Grinnell College Athletics Hall of Fame
Heather Benning ’96 established herself as a strong leader while guiding the Grinnell College women’s soccer program to unparalleled success and has since brought her talents to the Midwest Conference as its executive director.
Benning is the winningest coach in Grinnell College women’s soccer history and one of the all-time leaders in the Midwest Conference, compiling a 167–100–6 record from 1998 to 2013 while posting a 107–31–8 mark in league play. She guided the Pioneers to five conference titles, four MWC Tournament crowns, and NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 1999, 2004, 2005, and 2006. She coached more than 50 All-Conference selections during her career, including an Academic All-American® and two Midwest Conference Players of the Year. Benning’s teams posted winning records in 12 seasons, and her 2005 squad became the first and only Grinnell women’s soccer team to win an opening-round NCAA Division III Tournament match, a 3–1 victory over Lakeland. Impressively, every player who played four years for Benning qualified for at least one NCAA Tournament appearance! In 2006, she was named Midwest Conference Coach of the Year by her peers after the Pioneers set a school record for victories in a season with 15—a mark that still stands.
While at Grinnell, Benning also served as an assistant track & field coach for seven years, held a faculty appointment as associate professor in the Department of Physical Education and was appointed assistant athletic director. In March 2014, Benning transitioned from her campus roles to that of the executive director of the Midwest Conference. As commissioner of the MWC, she works alongside the league’s councils of presidents, senior administrators and faculty athletic representatives to advance the conference’s mission and ensure that activities on member campuses align with the philosophy of both the conference and NCAA Division III.
Throughout her career, Benning has served on numerous committees and held several leadership positions. She was elected chair of both the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee and the NCAA Division III Membership Committee. Among Benning’s most notable service was her tenure on the NCAA Division III Management Council from 2018 to 2021, where she served as vice chair (2019-2020) and chair (2018-2021). In her role as chair, she also served on the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and the NCAA Board of Governors as one of only two Division III representatives.
Outside of her professional work, Benning is a masters athlete who has competed in CrossFit competitions, road races, trail runs and, most recently gravel bike racing.
