Michelle Bennett Named to Penn Relays Wall of Fame

Michelle Bennett will be inducted in the Penn Relays' Wall of Fame in special ceremonies April 25-27 at the University of Pennsylvania. Bennett competed for Villanova from 1987 through 1991 and so dominated the 400 meters that by the time she graduated in 1991 she owned the 11 fastest times at that distance in the history of the Villanova women's program.  In addition, Bennett left Villanova as the school record holder over 200 and 500 meters.  She was excellent over 800 meters as well, and was an NCAA championship finalist at that distance in 1989 (7th in 2:06.53), 1990 (4th in 2:02.49 PR), and 1991 (5th in 2:04.25).  She was also a 12-time Big East champion and 7-time All American.

At the Penn Relays, Bennett was a 7-time champion, a number surpassed by no other Villanova woman.  She ran the 400-meter leg of DMR championship squads in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991.  In addition, she anchored Villanova's 4 x 800 championship foursomes in 1988, 1990, and 1991.

Along with Villanova teammates Kathy Franey, Celeste Halliday, and Vicki Huber, Bennett was a member of the 1988 Penn Relays Distance Medley Relay championship team that set a still-standing world record of 10:48.38. This year marks the 25th year anniversary of her team's record run. She will be there as a presenter and an inductee on the Wall of Fame.

A graduate of Cardinal Spellman Catholic High School in the Bronx prior to attending Villanova, Bennett is an English teacher at Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia.