April 25, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
A DCHS champion high jumper is about to take a big leap to the college ranks.
Ally Beneke, 19-year-old senior and daughter of Jerry and Kim Beneke, made her commitment to Tennessee Tech official during a brief signing event Tuesday at DCHS.
Beneke became a State Champion last year on May 26th at the TSSAA-DI AAA track meet. During that competition Beneke jumped a height of 5 feet 6 inches to claim the title. Beneke had the number one seed going into the competition of 5 feet 7 inches and that still remains a personal record for her.
In fact, she repeated that high jump feat just this week according to her coach, Jeremy Wilhelm.
“Ally is magnificent. Yesterday (Monday) she jumped 5 feet 7 inches and that tied her school record which she set last year and that has put her in the top 25 in the country with that distance. She will only get better as the season goes along,” said Coach Wilhelm.
Since DCHS doesn’t have enough players for a program of its own, eight players from DeKalb County compete in the Warren County High School Track and Field program under a cooperative agreement between the two schools. Wilhelm is the Track and Field Head Coach and Kristen VanVranken of DeKalb County is the assistant Coach.
Beneke and her family moved to DeKalb County only two years ago from Michigan when she was a sophomore. Even as a young child, Beneke said she discovered her talent for the high jump and grew to love it.
“I have been jumping since elementary school. They had an event called a field day and that’s when I first jumped 4 feet and got the school record so ever since I have been doing it and I have loved it and succeeded in it,” said Beneke.
As far as her future, Beneke said while she hasn’t settled on it yet she plans to study something in the medical field or maybe computer science while at Tennessee Tech.
In the meantime, Beneke is high jumping with excitement about heading off to college to compete. “I can’t wait. I am really looking forward to joining the track team. They have already shown so much support to me and I can’t wait to get started,” she said.
Until then, Beneke will be looking to earn more honors before her high school career comes to a close.
“We are preparing for our sub-sectionals and sectionals and Ally has a big meet on Thursday at the 23rd Annual Great 8 Track & Field High School Invitational in Nashville,” said Coach Wilhelm.