Timeout with … Emily Benz, Kamiak, cross country
Published 3:44 pm Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Emily Benz was highly skeptical when her mom suggested that Benz join the Kamiak High School cross country team.
That was about three years ago. Benz had already tried playing soccer, which didn’t go very well. After being unsure if she should take her mom’s advice, Benz went ahead and turned out for cross country, not expecting much.
But something clicked. Distance running was instantly difficult, Benz said, “but I eventually started to love it. I surprised myself.”
Now Benz is a Kamiak senior beginning her fourth consecutive season on the Knights’ varsity squad. She loves cross country more than ever.
“Even though it’s really intense, I get a lot out of it,” said Benz, who earned All-Wesco 4A honorable mention last year.
In 2011, Benz is aiming for a breakthrough. She hopes to advance to the state meet for the first time. This, of course, is her final chance.
“It’s been my goal for awhile,” Benz said. “I’m really going to work towards it.”
Coach’s corner
The lone senior among Kamiak’s top five female runners, Benz is generally a shy, quiet person, Knights coach Charley LeWarne said. But when it’s time to race, Benz’s fiery side emerges. “She’s a pretty tenacious competitor. She’s pretty feisty as a runner,” said LeWarne.
Go the distance
During the summer, Benz and her teammates each ran about 300 miles, an average of around 40 miles per week. “It prepares us so that we’re ready for the season,” Benz said. “It’s good to get that build up.” On Tuesdays and Thursdays Benz often ran with her pals, but other times she trained alone, running routes near the Kamiak campus and through Japanese Gulch.
Stress reliever
When school-related anxiety cranks up, running helps Benz clear her mind. “It’s definitely a de-stresser. If I’m feeling totally stressed I’ll just go out on a run and I’m alone with my thoughts,” she said.
During a race Benz has a one-track mind. “It’s like I’m in my own world,” Benz said. “I am thinking about what I’m going to do next — who I’m going to catch, who’s in front of me. I just don’t think about anything else. I don’t hear anything.”
Confidence boost
Benz’s proudest moment in cross country was last year during a late-season meet at McCollum Park in Everett. Benz finally beat a senior teammate who she had been trying to finish ahead of all season. At the time, Benz was Kamiak’s No. 3 varsity runner and the older teammate was No. 2. The performance gave Benz a confidence boost that carried over to this fall. “It helped me a lot. I’ve been really looking forward to this season. I feel good about it,” said Benz, currently Kamiak’s No. 2 varsity runner. Promising freshman Tiana Roe is No. 1.
In tune
Benz loves to sing. She is a fourth-year member of the Kamiak women’s barbershop choir. Lately the group has been practicing a rendition of the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”
Eager to travel
After she finishes high school, Benz wants to take a trip to Europe. Specifically, she wants to visit Italy “because it’s beautiful there and I like the culture. I’ve always wanted to go there.” She’d also love to see the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Career plans
Benz is doing her culminating project — a senior project, essentially — on kinesiology, which Merriam-Webster defines as “the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.” Benz aspires to become a kinesiologist or physical therapist and is interested in the kinesiology program offered at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
