TOPEKA, Kans. – Coppin State softball signee,
Jo'Mhara Benning, has been name Topeka Capital Journal Girls Athlete of the Year, it was announced by the publication last week. A three-sport athlete at Topeka High School, Benning was a standout in basketball and volleyball as well.
A three-team All-League and All-State selection on the diamond, Benning hit .457 as a senior, drilling four homers and 12 doubles for 39 RBI. Benning also threw 69.2 inning from the circle with 83 strikeouts. This past season, Benning led the Trojans to their first State Tournament since 2022, when she was a freshman on the State Championship team led by Texas Tech star NiJaree Canady.
Benning served as a team captain for all three teams, was a three-time All-League selection in volleyball and an All-Conference recipient in basketball.
Throughout Benning's school career, she had been dedicated to going to an HBCU, stating that HBCU's are under looked and are just as great as any other school. In a recent interview, she expressed that going to an HBCU is like giving back and it shines a brighter light on them.
Fighting for what you believe in is a huge inspiration for Benning, with leaders such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr, driving her to become a Civil Rights Attorney, a dream of hers that has been set in stone since elementary school.
