SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Track & Field

Otay Ranch's Britney Bennett:

Hail to the queen!

By Phillip Brents
Posted June 20, 2005

Amazing. Phenomenal. Fantastic. All three words aptly describe Otay Ranch High School sophomore Britney Bennett.
The next Gail Devers?

Well, the latter comparison may be pushing the envelope but it certainly doesn’t fall too short when attempting to describe the exploits of the school’s resident athletic superstar. In the meantime, the title of the Metro Conference’s reigning “superwoman” will do quite nicely.

That, in a nutshell, does adequately fit. Just consider this:

A standout girls soccer player and track and field athlete, Bennett led the San Diego Section in scoring with 32 goals this past season after pacing section scoring the previous year as a freshman with 43 goals. In two seasons, she has scored 75 goals. The section record for career goals is 172 by Bishop’s Carmel Murphy (1989-92). Christian’s Beth Bowler (1995-98) holds the runner-up position with 125. The Metro Conference record is held by Bonita Vista’s Laurie Christensen (1985-88) at 124.

Bennett has two more seasons left to play catchup ... and maybe make a stab at becoming the conference’s all-time goal-scoring leader.

Certainly, the fleet-footed Mustang is poised to stake a claim among the conference’s all-time goal leaders. Bonita Vista’s Jennifer Ewert (1989-92) ranks second in the conference with 100 career goals (seventh all-time in the section); Southwest’s Angela Guzman (1982-85) ranks third with 97 goals (eighth all-time in the section).

Bennett had four goals in Otay Ranch’s history-making first playoff win last season (6-0 against Guajome Park Academy). She had the Mustangs’ lone goal in the team’s 2-1 first-round playoff loss to Our Lady of Peace this season.
Understandably, Bennett holds program records in several categories for goal-scoring, including most goals in one season (43), most goals in one game (four) and most career goals (75). In establishing the single-game record for most goals in one game, she scored four goals on three different occasions as a freshman.

That, it turned out, was only the beginning of the greatness to come.

Bennett became the school’s first-ever San Diego Section individual track and field champion when she walked off the field at Mt. Carmel High School with a first-place finish in the Division II girls long jump with a school-record mark of 17 feet, 11 inches. She finished second among Division II runners in the 100-meter dash in 12.33 and was third overall in the division in the 200 dash (25.36). She anchored the team’s meet-opening 4x100 relay unit that finished second in the division with a time of 49.77.

Her long jump mark ranked fifth overall in the section. She finished less than an inch from qualifying to compete in this year’s state championship meet. With two more years of high school eligibility, it seems destined that she will place her name among the section’s elite athletes.

Head and shoulders above the rest? Quite modest about it as well.

“I didn’t think I’d really do that well,” she said after helping lead Otay Ranch to a third-place finish in the Division II girls team standings.

Getting her kicks
So in which sport does she excel in the most?

“It’s close,” the Otay Ranch wonder woman admitted, “but I’ve been playing soccer longer. Track is individual for me.”

Bennett competes for the FC Bratz team coached by living legend Jerzy Szyndlar. The FC Bratz organization is an all-girls soccer program that features teams from the under-12 to under-18 levels. The program’s more famous alumni include Jen Lalor-Nielsen (Bonita Vista), who played three seasons in the WUSA and was a member of the 1995 U.S. Women’s World Cup team, as well as fellow national team members Rita Hermiz (Mt. Carmel), Julie Maund (La Jolla) and Sherice Bartling (Grossmont), under-19 West Regional team member Sara Barnett (Bonita Vista) and Lori Maund (La Jolla), a member of the under-15 national team player pool.

Both Hermiz and Lori Maund went on to play for Stanford while Barnett played for Santa Clara University, Julie Maund for Notre Dame and Bartling for UCLA and USD.

All four players were memb ers of the FC Bratz 77 “Dream Team” that twice finished as a finalist in the CYSA South Preliminary National Cup and was a three-time Super Group finalist at the San Diego Surf from 1993-94 after winning the Surf Cup Tournament in 1989.

Bennett is a member of the FC Bratz under-17 white team that also includes Bianca Silva of Marian Catholic on the roster.

Bennett has earned All-South Bay League First Team honors both her freshman and sophomore years. She was named to the San Diego Section Division IV Second Team her freshman season and to the Division III First Team her sophomore season. Team awards include “Best Offense” (2003-04 and 2004-05) and Most Valuable Player (2004-05).

What makes Bennett so special? Mustangs coach Ron Pietila can pinpoint that precisely — and, as one of the founders of high school girls soccer in the section, he has seen his share of superstar players over the years.

“She is the swiftest, most skilled player I have ever coached or observed in 25 years of high school soccer. Additionally, Britney is powerful and intelligent,” he said.

Life in the fast lane
On a day when the Metro Conference failed to qualify any athletes for this year’s state championship meet, Otay Ranch’s Bennett – the South Bay League’s reigning two-time champion in the girls long jump, 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash -- stood out as the South Bay’s shining star at this year’s section finals on May 28. The Mustang sophomore became the school’s first-ever San Diego Section CIF champion when she earned top honors among Division II long jumpers with a school-record mark of 17-11. She finished second in the Division II field in the girls 100-meter dash and third in the girls 200-meter dash.

The top three finishers in each event at this year’s section finals, plus those who met a predetermined standard, qualified for the state meet, June 3-4 at Sacramento City College. The section finals consisted of two flights in each event. The A-flight was comprised of the top nine section qualifiers who were eligible to qualify for the state finals. The B-flight was comprised of athletes with the next nine best marks who scored points for their team toward determining the respective Division I and Division II team champions.

