WASHINGTON (April 21, 2020) – Howard University sophomore advertising major Kennedy Lewis spoke with track teammate Sydney Benson (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.), asking 10 questions for the 2019-20 Senior Profile series.
 
Q: What is your favorite part about track?
A: My favorite part about track is competing because no race is the same. Every meet is different, so I really enjoyed just being able to have different experiences with each competition.
 
Also, I truly enjoyed becoming friends with most of my competitors as well.
 
Q: How did you get started in track?
A: My parents ran track and I just went from there. At first, I played soccer, but once realizing that I had some speed, I decided to focus my interest in track.
 
Also, I realized earning an athletic scholarship in track was possible and that's pretty much how I started.
 
Q: What kept you motivated?
A: Honestly, my teammates and coaches kept me motivated.
 
My coaches were so dedicated and invested so much time into my training. They kept my logs while checking on me every day, ensuring that I was healthy physically and mentally. Although my season was cut short due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), I wanted to go out with a bang.
 
Hopefully, I was able to make my coaches and teammates proud.
 
Q: If you were not competing in track, what other sport would you do?
A: I would probably play soccer because I played the sport before running track. I was a forward and midfielder, so I did a lot of running up and down the field.
 
Q: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
A: My favorite track athlete is Alycia Montaño. During high school and college, I was truly inspired by her because she always wore a flower on the side of her hair. She called it "flower power," so it really inspired me.
 
Also, she was an African-American woman who ran the 800-meter, so I saw myself going out there and doing it too!
 
Q: What's your favorite memory at Howard?
A: My favorite memory is walking through The Yard on a sunny day and seeing everybody having a good time in the spring.
 
Athletically, one of my favorite memories was attending regionals in Jacksonville, Florida while representing Howard.
 
Q: Plans after graduation?
A: After graduation, I have a full-time offer with LinkedIn in Chicago, starting in October. In addition, this summer, I will be interning with Nike in Oregon.
 
Q: What or who will you miss at Howard?
A: Honestly, I will genuinely miss my entire Howard track family because we've been through so much in my four years, from coaching coaches to traveling to different meets.
 
Also, every year, we always had some story, especially the 2018 Penn Relays (lol). We'll leave that story there because if you know, then you know (lol).
 
Q: What advice would you give future Bison?
A: My biggest advice is believing in yourself while pursuing everything you desire. Sometimes, hearing no does not mean you're not worthy or good enough. Sometimes, it means just not right now.
 
Just be patient and continue to work towards your goals because the only person holding you back is yourself, honestly. Believe in yourself and you can do it.
 
Q: Who would you like to thank?
A: Well, first and foremost, I must give thanks to the man above for putting me in this position and giving me a chance to attend Howard University where I will finish my education.
 
Also, I want to thank my mom, teammates, coaches and everyone that supported me along the way. Gosh, I don't know how I would have made it without you all.
 
But my time has come, and the time is now, and I am happy to be graduating from Howard University.
 
About Benson
 
Benson arrived at The Mecca where she has been a four-year member of the Howard women's track and field squad since 2016, competing primarily in cross country, distance running and relays.
 
In Spring 2019, the Michigan native was part of the 4x400 relay squad that reached the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminary Round after earning a qualifying time of 3:37.38. During the indoor season (2018-19), she received All-MEAC honors with the women's distance medley team, finishing with a season-best 12:11.82 mark.
 
Academically, Benson excelled inside the classroom, earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner's All-Academic Team twice (2018 & 2019). She was also a member of HU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
Benson's outdoor campaign was cut short due to COVID-19.
 
In Spring 2020, she graduates with a bachelor's degree in information systems. After graduation, Benson will intern with Nike in Oregon. The Michigan product also has a full-time offer with LinkedIn in Chicago, which starts in October.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.