LAUBENRA BEN
Park Center • track and field
It's practically impossible to find a spring athlete who's not appreciative of this season, after not getting to compete at all in 2020. But for Ben, this spring has been all the more special.
The junior sprinter, a relative newbie to the world of track and field, still was harnessing her abundant natural talent last year when the season was canceled. Her parents, understandably concerned about the coronavirus, pulled her out of summer athletics, in her case basketball and track, as well.
"I was still learning how to run," she said. "I was just finding how interesting coaches found me because of how fast I was."
She played basketball at Park Center over the winter. Since the onset of the track season, Ben has been on an upward trajectory. Last week she won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes at the Northwest Suburban Conference meet. She added a victory in the triple jump.
"I just feel so proud, so full of joy," she said.
Her favorite race, she said, is the 200. An admitted slow starter, she gets a chance to "show off my speed," she said. She's still learning the technical aspects of the 400 meters and likes the triple jump "because you get to jump three times," she said.
"This season has been so important to me. It's my junior year, and I've got college to think about," she said. "It's going better than I expected."
