Beth Burkett
Until the early 1990s, Bedford County girls had not had much success with throwing the javelin.
In 1992, Northern Bedford’s Christy Albright became the first
state placewinner with a third place finish, while the following year,
Bedford’s Rhandee Dibert finished eighth in the state.
Chestnut Ridge graduate Beth (Burkett) Varney became the first Bedford County girl to place in the state twice and is the only javelin thrower to place in the top 2 in the state more than once.
Varney is a 1996 graduate of Chestnut Ridge and was a 3-sport athlete volleyball, basketball, and track and field.
She was a 4-year letterwinner in basketball and was the Team MVP both her junior and senior seasons.
In volleyball, Varney was a 2-year letterwinner and was the Team MVP her senior year, also garnering a selection on the Bedford County League All-Stars.
However, she found her calling in throwing javelin for the Lady Lions.
She was a 4-year letterwinner in track and field, and she held many records. Her junior year, she set the
Bedford County Meet and District 5 Meet records in the javelin, and followed that up with a silver medal at the PIAA championship.
Varney followed that up with another silver medal her senior year at states.
She had had great battles with Penn Cambria thrower Carrie Karabinos, who edged her in 1996 for the state championship.
Her skill and competitiveness caught the eye of college scouts across the nation, and Varney elected to take her javelin throwing to the University of Kentucky, which is a member of the Southeast Conference
(SEC), one of the top track and field conference in the US.
She threw for the Wildcats and was on the team from 1997 to 2000. She made the SEC finals in javelin all 4 seasons, and she placed fifth in the SEC both her junior and senior years.
She won the Texas relays with a throw of 150-5 and finished third on the Kentucky women’s all-time performers list at the end of her career.
Varney also scored points at every SEC Championship Meet in her career.
The Chestnut Ridge graduate was also strong in the classroom and was named to the SEC Student-Athlete Honor Roll every year of her eligibility as well as to the Athletic Directors Honor Roll.
Varney is also proud to have been inducted into the Society of Character, which recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate a commitment in each of the CHAMPS/lifeskills areas, academics, athletics, personal development, career development and service.
Beth lives in Hernando, Florida, with her husband, Joe, and their children, Abby and Gabe. Her husband coaches high school basketball and throwing events in track, and Beth volunteers to help with the javelin throwers when she can.
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In 1992, Northern Bedford’s Christy Albright became the first
state placewinner with a third place finish, while the following year,
Bedford’s Rhandee Dibert finished eighth in the state.
Chestnut Ridge graduate Beth (Burkett) Varney became the first Bedford County girl to place in the state twice and is the only javelin thrower to place in the top 2 in the state more than once.
Varney is a 1996 graduate of Chestnut Ridge and was a 3-sport athlete volleyball, basketball, and track and field.
She was a 4-year letterwinner in basketball and was the Team MVP both her junior and senior seasons.
In volleyball, Varney was a 2-year letterwinner and was the Team MVP her senior year, also garnering a selection on the Bedford County League All-Stars.
However, she found her calling in throwing javelin for the Lady Lions.
She was a 4-year letterwinner in track and field, and she held many records. Her junior year, she set the
Bedford County Meet and District 5 Meet records in the javelin, and followed that up with a silver medal at the PIAA championship.
Varney followed that up with another silver medal her senior year at states.
She had had great battles with Penn Cambria thrower Carrie Karabinos, who edged her in 1996 for the state championship.
Her skill and competitiveness caught the eye of college scouts across the nation, and Varney elected to take her javelin throwing to the University of Kentucky, which is a member of the Southeast Conference
(SEC), one of the top track and field conference in the US.
She threw for the Wildcats and was on the team from 1997 to 2000. She made the SEC finals in javelin all 4 seasons, and she placed fifth in the SEC both her junior and senior years.
She won the Texas relays with a throw of 150-5 and finished third on the Kentucky women’s all-time performers list at the end of her career.
Varney also scored points at every SEC Championship Meet in her career.
The Chestnut Ridge graduate was also strong in the classroom and was named to the SEC Student-Athlete Honor Roll every year of her eligibility as well as to the Athletic Directors Honor Roll.
Varney is also proud to have been inducted into the Society of Character, which recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate a commitment in each of the CHAMPS/lifeskills areas, academics, athletics, personal development, career development and service.
Beth lives in Hernando, Florida, with her husband, Joe, and their children, Abby and Gabe. Her husband coaches high school basketball and throwing events in track, and Beth volunteers to help with the javelin throwers when she can.
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Class of 2023
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania