Freshmen year can be a stressful and confusing year, but Brittany Bender is determined to make her freshmen year one to remember. As both a soccer player and track runner, Bender hopes to develop her skills early and continue to develop throughout her high school year.

Bender is running the 100 meter, 200 meter and the 200 in the sprint medley. Bender’s goals this year are to make it past districts, and beat her personal best on all of her events.

Bender began running track in the fourth grade and continues to compete despite the injuries and hardships she has had to overcome. She enjoys being a part of the team because of her coach and peers.

“I enjoy doing track because I like running and I like the coach,” Bender said. “He {Myster Holliman} is really the one who got me involved in doing track here at Fresno Christian. I satrted track in fourth grade and made it to districts and took second in my event.”

Bender shares her highlights and low points throughout her years of running track as well as playing soccer. She was injuried during the pre-season soccer games, leaving her unable to play with the team until playoffs.

During the middle of the girl’s soccer season Bender was slide tackled as she was advancing toward the goal, causing her ankle to fold under both her, and her defender. She was out for the rest of the regular season, but played a few times during the Eagle’s playoff games.

“My highlights are always whenever I beat my times on any of the events that I’m doing,” Bender said. “Some low points for me have been falling on the track, and having to wear a boot on my ankle after being slide tackled on the soccer field. It just makes me nervous every time I run because I don’t want to hurt it again.”

Bender’s parents, Bob and Julie, support both Brittany and her brother Nathan, ’13, who also played boy’s soccers, to play sports and become better athletes throught their high school career.

“Brittany had always liked to play sports, and we put her in soccer at the age of five,” Bob said. “We encourage Brittany to play as many sports as she wants, as long as she can do so and keep her grades up. When she got injured, we were concerned, but it healed quickly and we are not too worried about it now because it has not bothered her in awhile.”

Track coach Myster Holliman encourages Bender to push herself past her own expectations as well as the rest of the track team as a whole.

“I got Brittany involved because I saw a lot of great potential in her,” Holliman said. “She is tall and she has a good stride, when I saw her out on the soccer field, I saw her as an athlete that I could work with.”

Holliman praises Bender for always giving her best and pushing herself despite the tiring practices.

“In putting up with some of the fits of Brittany, she always sucks it up and puts forth her best effort,” Holliman said. “She gives 100 percent in all the workouts, so she is a good athlete to train.”

Brittany will next compete in the West Sequoia League, Dual 1, April 3.

For more sports, read the March 18 article, Softball sport shorts: Sierra.