the 400m leg, the quartet broke the NCAA record, ACC record, Virginia record, Randal Tyson facility record, and Arkansas Qualifier meet record. The same four went on to win the first NCAA Indoor title in the DMR to earn first team All-America accolades. Led by Bennett, the 4x400m relay team of Evans White IV, Max Russo, Gage Gose and Sherman broke the school record twice in one season.
 
During the 2023 season, Bennett led two athletes to outdoor All-ACC accolades in Sherman and  Akpan. Sherman earned the silver medal at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the 400m hurdles and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary round and the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials. Akpan doubled in the 100m and 200m, earning all-conference honors in both events. The Virginia men won the first ACC Outdoor Championships team title for the first time outright in program history with a total 107 points.
 
The 2024 indoor season saw an impressive distance medley relay (DMR) performance by Gary Martin, Alex Leath, Alex Sherman and Conor Murphy at the Arkansas Qualifier. The quartet set the Virginia record and ran fourth-fastest time in collegiate history clocking a blistering 9:18.95.
 
Prior to UVA, Bennett served as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi from 2019-21.
 
At Belhaven, he managed all aspects of the program, saw the program host its first home meet and the American Southwest Conference Outdoor Championships, and was involved in the development and planning for a $1.8 million outdoor track facility. In just three seasons, his student-athletes posted 20 all-time Top 10 school performances, two All-American and conference champions and seven were ranked in the Top 10 national performance lists.
 
From 2012 to 2017, Bennett was on the staff at Drake, serving as the Bulldogs' interim co-head coach in his final season in Des Moines. During his tenure, Drake student-athletes earned nine Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Elite 18 awards, given on the basis of the highest GPA combined with the highest event finisher at the conference meet. He coached nine student-athletes in NCAA first round competition with four MVC champions.
 
Bennett started his coaching path at his alma mater, Georgia, where he worked as a volunteer assistant. During his tenure with the Bulldogs, he coached two SEC champions and 18 All-Americans.
 
As a student-athlete at Georgia, Bennett was a three time All-American in the 400 meter hurdles (2003-2005) and team captain for one of the top squads in the country.
 
Bennett competed in the 400 meter hurdles in four United States Olympic Trials (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016) with a semifinal appearance in 2012.  He was a silver medalist in the 4×400 relay and a bronze medalist in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  He finished sixth in the 400 meter hurdles at the USATF Championships in 2010.
 
A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Bennett earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia in child and family development and has a master's in secondary education from the University of Phoenix.
 
He and his wife, Kali, have a son, Malachi, and daughter, Naomi.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version