Athlete Spotlight: Bennie Anderson and Marty Briner

Story and graphics by Tommy Briner, senior

Bennie Anderson

Bennie Anderson is a senior three-sport athlete. He plays football, basketball, and track and field.

Bennie’s first love is football and he is committed to attend and play at Ivy League school Yale University next year, but he is involved in a lot more than just that activity.

After taking a year off to focus on preparing himself for his senior year of football, Bennie returned to the varsity basketball team this year. Bennie is not a starter for Coach Dale Ribble, but he embraces his role as a teammate and hype man.

“My goals for this year are to be the best teammate I can be and to be an encourager and a supporter,” said Bennie. “I want to contribute to the team making our goal of winning the conference, winning the district, and making it to the final four.”

Even playing limited minutes, Bennie recognizes the privilege of being a part of the team.

“I like playing for a great coach like Coach Ribble, but also having to really challenge myself and push myself in practice every day. Things like conditioning, although it’s not always easy, I know are making me a stronger individual,” he said.

Outside of sports, Bennie is extremely involved both in and out of school.

“I’m involved in the newspaper. I help with online stuff for them. I’m really active in my church. I do Seeds of Promise, which is a youth outreach ministry where we go to juvenile detention centers and share the Word. I’m also in the student council as the spirit director,” he said.

At school, Bennie values the relationships he’s created with teachers throughout his time in the building.

“I most enjoy being able to have long, in-depth conversations with teachers,” he said. “I also like my classmates, too. They’re really cool.”

Bennie is a motivated individual, and his involvement has certainly had an impact on the school.

“My parents always talked to me, and one of the things they always believed in was leaving a place better than when you first got there, and I want to make that impact at Westminster.”

Marty Briner

Marty Briner is a junior three-sport athlete. She plays softball, basketball, and lacrosse. 

Marty’s main sport, which she’s played since childhood, is basketball. In middle school, she picked up lacrosse in the spring. As a sophomore in high school, she decided to play softball at the urging of Coach Petke. Her team, which featured four players like Marty who had never played before, won a District Championship that season.

On the varsity girls basketball team, Marty’s role is unique. She understands her role as it fits into the success of the team.

“My goal for the year is to play the role I’ve been given to the best of my ability. My role is energy on the bench and encouraging and lifting my teammates up, as well as stepping up in games and putting in good minutes,” Marty said. 

Marty is certainly an athlete, but she values having fun and building relationships most of all when playing sports. 

“Basketball allows a group of high schoolers who otherwise would not hangout to connect and become a family. We enjoy playing games like heads up and camera roll roulette before games and during team bonding.”

In school, Marty is a hard worker and tries to find ways to give back. She writes for the newspaper and is a peer counseling leader for middle school students.

“I enjoy building friendships at school, and I especially enjoy learning about current events from Dr. Gall,” she said. 

Marty also serves in her church as a member of the student leadership team. 

“I went on my first mission trip last summer to Costa Rica and was able to serve and learn about who God is and His love.”

In all things, Marty is thoughtful and wants to make a positive impact.

“I am motivated by the ability to witness for Christ, to build relationships, to have fun, and to learn.”