Provided by Beacons Athletics 

You’ll be hard pressed to find an athlete on our campus who is as dedicated as track captain Hamza Abdul. A junior who’s earning his degree in exercise and health sciences, Abdul is totally devoted not only to being his personal best, but to putting UMass Boston on the map as well. He has been a force for the Beacons on relays this year. His team, which includes Kebba Nasso, Jake Kerin and Henry Morales, recently set the Beacons’ record in the 4×400 with a time of 3:23.73. He recently spoke with the Mass Media about the team’s breakout season.

Why did you start running track?

I started running track because of my high school gym teacher. She knew I already played football and basketball. So, in order for me to stay in shape for those sports, she motivated me to join track as well. I did all three throughout high school but I stuck with track because it motivated me to be my best. With basketball and football, some of the teammates I had, their attitude towards the sport was just selfishness. I don’t really believe in being selfish. With track, the group of kids I had around me always wanted to do better, always wanted to be their best.

So why did you join the track team at UMass?

The reason I came to UMass Boston was because I realized they didn’t have a track program as good as others. I wanted to do the same thing I did in high school; we weren’t known for track. Henry [Morales] and I, [our] goal was to put our school on the map. By our senior year we won an undefeated championship. That’s the same thing we’re trying to do here. Our first two years here were shaky. Now we have a new coaching staff, new recruits, new athletes, and we’re having an amazing season. That’s what the whole goal was from Day One. No matter what kind of stats I have, no matter what kind of stats I put up, my main goal was to put UMass Boston on the map for track.

So, this season is by far the best season you’ve ever had? Personal or as a team?

By far the best season we’ve ever had as a team. Personally, yeah I’m putting up my personal best, I’m also on the relay team that broke the school record last week. All the records we’re breaking, that doesn’t mean a thing to us. From Day One our goal has been to win a conference title. So whenever we break a school record we know that’s just a part of the joyride we’re on. Our main goal, our main concern is happening in two weeks. We’re going to be in the Little East Conference. That’s where the showdown is. That’s where all the personal best, all the records we’ve broken, isn’t going to mean a single thing if you can’t prove it then and there.

What do you think your chances are at winning the conference?

It’s going to be really tough. We’re doing it with, literally, like, ten athletes. Southern Maine has a good 80, UMass Dartmouth has, like, 50. They’re stacked. Luckily the ten we have are all hard workers, and we can all do multiple events, so that’s going to help us out a lot. Our goal is to win it, but it’s not going to be easy.