CHINO HILLS — Ayala junior Daniel Benson lived in the shadow of his older brothers Noah and Andrew, who also swam for the Bulldogs and went on to swim in college.
He is not in their shadow anymore.
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School, relaxes in the pool on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School, stands in front of the school logo on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson’s clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School, dries off with his Ayala towel on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson’s clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School, gets into starting position on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson’s clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School sits by the pool on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson’s clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Daniel Benson, a junior at Ayala High School, finds tranquility as he descends to the pool’s floor on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Chino Hills. Benson clinches the IE Varsity Boys Swimmer of the Year title, winning the division 2 individual championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
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Benson led the Bulldogs to a best-ever runner-up finish at the CIF Southern Section Division 2 finals by winning two individual events and one relay, earning IE Varsity boys swimmer of the year honors.
His parents, Gretchen and Brian, have been surprised at his success.
“Daniel was supposed to be the runt of the family, he didn’t eat much (when he was little),” Brian Benson said. “He was supposed to be the smallest and slowest. Now he’s the fastest and not the shortest. It’s been kind of fun to watch him progress.”
As a sophom*ore, Benson swam back-to-back events, the 100-yard butterfly and the 100 freestyle, finishing in sixth place in each event.
“I looked at what was coming back from previous years, and I don’t see anybody who can beat you in the 50 and the 100 (freestyle),” Ayala coach Paul Marceau said he told Benson. “But there’s people who beat him last year who are coming back in the fly.”
“I’ve always liked freestyle more than butterfly, so I was pretty happy when he told me,” Benson said.
At the Southern Section finals, Benson won the 50 freestyle in 20.71 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 45.40 and in addition, he anchored Ayala’s winning 200 freestyle relay (1:25.13) with a split of 20.29. All three times are All-American consideration times.
The day could have been even better, but Ayala’s 200 medley relay team, of which Benson was also a part, would have had the second-fastest qualifying mark for finals but was disqualified at prelims.
Benson advanced to the state meet in all three events, finishing 15th in the 50 freestyle, 27th in the 100 freestyle and 15th in the 200 freestyle relay. But those low finishes did not take away the success he had the week before.
Benson started swimming at the age of 7 and a forced break in eighth grade because of the COVID-19 pandemic helped him, he said.
“COVID (break) did help me a lot, it gave me a mental break from swimming,” Daniel said. “When I came back, I had more focus and a greater drive to be fast.”
Marceau said he revised his expectations for Benson this season when he saw what Benson was doing in a club meet just prior to the high school season.
“As far as placing expectations going into the season, I figured he would be top two at CIF in the 50 and 100,” Marceau said. “It was right where I expected him to be. As for time expectations, he went 20.8 (before the season), I went ‘Oh, OK.’ (I thought he’d swim) 20.8 at the end of the year and he did it at the beginning.”
The end of the season went better than he had hoped.
“Main thing I was trying to do was to drop time. CIF definitely went better than I anticipated it to go,” Benson said. “Next week (at state) was an added bonus.”
Now he’s still got another year at Ayala and has his eyes on the future. He wants to find a small Christian college with a strong science program, possibly Biola, where his brothers both swam.
He also already owns school records in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles, the 100 butterfly, the 100 backstroke and the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.
It might seem unlikely he could break more school records, but he’s already exceeded expectations. Why couldn’t it happen again?
— PETE MARSHALL
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Damon Pitre, Damien
Damien captured its 28th consecutive league championship this season. Pitre has been part of that streak as a swimmer (2010 graduate), an assistant coach, and the program’s head coach since the 2015 season. The Spartans went unbeaten against Baseline League competition, winning each dual meet by at least 32 points. Damien also dominated at the league finals, winning nine of the swimming events and collecting 539 points, 167 more than the next team. The Spartans were the top Inland team at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals (19th place). Damien had two swimmers and one relay team qualify for the CIF State Championships.
— ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
Daniel Benson, Ayala, Jr. (Swimmer of the Year)
Ryder Davis, Damien, So.
Dashiell DeAnda, Riverside Poly, So.
Max Distaso, Bonita, Sr.
Parker Ewers, Damien, Sr.
Caleb Gilliatt, Santiago, Sr.
Tyler Huey, Diamond Bar, Jr.
Arthur Lin, Ayala, Jr.
Connor McAleer, Pacific, Jr.
Jack Painton, Roosevelt, Sr.
Max Reis-Trovillion, Lakeside, Sr. (diving)
Kaleb Richmond, Murrieta Valley, So.
Ty Schneider, Murrieta Mesa, Sr.
Hunter Tamura, Yucaipa, Fr.
David Toschak, Chaparral, Sr.
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
Jake Carlson, Bonita, Sr.
Kirill Chacon, Damien, Fr.
William Dahnke, Redlands East Valley, Fr.
Bryce Hitter, Citrus Valley, Sr.
Jonathan Iksander, Chino Hills, Sr.
Liam Kaas, Liberty, Sr.
Maksim Kutsner, Redlands, So.
Ethan Lopez, Chino Hills, Sr.
Luke Marsden, Alta Loma, Sr.
Jaron Miura, Rancho Cucamonga, So. (diving)
Yaroslav Puryshev, Beaumont, Sr.
Andrew Ramallo, Damien, Jr.
Anthony Ramirez, Damien, Jr.
Nickolas Se, Los Osos, Jr.
Anton Zivanovic, Redlands Adventist, Sr.
