With a high jump of 6-feet-4, Sterling High School senior Baribeeba Benjamin Nwitua is going to regionals for the first time.
“That jump got me to regionals with a third-place finish, so I feel excited about it,” said Benjamin.
Last season Benjamin was one jump away from advancing to regionals. He was tied for third place in the wild card, but a scratch on his jump gave his competitor the ticket to regionals.
“The jump last season I scratched on was at 6-feet-4 and the jump I cleared today to advance to regionals was the same height. It was hard not moving on last season, but I was new to the sport. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Benjamin.
Unlike other track standouts, Benjamin had never competed in track and field before his junior season. His first track meet was during the HISD district meet which he won and advanced to the area round.
“Coach Addison was the one that encouraged me to compete in track and field,” said Benjamin. “He saw me playing basketball and asked me to come and jump at the track meet. He always pushed and encouraged me. I respect him for that. He believed in me so much, I knew I had to try it, if not for me, at least for him,” said Benjamin.
Coach Addison was on a mission to get more students involved while at the school. Benjamin had never played any sports until his 10th-grade year when he attempted basketball. Because of his late start in the sport, he wasn’t the best, but his desire to compete with a basketball standout at school, Kenneth Williams, propelled him to compete in track and field.
“I never had a coach come to me and want me to participate that intensely. I started basketball late, so I wasn’t that good, but I admired the skill set of Kenneth Williams. He was also a really good jumper,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin Nwitua
IG: @straight_benjis
Twitter: @hooperbenji27
Events: high jump
Height & weight: 6-feet-5, 190 pounds
High Jumper he studies: Charles Austin (Hall of Fame Olympian)
Status: Will be attending Texas Tech University
Favorite artist: Tems
Favorite subject: Statistics
Shout-outs: Coach Addison, Sterling High School, Family
Williams was the current school record holder in the high jump. This was even more motivation for Benjamin to compete in track and field.
“Coach Addison knew my skillset wasn’t there in basketball to beat Kenneth so he asked me, ‘You trying to beat Kenneth? Come beat him in the high jump.’ I had to try it. I came out and set the school record of 6-feet-6. I was so proud of that accomplishment,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin is a testament to what pure athleticism and dedication can produce. He is also one of many athletes who face multiple barriers just for the chance to compete, barriers such as no high jumping pit or dedicated jumping coach.
“Most of our coaches are for the sprinters. When Coach Addison left for a new job, I had to begin looking at YouTube videos to learn high jump techniques,” said Benjamin.
The old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” But what happens when you can’t practice?
“Because we don’t have a jumping pit or jumping coaches, the skills I learn from YouTube videos, I implement while the bar is low during the track meets. Meet days are the days I practice while the bar is low because other than that I don’t have a place to practice my jumps,” said Benjamin.
This lack of ability to practice combined with a lack of consistent competition hampers Benjamin’s ability to fully jump to his potential.
“In this district, most of the focus is on running events. There is very little attention to field events,” said Benjamin. “The best I’ve seen has been 5-feet-8 and if I jump that I automatically win, but when I go to the bigger districts that focus on both running and field events, I’m competing against athletes who are consistently jumping 6-feet-2 as starting points. I go there and get third because I can’t practice before these events. So the real pressure always comes after district, when I compete with other schools who have more resources,” said Benjamin.
Next season, Benjamin is unsure if he will be given the opportunity to continue his track journey while attending Texas Tech University, but he does plan to walk on the team and study sports medicine.
Reflecting on the counsel from a dear friend, he seeks to inspire the next generation as he looks back on his journey.
“Keep pushing, no matter what,” said Benjamin.
