Marist University Athletics

In her first season as the Women's Water Polo Head Coach, Benson led the Red Foxes to a 20-17 overall record, as the team went 11-3 in the MAAC. She was named the Anaconda Sports Head Coach of the Year, as voted by the league's head coaches. Marist placed second overall in the conference, as the team advanced to the MAAC Championship Finals after defeated Iona12-10 in the semi-finals round. In the conference title game, the Red Foxes fell to the first-seeded Wagner Seahawks 9-7.

Natalie Benson was named the Marist water polo head coach prior in September, 2013.

The Natalie Benson Bio
Playing Career
	UCLA 3-Time National Champion (2001, 2003, 2005) 2005: Cutino Award - National Player of the Year
	Olympics 2004: Athens - Bronze 2008: Beijing - Silver
	World Championships 2003: Barcelona - Gold 2005: Montreal - Silver 2007: Melbourne - Gold
Coaching Career
	UCLA (undergraduate assistant) 2006: National Champion
	Huntington Beach Water Polo 2011: Junior Olympics - Gold 2011: Doc Hunkler Distinguished Coach Award 2012: Junior Olympics - Silver 2013: Junior Olympics - Silver 2013: UANA Pan-Am Youth Championships (17U) - Gold

Known as Natalie Golda in her playing days, Benson enjoyed a terrific playing career at UCLA, where she won three NCAA National Championships. She scored 158 career goals as a Bruin and was a three-time American Water Polo Coaches Association (AWPCA) All-American including being named the 2005 recipient of the Cutino Award, given to the AWPCA National Player of the Year. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championships

Benson also has two Olympic medals to her name as she was a member of the U.S. water polo team that won a bronze medal in 2004 in Athens and a silver medal in Beijing in 2008. She scored 11 goals combined in the two Olympics, including nine in the Beijing Games where she scored four goals against China and three goals against Russia. Benson also competed in three World Championships for the Red, White and Blue, winning gold medals in Barcelona in 2003 and Melbourne in 2007 while also taking home silver in 2005 in Montreal.

Benson, along with her 2004 Olympic teammates Nicolle Payne and Heather Moody, were inducted into the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) Hall of Fame in 2007. They became the first female inductees into the NYAC Hall of Fame, which at the time had 121 members since its first induction in 1981.

Her coaching career began back in 2006 after she had completed her playing eligibility at UCLA. She served as an undergraduate assistant coach for Krikorian, helping lead the Bruins to another national championship. After completing her international playing career in 2008, Benson began coaching with the prestigious Huntington Beach Water Polo Club out of Huntington Beach, Calif. She led the 18-and-under girl’s teams to a gold medal at the 2011 Junior Olympics and a silver medal in 2012 and 2013. In 2011, Benson was awarded the Doc Hunkler Distinguished Coaching Award, presented annually to the top scholastic coach in the nation. Benson served as the head coach of the 2013 USA Water Polo’s Women’s Cadet National Team and most recently led the U.S. team to a gold medal at the UANA Pan American Youth Water Polo Championships (17U) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I am thrilled to have someone with Natalie’s experience and international exposure become a part of the Marist Athletics program,” Murray said. “Her background with USA Water Polo, two Olympics and multiple World Championships will clearly be an asset for her as she begins her college coaching career. I welcome Natalie and her family to the Hudson River Valley.”

Benson's Year-by-Year at Marist:

Marist Accolade Under Benson:

All-MAAC First Team (5):  2015 - Amanda Amorosa, Jessica Hamby. 2014 - Amanda Amorosa, Jessica Hamby, Skyler Henry.

All-MAAC Second Team (6): 2015 - Alison Hamby, Anna-Lena Hathaway, Skyler Henry.  2014 - Alison Hamby, Anna-Lena Hathaway, Brooke Else.

MAAC Rookie of the Year (1): 2014 - Amanda Amorosa

MAAC All-Academic Team (10): 2015- Amanda Amorosa, Brooke Else, Alison Hamby, Anna-Lena Hathaway, Jamison Mahar, Nastassia McGlothin, Jocelyn McQuade. 2014 - Brooke Else, Anna-Lena Hathaway, Kathryn Knutson.