High School: Three-year letterwinner in both soccer and track at Glenbard South High School; placed seventh in the state in the 4x800-meter relay as a sophomore and third as a junior; MVP in soccer as both a junior and senior and served as team captain as a senior; all-conference in the 400 meters, 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams as a senior; national champion in the 4x800-meter relay at the Nike Outdoor Nationals as a senior.
Personal: Benjamin Paul Matthies was born on Oct. 17, 1988, in Chicago, Ill.; is the son of Paul and Anne Matthies; twin brother, Brandon, is also a member of the Purdue Cross Country team; majoring in industrial management.