Good Morning! With the Border Country Sports Blog, I'm Keith Harrington.
Katrina Bean Earns First Win at "The Bowl!"
You would think that winning a state basketball championship at the Barre Auditorium would be the biggest thrill for many athletes. I personally have been a part of three state championship teams myself and have twice cut down the nets at "The Aud." It was one of the most exciting moments of my life for sure, topped only by coaching a state championship softball team in 2003. For Benson's Katrina Bean however, her state championship moment may have been topped last Sunday.
Bean, a former student-athlete at Fair Haven Union High School who was a point guard on the Slater's 2019 Divison II State Championship team, picked up her first career feature win in the Limited Sportsmen Division on "Battle at the Bowl" night.
Bean started third and passed early leader Cody O'Brien to take the top spot on lap 8. She led the rest of the way. Evan Roberts made his best run at chasing Bean down, but a battle for second with Billy Duprey kept him occupied, allowing Bean to cruise to the popular vctory.
Bean was emotional in victory lane as she clebrated with her crew, family and friends. At one point she said, "I can't breathe."
Later in the evening Bean made her way down to where a large contingent of her fans were sitting in turn four and acknowledged their support of her. It happened to be the section I was sitting in. Many other fans on the section, myself included, gave the 20 year old a standing ovation and shouted congratulations her way.
Bean moved up from the mini stock division this season where she also owns a feature win. Bean joins Lacey Hanson as the only two women to win in open-wheel Modified competition in Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s 55-year history.
I am a fan of Donnie Mattison on the Sportsmen Modified Division, but have been looking for a driver to root for in the Limited Modifieds. I have to say, I think I have found my driver. Bean won this race fan over last Sunday night. It was her first feature win in a modified, but it clearly will not be her last.
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With the Border Country Sports Blog, I'm Keith Harrington.
