Focus powers Bennett to state track title

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
May 28, 2004
Do one thing and do it well.
Lamar School runner Brandon Bennett decided to follow that advice this spring, dropping all other track events and focusing on the 1,600-meter run.
"I've been running the 1,600 since seventh grade," said Bennett, who recently finished his sophomore season at Lamar. "This year, right before the district meet, I decided to just run the 1,600 and quit running dashes."
Why the 1,600?
"Because I knew I could win."
He was right. Bennett finished second at the district meet, and at the statewide meet in Greenville, he won the Class AAA 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:50.1 a personal best. Bennett's previous low time was 4:57.
"At the state meet, I was worried about the track because it was wet," Bennett said. "I was real surprised. I didn't know I had it in me."
Bennett was one of several Raiders to compete in the statewide track meet. Dustin Rivers placed third in the 100-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash. Cameron Sherrill finished sixth in the 3,200-meter run, and Drew Robertson was seventh in the 300-meter hurdles. Overall, Lamar finished ninth in the meet with 25 points.
And with those four runners returning in 2005 Bennett, Robinson and Sherrill will be juniors, and Rivers will be a senior Raiders track coach Jerry Brantley is excited about the future.
"It's going to be a real good thing to get them back," Brantley said. "If we can get a couple more guys out there, we've got a chance to be really good."
Brantley said Bennett's decision to concentrate on distance running has paid off and fits his personality well.
"Brandon has a lot of desire to be a winner," Brantley said. "Track is an individual sport, so desire to get better is important. That's a big asset that he has. If he keeps working, who knows how good he can be?"