Michael Austin

Michael Austin

During the 1970’s, the Bennett H.S. Cross Country and Track & Field teams won their first-ever Section VI titles, to go along with the city championships they routinely won. It was because of athletes like Mike Austin that these team accomplishments were achieved.

Within the first few months of his freshman year, Mike began to establish himself as a quality runner by winning his first varsity letter in cross country, and finishing 4th in the Freshman All-High race. He achieved these two feats even though he didn’t actually go out for cross country until after the season started. Over the next three and a half years Mike produced one of the great running careers in Bennett H.S. history. After completing his freshman year, lettering in track & field, Mike began his sophomore cross country season strong. He was a top 5 finisher in each of the league meets, and won the first of his 8 All-High medals with a fourth place finish in the All High Meet. The following spring Mike became the city’s top miler, a title he would maintain for the next three years. His junior year he again established All-High in cross country finishing 3rd in the 1976 All-High Meet. Mike repeated as the top miler in track, and added a first place finish as anchor man in the 2 mile relay.

Finally in his senior year, Mike established himself as the city’s top distance runner when he finished first in the 1977 All-High cross country meet. In the spring of his senior year he successfully defended his one mile and 2 mile relay titles.

In addition to the championships in cross country and track, Mike was a big contributor to the 1 99 consecutive wins the Bennett tracksters achieved in city school competion over a 15 year period. In his senior year Mike was also an important role player on the 1977-78 varsity basketball team that won the Section VI, Class B title.

Mike comes from a very athletic family. His father, the late Harvey Austin, is a member of the Buffalo Sports Hall Of Fame. His sisters Charisse and Jackie were also fine athletes at Bennett, excelling in volleyball and track & field. After high school, Mike attended the U. of Ottawa in Kansas. He retired after twenty years of service to Niagara Mohawk/National Grid. Mike Austin is currently working as a youth counselor and mentor for the Buffalo Employment Training Center, and still resides with his family in Buffalo.

Robert Jones

Robert Jones

Roberts’ resume in his cross country and track career at Bennett is punctuated with team championships, individual records ,All-Highs, All-WNY and even a state championship. Rob was an All-High cross country runner for 3 years, Section VI, Class “B” individual champion once, and individual N.Y.State Class “B” Champion in 1 989. Rob led Bennett’s Cross Country team to the 1 ranking in W.N.Y. in 1989, unprecidented for a city school in cross country.

The story in track is very much the same. Three undefeated “Scalp & Blade” championship squads. Rob was a three time All-High in the 1600 meter run, setting a league record of 4:20 sec., as well as a member of the All-High 1600 meter and 3200 meter relay teams. In the sunner of 1989, Rob was the Empire State Games 1500 meter champion of the scholastic division.

NOTE – unfortunately, although a fairly recent graduate, we couldn’t trace Rob beyond college in Rochester, N.Y. Our committee would welcome any information about Rob’s whereabouts since he left college.

Teresa M. Friol

Teresa M. Friol

Teresa participated on 8 varsity squads at Bennett from her sophomore year through graduation, 2 volleyball, 3 swimming, and 3 girls track teams. Of these 8 teams, amazingly, 7 of them won the city championship in their sport. Individual accomplishments include All-High awards in swimming for the 100 yard breaststroke and the 1 60 medley relay. The times of 1 :1 9.1 for the breast stroke and 1 :41 .7 for the relay were both city records.

In track, Teresa was All-High in the 880 yard run, the 2 Mile relay, and the high jump. Played a large role with 3 undefeated track teams, Teresa set city records again in the 880 run with a 2:30.5 clocking, and the high jump with a leap of 5’4″. Her effort in the high jump earned her a place in the N.Y. State track meet in 1 981 , representing Section VI. Teresa was voted “Outstanding Female Athlete” at Bennett in 1981.


After high school, Teresa attended Alfred U. and Canisius College. She continued her athletic career by participating in volleyball and track in college

Bryan Mosgrober

Bryan Mosgrober

Bryan was a standout athlete on the Cross Country and Track teams during his four year career at Bennett HS. Bryan was All-High In Cross Country three times, placing 3rd as a sophomore, winning the title as a junior, and 2nd as a senior, even though he was hampered that season by illness.

As a freshman, Bryan won the freshman league title and set the freshman record for the race. In Bryans’ sophomore year he qualified for the National AAU Cross Country race in Raleigh NC, finishing 27th in his age group in the country. His junior year was Bryan’s best. Bryan twice broke the course record during that season, bettering it by an amazing 30 seconds. Bryan seldom had any runners within 150 yards of him that season, capping it off with a win in the All-High Championship. Bryan finished the WNY Regional meet in 2nd place, at that time, the best finish ever by a Buffalo Public High School runner.

Bryan led the Cross Country team to undefeated Columbia Cup seasons during his junior and senior years, with the team winning the Section A championship his senior year, a feat never before accomplished by a city high school. Bryans’ accomplishments in Track were no less impressive. He won consecutive 2 mile All-High Championships as a junior and senior, going undefeated in the 2 mile those years in City High School competition. Bryan set the Nicholls Track Invitational Meet 2 mile record his junior year. He helped lead the Bennett Track team to four straight undefeated Scalp and Blade championship seasons. The team won the Class BB sectional championship his junior year.

Bryans’ proudest achievement is that during his 8 varsity letter seasons in Cross Country and Track, his Bennett teams won 6 League championships, going undefeated in those championship seasons in City competition. Scholastically, Bryan was a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, and a Regents Scholarship winner. Bryan attended SUNY at Buffalo, receiving a BS in Physical Education in 1981 . Knee and ankle injuries kept Bryan from continuing his running career at SUNYAB, but he did run in an occasional local race, such as the annual Buffalo Turkey Day race. Bryan now lives in Rural Hall North Carolina, where he is the Safety Manager for Sonoco CorrFlex’s, Rural Hall Plant. Bryan has two sons, Keith 23, and Justin 18.


After 8 years of dialysis, Bryan received a Kidney transplant in 2001 and urges everyone to become an organ donor.

Gerald Berkman

Gerald Berkman

Jerry came to Bennett in 1964 replacing a legend, Elmer Rosenthal. Jerry taught physical education and health, and kept busy coaching three sports a year. In the fall season, Jerry coached cross country, was an assistant football coach and head football coach from 1971 until his retirement.

In the winter season, Jerry coached either boys basketball, girls basketball, swimming or bowling. The spring season saw Jerry coach track and field or baseball. Jerry experienced championship teams in football(1 ), track and field(3), but his biggest success came in baseball. Jerry guided Tiger teams to Cornell Cups in ’74,’76,’81,’82 and ’85, not a big surprise since Jerry himself signed a pro baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies right out of Burgard HS. Jerry’s career was defined with the high moral and ethical standards he set for his athletes, and the sense of humor he brought to work everyday.

Best wishes for a long happy retirement in Leesburg, Florida, where Jerry still plays softball today.