Marian Burnett takes track and field seriously but knows her education will take her much further in the marathon of life.
As a native of the Caribbean country Guyana, Burnett started running long distances at her local high school. She joined the Guyana army after graduation, where she represented both the army and the country at track meets all over the world from 1997-99.
While competing in the meets, Burnett caught the eye of Michael Smart, a recruiter, who offered her a scholarship to Essex County College in New Jersey. She won 10 national titles in two years at Essex and earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honors. Burnett also earned the title of Most Outstanding Athlete at the 2000 NJCAA Indoor Championship.
The LSU coaching staff always planned on recruiting Burnett just by seeing her results. But, LSU head coach Pat Henry said the staff knew she could contribute to the team after seeing her run at the Penn Relays and the NJCAA national championships in the Gator Invitational at Gainseville on Feb. 9.
Burnett was recruited nationally and chose LSU because of the “reputation” of the track program and the “good” educational opportunities the University presents. She also said the weather in Baton Rouge resembles the climate of Guyana, which played a role in her decision.
Most recently Burnett earned the right to defend an Indoor National Championship in the 800-meter event. She assured that spot with a national best time of 2:04.97. Burnett also won national championships in the 800 both indoors and outdoors at Essex in 2000 and 2001.
Henry likes the attitude Burnett shows during competitions.
“Marian’s a leader by actions, and she’s tough on meet day,” he said.
Although Burnett earned All-American status last season, she knows education comes first. She said some athletes forget about education when they succeed on the field.
“When they run fast, they forget they have to graduate,” Burnett said.
Burnett currently is pursuing degrees in criminology and general studies. She remains an inactive member of the Guyana army. She will eventually return to the army but not before trying to better her track and field career.
After graduation, Burnett wants to qualify for the Guyana Olympic track and field team and possibly compete at the professional level. She knows reaching these goals requires hard work and is prepared to take on the task at hand.
“For anything you want to accomplish, you’ve got to work hard,” Burnett said. “I’m training hard [now] so I can make the Olympics.”