Ben Shughart

Liberty Track ASUN Conference Day 3 on May 13th, 2023. (Photo by Cassidy Paxton).

Liberty Track & Field Media Day on September 26th, 2023. (Photo by Cassidy Paxton)

Class:
Junior
Position:
Javelin
Height:
6-6
Hometown:
Shippensburg, Pa.
Prev School:
Big Spring High School

TFRRS Profile

CUSA Individual Titles (1)
2024 Outdoor Javelin

All-CUSA Honors (1)
2024 Outdoor Javelin - 1st

All-ASUN Honors (1)
2023 Outdoor Javelin - 2nd

2024 Outdoor Track & Field (Jr.)

Finished 21^st in the javelin in his NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut
Qualified for the NCAA national meet with a 12^th-place showing at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet
CUSA javelin champion by 40 feet with a 224-6 heave
Reached a personal-best 226-9 to win the Jim Bush Legends Invitational javelin at UCLA and climb to No. 4 all-time for the Flames
Liberty Twilight Qualifier javelin champion
NCAA Elite 90 Award winner (Liberty’s first ever in track & field)
CSC Academic All-America (third team)
CSC Academic All-District
CUSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year
CUSA All-Academic Team
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
VaSID Academic All-State
CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal winner
CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll member

2023 Outdoor Track & Field (So.)

Capped off a breakthrough season by throwing the javelin at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet
ASUN javelin runner-up to teammate Ethan Mylin
After entering the season with a javelin personal best of 167-10, reached 204-10 in his first meet of the year (Bob Davidson Memorial Invitational)
Improved to 214-9 at the Virginia Challenge (No. 9 in program history)
Liberty Twilight Qualifier javelin champion
ASUN All-Academic Team
CSC Academic All-District
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
ASUN Academic Honor Roll member

2022 Outdoor Track & Field (Fr.)

Wearing a Liberty uniform for the first time, reached a personal-best 167-10 in the Liberty Twilight Qualifier javelin
ASUN Academic Honor Roll member

Prep

Graduated from Big Spring High School
As a senior, placed seventh in the Mid-Penn Conference and 15^th at the district meet in the javelin
Javelin personal best measured 159-5

Personal

Son of Jeffery and Betsy Shughart
Birthday is April 26
Graduated in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management
Working toward a MBA

Student-Athlete Q&A
What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level?
I decided to come to Liberty because of the Christian environment and great people. It has everything I was looking for in a school.

Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why?
I read Proverbs 19:21 before I compete. It was originally written in an inspirational note to me from a teammate and it has stuck with me, as it helps me keep perspective and reminds me God is in control regardless of the outcome.

What is your most memorable athletic moment/accomplishment?
When I qualified for and competed at NCAA track nationals. I came to Liberty unrecruited with no intentions of doing track, found my way onto the team, got cut freshman year, came back, and won the conference and made nationals my junior year. I never expected to even compete in college, let alone win a conference championship and make it to Division 1 Nationals.

What is your favorite hobby outside of athletics?
I really like fishing and traveling.

What is your Go-To karaoke song?
Don't Stop Believing

What is your dream vacation spot and why?
Iceland is my dream vacation, and me and another teammate are going this fall.