A Profile: Ben Fleischer
Ben Fleischer, a fifth-year student at the University of Rhode Island, has had a decorated collegiate career that includes six consecutive conference championships and three consecutive New England Championships between track and field and cross country.
Fleischer is from Scotch Plains, New Jersey and started attending URI in fall 2019. Fleischer took a liking to URI during his junior year of high school after he received his first letter of interest from the Rams. After his official visit a year later, he was sure he wanted to commit.
“I just remember telling my mom when I first got in the car after the visit that if I could commit right now I would,” said Fleischer. “The feel I got from school between the kids on the team, the academics, and the coaches all just felt right for me.”
At the time, URI’s head coach was John Copeland. Copeland spent 39 years coaching the Rams in track and field, and in that time the Rams accumulated 25 Atlantic 10 conference championships.
Copeland would remain the coach of the Rams for Fleicher’s first two years. In June 2021, Copeland retired, ending his lengthy career. Taking his place was assistant coach Trent Baltzell. While coaching changes can often have negative effects on underclassmen, that wasn’t the case for Fleischer.Baltzell had been an assistant coaching staff since 2019, and having the backing of Copeland was all he needed for Fleischer to believe in him.
“I know a lot of us were bought into the culture and atmosphere that Cope[land] had set up,” Fleischer said. “If Baltzell is a good enough coach to be recommended by Cope[land] then he’s a good enough coach for us.”
Baltzell was hired in July 2021, and a month later URI would hire a new distance coach, Brian Doyle. Since being hired, Doyle and Fleischer have worked together non-stop, according to Fleischer. There are only about a dozen days in a year where he isn’t training.
That tremendous workload is made somewhat easier for Fleischer because of the passion he has for the things he loves. Fleischer is a self proclaimed baseball fanatic who played the sport until high school, and although he wasn’t around to see Hall of Fame baseball player Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime, he still admires the passion Griffey played with.
“He’s awfully iconic and he played with a lot of passion,” Fleischer said. “The energy that he brought to the game and the way most people see him, that’s what drew me to him.”
That passion that Griffey had led to a lot of success both on and off the diamond. It is the same story for Fleischer, who has seen his hard work and passion pay off in 2023. Since the start of 2023 between the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, along with this cross country season, Fleischer has three individual wins, including two New England Championships. Fleischer has had seven top 10 finishes in just 15 meets. Fleischer also placed 19th of 140 at the Battle in Beantown on Sept. 29 which, according to Doyle, is one of the toughest meets of the year.
Fleischer’s most recent meet was his best of his career, the cross country New England Championship. Fleischer led Rams to their first New England Championship since 1952, winning the meet and finishing as the only runner to have a sub-five minute average mile. All of these accomplishments led to Fleischer being named theU.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I Men’s Athlete of the Week.A prestigious award in the cross country and track and field community considering that the organization closely follows many meets around the U.S., the honor added to an Atlantic 10 performer of the week honor for Fleischer.
Through all of this, Fleischer has remained the quiet and humble individual he is known to be, according to Doyle. Doyle described Fleischer as someone who doesn’t gloat about his success or about his hard work. He is someone who leads his team by example, his silent and unwavering attitude and sense of belonging is contagious to those around him.
“The vocal part does come naturally because he is so passionate about it,” Doyle said. “The other part is feeling like he belongs and that attitude is infectious for the whole group.”
Fleischer’s attitude has affected a Rams cross country team that is primarily made up of underclassmen. While the URI track and field program has been successful for decades, the cross country program has struggled. They had gone over 70 years without a New England Championship and have yet to win an Atlantic 10 title. It’s Fleischer’s determination that has changed that narrative for the Rams.
“When I first got here the attitude for cross country was that we just aren’t as good,” said Doyle. “He personally has taken that and said, ‘Nope we’re going to be just as good and that has affected everyone else.’”
Fleischer’s collegiate career is one that is decorated with accolades and championships. According to his teammate, first-year Garrett Hartline, Fleischer will leave behind a legacy of someone who is a great leader both on and off the track, and he is someone they can look to for guidance whether it’s race day or for a better way to train.