Tennesee Athletics
Rotating image

     
    Kameisha Bennett     
     
      Kameisha Bennett
Class:
Senior

Hometown:
Dayton, Ohio

High School:
Meadowdale H.S.

Height:
6-0

Event:
Middle Distance

Birthdate:
01/13/1981

PERSONAL RECORDS
 
INDOORS
400m: 56.18 at Gator Invitational, Feb. 3, 2001
800m: 2:07.09 at Alex Wilson Invitational, March 3, 2001

OUTDOORS
800m: 2:04.10 at Georgia Tech Invitational, May 18, 2002

TENNESSEE HIGHLIGHTS
 
2003: Redshirted last season.

2002: Was instrumental in the resurgence of the Lady Vols' 4x400m relay back into the national spotlight…She ran the third leg, joining then-rookies Nicole Cook, Antoinette Gorham and Dee Dee Trotter in charting a 3:41.36 to place second at the SEC Eastern Division Challenge…It was UT's fastest time indoors since 1999…The foursome improved on that at SECs, where the group was third in 3:36.45 and earned a ticket to the NCAA Championships…Despite a hamstring injury to Cook, the quartet was able to perform well at nationals, logging a 3:36.75 to take sixth and garner All-America distinction…Individually, she opened the year with a victory in the 400m at the Kentucky Invitational, clocking in at 57.48…Debuted in the 800m with a 2:09.97 provisional time in placing fourth at the SEC Eastern Division Challenge…She came back with a 1:32.27 mark in the 600m prelims at the Indiana Relays, a time that ranked her fifth on the UT all-time performers list and sixth on the performances chart…Outdoors, she helped the 4x4 continue its improvement from the indoor season…She would aid in five races, contributing to a 3:42.21, second-place mark at Gatorade, and a 3:35.25, third-place mark at the Penn Relays…Then, at nationals, she picked up her second All-America certificate of the season, as she helped the tandem to marks of 3:32.09 and 3:31.49 en route to fourth place…The NCAA finish was the best by a UT 4x4 outdoors since 1984…Kameisha also got off to a fast start in the 800, recording an outdoor PR of 2:08.28 to claim third at the Gatorade Classic in her first race outside at that distance in 2002…The following weekend, she lowered her career best to 2:06.62 in taking fourth at the Sea Ray Relays…After turning in a solid 2:07.12 in the prelims of the SEC Championships to win her heat, she labored in the finals, finishing ninth in 2:19.50…In order to earn a trip to NCAAs, entry in a last chance meet was a necessity, so Kameisha headed to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Invitational…Under fire, she came through in a big way, throwing a PR 2:04.10 effort on the board to finish second and earn a ticket to Baton Rouge, La…That mark would rate her seventh on UT's all-time performers list…In her first trip to outdoor NCAAs, Kameisha gave it all she had, but a 2:11.06 result was all she could muster in the prelims…Therefore, she did not advance to the finals…As a member of the Big Orange sprint medley relay, she helped that group earn third at the Penn Relays with a pace of 3:48.05, then the third-fastest in Tennessee history…In the classroom, Kameisha picked up the pace and gained a spot on the Lady Vol Honor Roll.

2001: During the indoor slate, the team tri-captain charted four personal bests in the 800 meters, including a 2:12.29 in the prelims at her second meet of the year, the Pepsi/Walker Invitational in Johnson City…Two meets later, she logged a 2:12.28 to finish eighth at the Cannon IV Classic…Lowered her best time to 2:09.31 in the prelims of the SEC Championships but "seized up" during the finals and was unable to complete her race…Faced with a do-or-die situation, Kameisha unleashed a time of 2:07.09 to claim victory at the Alex Wilson Invitational and earn a trip to the NCAA Championships…Unfortunately, her time at nationals was not as productive, as she tightened up once again and struggled to a 2:20.49 mark in the prelims, failing to move on to the finals…Kameisha was also a valuable member of two relays…She ran the third leg of the distance medley relay unit that took third at SECs in 11:53.68 and carried the baton second on the 4x400m relay squad that posted a season-best time of 3:51.50 in the prelims at the Pepsi/Walker Invitational…Outdoors, she began in strong fashion by claiming her initial victory outside, cruising around the track at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in 2:09.83…Dropped her season best to 2:09.46 in finishing 10th at the Mt. SAC Relays…She finally put together back-to-back strong races, reporting in with a PR 2:08.58 in the SEC prelims and lowering it to 2:08.54 in a sixth-place effort in the conference finals…Still, she was short of qualifying for nationals, so she staked her hopes to the Georgia Tech Invitational…Unfortunately, she had a repeat episode of indoor SECs and nationals with her body only allowing her to finish in 2:20.30.

2000: Kameisha made her collegiate debut at the Virginia Tech Classic, taking fourth in the 800m at 2:19.77 and anchoring the 4x400m relay to victory and a season-best mark of 3:47.93…Dropped her time in the 800 nearly two seconds to log her indoor PR at 2:17.94 in a second-place effort at the SEC Quad…Missed the finals at the SEC Championships after being credited with a 2:18.57 run…Ran the third leg of UT's distance medley relay at the league meet, helping that unit to fourth place at 12:00.41…That same quartet had a season-best 11:53.67 at the Kroger Indoor Invitational…Outdoors, Kameisha lowered her time in the 800m in five consecutive races, dropping her PR three times in the two biggest meets of the campaign…After opening the year at 2:18.94 to place fifth at the Arizona State/USTCA Invitational, she dipped from 2:10.64 at the SEC Quad to 2:09.64 at the Sea Ray Relays…Ran a pair of strong races at SECs, cranking out a PR 2:09.60 in the prelims and trimming it to 2:09.36 in the finals to take fifth…Tried one more time to get an NCAA qualifying mark but did not finish the race due to injury at the Georgia Tech/Reebok Classic…Was the number two leg of UT's 4x400m relay, assisting the squad to third at the league meet in a season-best and NCAA provisional time of 3:36.59…Helped Tennessee take advantage of a second chance at Penn Relays, as the 4x4 quartet won the consolation final in 3:38.14.

HIGH SCHOOL:
 
Kameisha was a four-year standout and three-year captain for Meadowdale High School…Earned All-America honors in 1998 and was ranked second in the nation by Track & Field News in the 800 meters as a junior…Brought home the 800m crown at the state meet, turning in the third fastest clocking (2:10.38) on the all-time list of champions in Ohio…Her effort helped Meadowdale earn a runner-up finish…Also won USA Track & Field Junior Olympic National title as a junior and placed third at the outdoor National Scholastic meet…Helped MHS to first-place team finishes in region and district action in 1998 and 1999…As a senior, she finished second at the state meet in the 800m and MHS placed fifth as a team…Squad won the city title in 1996 and 1997…Kameisha wrapped up her career with many records to her credit…Her times of 55.4 and 2:10.38 were city records for 400 and 800 meters, while she registered the region and district marks for the longer race.

PERSONAL:
 
Kameisha completed a degree in family studies in December and is enrolled in graduate school at UT…Likes to shop and socialize with friends in her spare time…Her willingness to help others garnered her the Lady Vol Community Service Award in 2001…Has an 11-year-old brother, Darrlyn…Also has a son, Darius Elijah, who was born on April 5, 2003…Kameisha Dara Bennett was born on Jan. 13, 1981, in Dayton, Ohio…Parents are Gloria Bennett and Darryl Bennett.