Garrett Bender

Last updated
Garrett Bender
Date of birth (1991-12-02) December 2, 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Minneapolis, MN, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight225 lb (102 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2017 Seattle Seawolves 0 (0)
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
2011–2016 United States 7s 114
Correct as of 1 December 2017

Garrett Bender (born December 2, 1991) is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States national rugby sevens team.

Contents

Bender was born and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Minneapolis Washburn High School where he played several sports; in American football he was team captain, All-Conference, All-Metro, and ranked third in state in tackles; he also captained his high school rugby team to the Minnesota High School State Championship. [1] Bender joined the Youngbloodz rugby team, where he was coached by Sam Robinson, who played an important part in Bender's rugby development. [2]

Bender was recruited and offered a scholarship in 2010 to play American football as a linebacker for the NCAA Division II St. Cloud State Huskies. [1] Bender, however, decided to focus on playing rugby. [2]

Bender signed a contract in early 2012 to play rugby for the U.S. national team. [3] Bender was part of the U.S. squad at the 2015 Pan American Games that qualified to play in the 2016 Olympics. [2]

He joined the Seattle Seawolves team for the inaugural season of Major League Rugby in 2018. [4]

Personal

Bender is the son of Michael Bender and Sue Marcks-Bender. He has one brother, Brant.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Huskies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Washington

The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bret Hedican</span> American ice hockey player (born 1970)

Bret Michael Hedican is an American former professional ice hockey player, a Stanley Cup champion, and a two-time US Olympian. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican played with the 1992 US Olympic Team before he made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with the Blues. In his third season with the Blues, Hedican was traded to the Vancouver Canucks with Jeff Brown and Nathan LaFayette for Craig Janney, on March 21, 1994, joining the Canucks in time for their Stanley Cup finals run that season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Parrish</span> American ice hockey player (born 1977)

Mark Daniel Parrish is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. Parrish played 11 seasons and over 700 games in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres. He’s currently a broadcaster for the Minnesota Wild, covering pregame, intermission, and postgame.

Sports in Minnesota include professional teams in all major sports, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State of Minnesota has a team in all five major professional leagues. Along with professional sports, there are numerous collegiate teams including the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and St. Thomas Tommies in NCAA Division I, as well as many others across the Minnesota public and private colleges and universities.

Dallas Sartz is a former American football linebacker and assistant coach for the UC Davis football team. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renee Montgomery</span> American Basketball player

Renee Danielle Montgomery is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of the FCF Beasts Indoor Football Team; making her the first player in the WNBA to become an owner and executive of a team and first female owner in the FCF. During her 11-year playing career in the Women's National Basketball Association, she won two championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017. During her college playing career, she won a national championship with the UConn Huskies in 2009. In 2020, Montgomery opted-out of the WNBA season in protest of police brutality, bringing forth awareness throughout the league and leading to multiple campaigns dedicated to human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Cloud State Huskies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of St. Cloud State University

The St. Cloud State Huskies are the athletic teams for St. Cloud State University. The university is primarily a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), and currently sponsors 18 NCAA Division II teams. SCSU also sponsors a women's Nordic skiing team through membership in the CCSA, as well as men's and women's Division I ice hockey teams that are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (men) and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (women). The teams go by the nickname Huskies, and the school's mascot is a husky named Blizzard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samu Manoa</span> American rugby union player

Samu Manoa is an American rugby union player who plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). Manoa was described in 2014 by ESPNscrum.com as "perhaps the finest No. 8 playing the game in the northern hemisphere." He retired from international rugby in 2019 with 22 caps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Durutalo</span> American rugby union player

Andrew Durutalo is a Fijian-raised American-born professional rugby player who plays for the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby (MLR). He has been capped by the U.S. national sevens team and the United States national rugby union team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Hanowski</span> American ice hockey player

Benjamin Robert Hanowski is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently under contract to Kölner Haie in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). An alumnus of the St. Cloud State Huskies, he was a third round selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins, 63rd overall, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Hanowski was dealt to the Calgary Flames prior to turning professional as part of the trade that sent Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh. He made his NHL debut late in the 2012–13 season, scoring his first goal in his first game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Hassler</span> Canadian rugby union player

Jeff Hassler is a Canadian rugby union player. He plays at wing and occasionally at the centre position for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR), and Rugby Canada's National 15s. He has 36 caps for the National squad in all contests, and former member of the Neath-Swansea, Ospreys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Browning</span> American football player (born 1996)

Jacob Christopher Browning is an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Nate Augspurger is an American rugby union player from Minneapolis, Minnesota who plays scrum-half for the Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby (MLR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tani Tupou</span> American football player and rugby union player (born 1992)

Taniela "Tani" Tupou is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Washington. He also plays rugby for the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby (MLR). His position is at prop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Borgen</span> American ice hockey player (born 1996)

William Borgen is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psalm Wooching</span> American rugby union player (b. 1994)

Psalm Fa'afoisia Pulemagafa Wooching is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States men's national team. He formerly played for the San Diego Legion in the Major League Rugby (MLR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Schuldt</span> American ice hockey player (born 1995)

James Schuldt is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Gavin Heslop is an American football cornerback for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). Heslop played college football at Stony Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ahcan</span> American ice hockey player

Jack Anthony Ahcan is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing under contract to the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Jordan Chait is a South African rugby union player and vice captain for the Tel Aviv Heat in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. He also plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the U.S. His regular position is fly-half.

References

  1. 1 2 "Husky Football Announces 2010 Recruiting Class", St. Cloud State University, February 3, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Rugby moves toward Olympics with Minnesotans in tow", Star Tribune, Patrick Reusse, July 4, 2015.
  3. "Details on 7s Contracts", Rugby Today, Pat Clifton, January 4, 2012.
  4. "Seattle Seawolves Sign Olympian Garrett Bender". DJ Coil Rugby. Retrieved December 4, 2017.