STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (January 18, 2019) – Howard University men's & women's track & field squads competed in the New York City (NYC) Gotham Cup where they saw several Bison hit their personal best.
 
Junior runner Sydney Benson (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) highlighted the day by becoming the 10^th Bison to qualify for the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships in Landover, Md.
 
The Michigan native took second overall in the women's 800-meter run with a season-best (2:16.26). Newcomer Melanie White (Orlando, Fla.) finished fourth in the event, but fell just shy of joining Benson at Landover (2:17.61).
 
So far, Benson and White have the top two times of any Bison in the 800-meter run this year.
 
In the 400-meter dash, junior Oluchi Ike (Upper Marlboro, Md.), freshman Jessica Wright (Durham, N.C.), and senior Aliyah Hale (Los Angeles) ran the three best times of any Bison this season.
 
Ike claimed seventh in the event after recording a personal best (57.59) but fell short of reaching the MEAC Indoor Championships (57.59). Wright earned a 12^th-place finish with a new personal record (58.00), followed by Hale taking 15^th overall (58.25).
 
On the men's side, freshman Aariq Nixon (Baltimore) finished runner-up in the 800-meter run with a personal best (1:56.64).
 
Second-year runner Anthony Gordon (Clinton, Md.) run the fastest time of any Bison in the men's mile run, clocking in at 4:27.92 (personal record).
 
In the field, senior thrower David Hudson (New Rochelle, N.Y.) set a new personal best in shot put, tossing 13.68m (44'9").
 
Howard men finished tied for 19^th while the HU women placed tied for ninth in the event.
 
To view results from the NYC Gotham Cup, please Click Here.
 
On Jan. 25-26, Howard Director of Track and Field David Oliver and the Bison travel to State College, Pa. for the Penn State National, hosted by the Nittany Lions.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.