Bennett entered the 100 dash finals with the seventh-fastest qualifying time in the A-flight (12.42) and the eighth-best qualifying mark (17-0) in the long jump. She competed in the B-flight in the 200 dash, tied with Mission Hills Lucia Asbury with the top qualifying time of 25.95.

Bennett’s season best had been the 17-5.5 she recorded at the Mustang Phair Company Invitational on April 23. Morse senior Vanessa Bobo entered the finals as the section leader on the season at 18-8.5, followed by Rancho Bernardo junior Kasey Kearin (18-5) and Leidle (17-11.5). El Camino senior Markita Berry (18-1.5) and Kearin (18-0.5) both took qualifying jumps of more than 18 feet into the finals.

However, qualifying for the state meet would be based simply on the marks turned in at the May 28 section meet. Forget about previous heroics. The old sports adage that on any given day, any one could be beaten certainly appeared to apply in this case. Bennett was clearly up for it.

“I was motivated to get up there,” she said.

Midway through the competition, Bennett had soared near the top of the leader board with a jump of 17-6 to break her existing school record. As she approached the runway on her subsequent jump, fans began clapping in support.

That support paid off as she upped her school record to 17-11 on her final jump. The 17-11 effort placed her third overall, good enough to qualify for the state finals behind La Costa Canyon junior Petra Rackley and Fallbrook sophomore Carli Lloyd, both with jumps of 17-11.75.

Bennett began jumping up and down immediately after recording the 17-11, hugging fellow competitors. Her smile was big enough to fill the entire stadium. However, her celebration was short-lived as her record-setting jump touched off a succession of jumps by Berry (17-11.75) and Bobo (17-11.5) of even greater distances.

In all, five jumpers hit 17-11 or better on their final jump, Bennett included.

Mustang head coach Ian Cumming, said he was hard-pressed to remember such a string of five successive jumps of more than 17-11 happening in his long tenure as a coach. “When she exploded for the 17-6, that’s when everyone jumped. She finished three-quarters of an inch from going to state,” said Cumming, who called Bennett’s series “pretty amazing.”

Berry finished with the lead, followed by fellow state qualifiers Lloyd (second) and Rackley (third). Bennett finished fifth behind Bobo.

However, the 17-11 mark was good enough to stand up as the top mark recorded by a Division II jumper. She thus became the school’s first-ever track and field athlete to win an individual CIF champion.

In all, she competed in four events at this year’s section finals, anchoring the Mustangs’ 4x100 relay team in the first running event besides competing in the three field events.

Otay Ranch finished sixth in the A-flight 4x100 relay with a time of 49.77. The time placed the Mustangs second in the Division II field behind University City (47.79).

Bennett timed 12.33 in the 100 dash, finishing fifth among the nine A-flight runners. University junior Aja Wheeler finished as both the section and Division II champion in 12.09.

Bennett won the B-flight in 25.36, bursting ahead of Madison sophomore Ciara Short, who finished runner-up in 25.64. Bennett’s time placed her third overall among Division II runners, with UC senior Shakara Lott topping the section with a 24.39 time.

The Otay Ranch wonder woman obliterated all her previous best marks at the section finals. Besides the long jump, the Mustangs wonder woman also holds school records in the 100 and 200 meters and high jump, plus several relay events. Displaying her versatility, she competed once in the 100 hurdles this season, finishing with the second-fastest time in the league.

"She is not only a great athlete but is a great person as well. She and Charay Savage were our co-Most Valuable Athletes in leading our team to a league title and third place in Division 2 of CIF," Cumming said.

Shining stars
The Mustangs excelled overall at the section meet, with the girls team placing third behind team champion University City and runner-up Monte Vista. Savage, who closely follows in Bennett’s footsteps, finished fourth in the A-flight girls 100 hurdles race (second in Division II) and was fifth in Division II in the 300 hurdles while Ranee Woods won the B-flight boys 300 intermediate hurdles to place fourth in the Division II field. Woods was sixth in the B-flight of the 110 high hurdles (seventh in Division II).

Savage, a sophomore, timed 15.47 in the 100 hurdles and 48.06 in the 300 hurdles. She entered the section finals with qualifying times of 15.26 and 47.79, respectively.

Savage also placed eighth in the A-flight of the girls triple jump (35-3.5), third overall in Division II.
Woods timed 15.60 in the shorter distance and 40.40 in the longer distance. He entered the section finals with qualifying times of 15.52 and 41.12, respectively.

Five Otay Ranch athletes competed in the B-flight:

•Marc Corrales was second in the boys 800 run (1:59.87).

•Kandy Wilmore was sixth in the girls triple jump (33-9.5).

•Estefania Fregoso was ninth in the girls 1600 run (5:44.75).

•Mark McPherson was ninth in the boys triple jump (41-0.75).

•Ricky Pimentel was ninth in the boys 1600 run (4:35.66).

Rather than single out any particular athlete, Cumming simply chose to call the performances turned in by all the Mustang section finals qualifiers as “amazing.”

Bennett, of course, set the standard.

The Britney Bennett File
2003-04 Season
Girls Soccer
Led San Diego Section in scoring with 43 goals.
Named All-South Bay League First Team.
Named All-San Diego Section Division IV Second Team.

Track & Field
South Bay League girls 100-meter champion.
South Bay League girls 200-meter champion.
South Bay League girls long jump champion.
Named Girls Athlete of the Meet, South Bay League Finals.

2004-05 Season
Girls Soccer
Led San Diego Section in scoring with 32 goals.
Named Al-South Bay League First Team.
Named All-San Diego Section Division III First Team.

Track & Field
South Bay League girls 100-meter dash champion.
South Bay League girls 200-meter dash champion.
South Bay League girls long jump champion.
Named Girls Athlete of the Meet, South Bay League Finals.
San Diego Section Division II champion, girls long jump
San Diego Section Division II runner-up, girls 100-meter dash