Catching Up With Caliyah Bennett '20

2/20/2023

On Jan. 26, Caliyah Bennett, Collegiate Class of 2020, reached a significant way station in her decade-long, circuitous, and sometimes emotion-filled track and field journey.

On that day, the Denison University junior won the 60 hurdles (9.78) and ran a leg of the winning 4x200 relay (1:48.46) in the Big Red’s annual dual meet with North Coast Athletic Conference rival College of Wooster and was subsequently selected the league’s athlete of the week.

Her accomplishments are noteworthy not just because of her well-earned recognition but because she had yet to reach the tapering and peaking phases of her indoor season, which culminates this weekend with the NCAC championship at Denison’s Mitchell Fieldhouse.

Caliyah’s personal record in the 60 hurdles is 9.28, a mere .10 off the school record. Her college ledger also shows lifetime bests of 8.01 in the 60 (.32 from the record), and 26.97 in the 200 (fourth fastest in program history).

At Collegiate, where she persevered through a litany of leg injuries that limited her participation and tested her resolve, she earned indoor bests of 44.19 in the 300, 8.79 in the 55 hurdles, and 7.45 in the 55. Her outdoor standards were 12.97 in the 100, 27.57 in the 200, 1:04.91 in the 400, and 15.97 in the 100 hurdles.

Caliyah, who’s double majoring in Black Studies and Journalism, is about more than running fast and chasing records. One day recently, she spoke candidly about the path she’s traveled from the Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School in Richmond’s East End to Collegiate to Denison, a liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,300 located in Granville, Ohio.

What got you involved with track in the first place?

My coach Linton Wade (at AJCS) introduced me to track in middle school. I fell in love with the mentality that came with track. When you’re young, you don’t care as much about technique as you do with winning. I loved being able to go out and show off my speed. Track is a metaphor for life. Running hurdles really teaches me how to get over obstacles, not just physically, but in my day-to-day life.

Speak about your track experience during your four years at Collegiate.

The team made me feel very welcome. I loved Coach Kondo’s (meaning head girls coach Beth Kondorossy) enthusiasm. For an athlete, seeing a coach so immersed in the sport is awesome. I wanted to be on a team that cared about me but also cared about what I could bring to the team. It meant a lot to be with people I’m still in contact with to this day. I’m very humbled and blessed to have had the opportunity to be on the team at Collegiate.

How did you remain positive when you dealt with one injury after another?

I don’t know how I was able to run track with so many orthopedic problems, but track was the only thing that I had coming into Collegiate. Coming from my community, we didn’t have many options, so I wasn’t familiar with some of the other sports or extracurricular activities. When I faced an injury, I took it very hard because, in my mind, track was the only thing going for me to get to college.

Obviously, academics should be my Plan A and B, but when you’re a high schooler and know you have talent, you don’t really see the academic side as much as the track side or don’t have as much faith in your academics as you do in track. I fractured my shin, one sophomore year, the other my junior year. I had to wear a boot each year. I think I beat myself up a little bit. I learned that I can be my biggest critic.

What attracted you to Denison?

Once I visited the campus, I was sold. A Collegiate graduate who was here at the time was Eli Gee. I said, “All right, Eli, what is someone like you doing in a school like this?” It’s a predominantly white institution. I’d done that for four years. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again. He was just like, “It’s definitely different. There’re more open-minded people, people from all different walks of life.” That reassured me. I was, OK, I can do this.

One thing that Collegiate prepared me for was having uncomfortable conversations. They wanted us to be well-rounded people who could confront the challenges going on in the world. Denison is the exact same way. It’s just up a couple of notches. No matter who you are, no matter what race, ethnicity, sexual orientation…they want to see you grow as world class citizens.

Were you prepared for college track?

Track is a sport that you’ll never fully be prepared for. Every day, I’m improving in some aspect, whether it’s mentally, physically, or emotionally. I thought I was prepared. I was very confident. Not arrogant but confident. I was excited to see what I could bring to the team. I got here and had an injury (broken ankle) that took me out for my entire freshman year. It was also during Covid. I tried to convince myself to have patience. It was hard for me to give up control, but there was nothing else I could do. I’d never broken a bone. I had to let the healing process do its magic. I learned that all I can do today is be better than I was yesterday. I’ve tried to develop that mindset in everything I do.

What’s your favorite event?

I’ll be honest. It changes every day. Can I give you two? This might surprise you, but I’ve grown to love the 200. I used to hate the 200 because of the curve, but I love it now. The 200 is a test for any sprinter. It’s a race that you can execute everything you’ve been doing that week: arms, picking up your knees, (using) different mechanics. That’s one race where my track IQ comes in, so the 200 is my favorite now. My second? Relays always have a place in my heart, but I’ll have to say the 60 hurdles. It’s a very fast race. Even though I might not have the technique down right now, I can showcase my sprinting ability.

What would you tell a youngster who dreams of competing in college?

My first piece of advice is stay true to yourself. You’ll make a lot of decisions. There’ll be people in your ear. At the end of the day, you have to make the decisions for yourself because no one else can live your life. Another piece of advice is to work diligently. You’re the one in control of your life. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’re only human. You’re not going to be 100 percent every day. Asking for help could be one of your biggest struggles, but it could also be one of your biggest strengths. The people who know when to ask for help are the strongest people in my book.

~Weldon Bradshaw

Addendum: In the NCAC meet Feb. 24, Caliyah won her section of the 60 hurdles in 9.17 to break the Denison school record. In the finals Feb. 25, she placed second in 9.26. She also placed fourth in the 60 in 8.03, just .02 off her personal best, and ran a leg of the NCAC champion 4x200 relay (1:47.19).

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