Benn headed to altar and medal stand
Janessa Benn is in two serious relationships.
After the women’s track and field standout graduates in May with a civil engineering degree, she plans to get married and start a family. Then there is her other love interest: track and field.
“We have our good days and our bad days,” Benn said about track and field. “This week, I fell back in love with running.”
The love affair led to Benn winning the 1500 meters at the 2013 Aggie Invitational on Saturday at Irwin Belk Track. Benn led a group of Lady Aggies who performed well during the Aggies’ first home meet of the season.
Benn and track and field made nice with one another this past week after the Aggies coaching staff did a continuous run to prepare for the Aggie Invitational.
“I just love running in circles,” said Benn. “I know that sounds crazy to people, but when I don’t have to be timed, I generally love to run.”
Benn, a native of Pittsburgh, was timed on Saturday, but she still excelled. She ran the first lap of the 1500 meters in 1:15. When she completed the second lap, the clock stood at 2:35.
“I should have completed my second split in 2:28,” she said. “I knew I was a little off my pace, so I could go out a little faster, but I wasn’t quite sure how fast to pull away.”
As the MEAC Outdoor Championships approach, the distance runner hopes to improve on her second place finish in the 3000 meter steeplechase from last year’s conference meet.
After she ends her relationship with track, she plans to get a professional engineering license, a doctorate in environmental engineering, reignite her passion for ceramics and become an ordained Christian minister.
“I want to do everything, I want to be everything,” Benn said.
