Stabroek News
May 24, 2001

Guyana's female middle distance champion Marian Burnette kept her unbeaten record intact on the United States National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) track and field circuit this year with a hat-trick of victories recently.

According to reports out of the U.S., Burnette captured three gold medals in as many events representing Essex Community College at the NJCAA 2001 Outdoor Championships in Odessa, Texas, on May 11 and 12. Burnette was also the only athlete on her team to win an individual gold medal.

She won the 800 metres in 2:09.20 and backed that up by anchoring her team to number one spots in the 4x800 and 4x400 races.

Since the NJCAA 2001 Indoor Championships in early March, Burnette has recorded victories at 800m and 1500m, and steered her team to victories in the 4x400m, 4x800m and sprint and distance medley relays at several meets including the NY Armory, Columbia University and Montclair University Invitational events.

In her two years at Essex, Burnette competed in four NJCA Indoor and Outdoor meets and has won a record 16 medals from 17 events. Her tally includes 11 gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze.

The Guyanese scholarship student-athlete has completed her final exams, will be graduating with an Associate Degree in Physical Education Science next month.

Burnette has been offered a degree scholarship from Division One university Louisiana State and would be taking it up.

She ended Essex with a Grade Point Average of 3.16 which has been regarded as exceptional taking into consideration her athletics achievements.

Sixteen universities were interested in offering scholarships to pursue her degree but she choose LSU, currently the number one institution in women's athletics in the United States.

The Linden-born athlete is currently training to compete in other U.S. and overseas meets in the summer and feels that Guyana could field a strong 4x400 metres women's relay team comprising other U.S-based sprinters Aliann Pompey, Onica Fraser, Neema Payne, Ayanna Drakes, herself and Belize-born Mera Belisle who left Guyana to take up a scholarship.