Former St. Cloud State University student-athlete Joey Benke ’12 during his time on the Huskies baseball team. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn)
A former Huskies baseball standout and graduate of St. Cloud State University will be making an appearance on national television this winter.
St. Cloud State graduate Joey Benke ‘12 was selected out of a group of 700 applicants to compete in A&E Network’s show “America’s Top Dog,” which debuted in January in California. Benke is currently a police officer in Bismarck, ND with the Bismarck Police Department.
The show brings together top K9 cops and civilian dogs alongside their handlers as they compete on K9 obstacle courses. The show is a one-hour production aired at 8 p.m. CT every Wednesday night on A&E.
Benke and his dog did not make an appearance on the show during its season debut on Jan. 8, but the team will participate on national television in the coming weeks.
“Who knows if I’ll ever get another experience like that,” Benke told KFYR TV in North Dakota recently. “I’m glad we went.”
Benke, who graduated from St. Cloud State in 2012 with a degree in Criminal Justice, also played four years on the Huskies baseball team during his time at the University. He still currently holds career-long school records in runs scored (213), hits (259), doubles (63), triples (16), runs batted in (197) and walks (124).
Read more: Two Bismarck K9 teams will be seen on A&E America’s Top Dog competition
