As the school year winds down, the various Howard University sports teams do as well. For a few senior athletes, this will be their final time competing as Bison.
The Hilltop asked students which senior athletes they will miss most after this year. Here’s a list of who they said:
Darrian Brokenburr, Howard Football, Defensive Lineman:
Brokenburr starred for the Bison in five seasons, playing in a total of 40 games, including two from the shortened COVID season. He produced 124 total tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks and one fumble recovery.
The Virginia native earned MEAC All-Conference Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022, and earned 2021 Phil Steele FCS All-MEAC Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
In 2022, Brokenburr helped the Bison earn a share of their first MEAC championship since 1993. He also helped the team repeat this in 2023. He was named to the All-MEAC First Team and Phil Steele FCS All-MEAC First Team, receiving an invite to the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Jasmine Britford, Howard Women’s Soccer, Defense:
Britford played in the back line for Howard during her four years, appearing in a total of 25 games, recording an assist and six clean sheets during her career.
Britford helped the Bison make it to the North East Conference (NEC) postseason for the first time this past season, with the team winning their first game in postseason play against Sacred Heart.
Kennedy Jones, Howard Women’s Soccer, Goalkeeper:
During her career, Jones played in 15 games across two seasons. During the 2022 season, she played in 11 games between the goalposts, keeping a clean sheet against Wagner to end the season.
Jones played in four games during the 2023 campaign, keeping a clean sheet in each one, including a 7-0 victory against the Bison’s chief rival, the Hampton Pirates.
Takunda Rusike, Howard Women’s Rugby, Team Captain:
Rusike was a catalyst for the establishment of the Howard Women’s Rugby program in 2021. As the captain of the team, she helped lead the Bison to an undefeated season in the fall of 2022, an East USA Rugby CRAA Spring 2023 DII championship along with being ranked number two in the nation for DII schools in the spring of 2023.
Rusike was named to the U.S. Women’s Rugby Federation’s ‘15 Under 30’ list in 2021 and competed in the D.C. Old Glory Rugby Team’s Under-19 program.
Darci Khan, Howard Women’s Track & Field, Hurdles/Sprints:
Khan transferred to Howard from the University of Kentucky for the 2022-23 season. In her first season in the MEAC, Khan was crowned MEAC and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Champion and was named to the 2023 MEAC Indoor All-Academic Team.
She won the 60-meter hurdles (8 minutes, 22 seconds) and 60-meter dash (7:47) at the ECAC Indoor Championships and ran a school-record 8:15 during the indoor season.
During the 2022-23 outdoor season, Khan became a MEAC Champion once again. She was named to the All-MEAC First Team after winning the 100-meter hurdles and being a member of the winning 4×100-meter relay team at the MEAC Championships.
Khan also won the College Women’s 100-meter hurdles with a 13:18 at the Penn Relays and set a new school record of 12:96 in the event at the Texas Relays. She would then compete at the NCAA and USA Track & Field Championships that season.
Ja’Leak Perry, Howard Men’s Track & Field, Sprints:
Perry has competed in numerous meets for the Bison in his five years at Howard, winning some notable events and holding the fourth-fastest 100m dash time in school history with his time of 10:32.
Darian Clyburn, Howard Men’s Track & Field, Sprints/Hurdles:
Clyburn has the distinction of being a part of the Howard 110-meter hurdling team that has been ranked number one in the nation for five consecutive weeks, a feat that has never been achieved at Howard before, according to track & field coach David Oliver. His personal best time of 13:90 helped bring the team’s overall time down to the nation’s No. 1 time for three weeks.
Clyburn has also been selected to the MEAC All-Conference Academic Team for three consecutive years, from 2021 to 2023.
Copy edited by Jalyn Lovelady
