Howard University Women’s Track & Field started their season off winning by 50 points in the 2026 HBCU Showcase held by Nike Running.
The Bison scored 176 points and had eight victories, with the first victory coming from freshman standout distance runner Alexis Jones in the mile, recording 5:01.77. In November, Jones set a new program record in the mile run with a time of 4:55.80 and broke her own record a week later with a time of 4:54.89. Jones also placed first in the 3k with a time of 10:39.75.
Junior sprinter Yahnari Lyons won a pair of her own, posting 7.44 in the 60 meter dash and 23.68 in the 200 meter dash.
Sophomore sprinter Tiffany Mugubi was able to add to the Bison’s early victories, running 2:10.89 to snatch first in the 800 meter. Mugubi spoke about the dynamic between the women during practices.
“During practice, we’re in this zone of competitiveness and just trying to follow our coaches’ rules stuff when it comes to practice,” said Mugubi, a biology major. “But then like off the track, we’re like a whole family.”
This dynamic was on display as Mugubi dominated the 4×400 relay with a first place time of 3:44.76 along with sophomore sprinters Cenaiya Billups and Lindsay Johnson and senior sprinter Zoe Turner, six seconds faster than second place.
Despite having an impressive freshman season last year, Billups is looking to take another step forward by sharpening her mindset and performance.
“I think last year I was still learning and still adjusting,” said Billups, a business management major. “But now I feel like I have a good grasp on everything, so now I can focus on just running and getting better, being faster and getting my mind in the right place.”
The women’s program has been very successful in recent years, coming in first place in both the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor and Indoor Championships four years in a row. Turner spoke about the pressures that come with the self-expectations going into each season.
“We win these meets as a team, but for me, it’s also very personal, I want to push myself,” said Turner, a psychology major. “There’s pressure for me mainly because I’m coming into my final years, so there is pressure to set an example, but also, I want to end my collegiate career on a good note.”
Senior thrower Temi Banwo claimed the women’s last win of the showcase in the field, tossing over 58 feet in the weight throw and registering a new personal record. Last year in the showcase Banwo finished fourth in the weight throw, tossing over 53 feet. Banwo believes this leap in performance shows how much her confidence has grown since last season.
“Coming into this year has been a whole different mental shift for me,” said Banwo, a biology major. “Everything just kind of clicked at some point last year, so I came into this year feeling a lot stronger and more confident in myself and my abilities.”
This year was the first time since the 2021-22 season that the women’s program came first in the annual HBCU Showcase. With a dominant performance across sprints, distance, relays and field events, the Bison not only reestablished themselves at the top of the meet, but also set the tone as they began their pursuit of yet another conference title.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
