Wayne County Wanderings: Honesdale's Kayla Benson is passionate about writing and golf
Sitting here before my keyboard in a quiet newsroom, it occurs to me that I’ve been creating this weekly column for about seven years now.
And while sportswriting is my first love, Wayne County Wanderings has undeniably become my favorite project.
It began as a simple idea: Trying to balance all the hard-hitting negative news we encounter each day with a small dose of positivity … a little ray of light to shine through all the darkness.
Thankfully, the stories I relate seem to resonate with folks. Don’t get me wrong, local sports remains a focal point for TCI readers. However, Wanderings is far and away the most common topic of conversation whenever I’m out in the community.
And, when someone asks me about my favorite column topic, the answer comes quickly and with a big smile.
“Good kids doing good things,” I say.
So, with that thought in mind, I’d like to introduce you to Beach Lake’s own Kayla Benson … a Honesdale High School junior with a passion for golf and writing.
This is her story.
A Passion for Writing
Kayla is the daughter of Tim and Amber Benson. She’s a multi-sport standout who also features basketball and track on her resume.
And, while she’s accomplished some amazing things athletically, Kayla shines even more brightly in the classroom. As of this writing, Benson is ranked number six overall and boasts a dazzling 4.30 grade point average.
Kayla is dedicated to academics in general, but she’s passionate about writing. She loves to read and to create works of prose and poetry … several of which have received high marks indeed.
For example, Benson has twice been honored with a silver medal in the National Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. Kayla was recognized for her achievements at a 2021 School Board meeting where she was praised by Honesdale Creative Writing instructor Jason Macey.
“National Scholastic Art & Writing is the pre-eminent competition in the nation,” he told the Board that day. “This is a big-time accomplishment.”
In Kayla’s mind, it’s also something she uses to motivate herself in striving for excellence.
“So far, I’ve earned two national silvers for poetry and creative nonfiction, putting me in the top 0.7 percent of young writers in the country,” she said. “I’m aiming for national gold this year.”
In addition to her competitive pursuits, Benson also serves as Editor of the HHS digital and literary journals. She’s currently working on a novel along with various advanced creative writing projects.
It’s a hectic schedule, one that coupled with athletics, consumes most of her waking hours.
“That makes my life super busy and chaotic right now,” Kayla said. “It’s very tough balancing my two devoted passions, golf and writing, but somehow I make it work.”
Back to States
One of the truly remarkable things about Benson’s evolution as a golfer is the fact that she’s still relatively new to the game.
Kayla only began taking golf seriously a little over two years ago. But, in that short span of time she’s already carved out a spot for herself among the high school elite.
As a sophomore, Benson earned a trip to the PIAA state tournament last fall by finishing second in Class AAA at the District 2 Championships. She shot 91 at states and wound up tied for 33rd place.
This fall, Kayla started off her junior season with a bang, placing third overall at the Bob Simons Classic. She then put together an outstanding season in Lackawanna League action.
Kayla took on a leadership role this fall, mentoring several of her younger teammates. In the process, she put up some excellent statistical numbers en route to a 14-3-0 regular season record. Benson was among the team leaders in birdies and pars while posting a stroke average of 39.
“Kayla just demands excellence of herself,” said Coach Mike Miller. “And then she has the focus to get there. Kayla believes that she can do anything on the golf course and sometimes she really can.”
For her part, Benson is pleased with the progress she’s made physically, but more proud of her emotional maturation.
“I’ve noticed a serious improvement in my demeanor on the course, meaning that I’ve learned to take it one shot at a time, instead of all 18 holes at once,” Kayla said.
“I’ve learned how to stay calm when I find myself in tough situations. And, personally, I think that that is the biggest improvement I’ve made to my game yet.“
That combination of physical and psychological progress is paying big dividends for Benson on the links.
After another stellar effort at districts, Kayla has once again qualified for states. On October 17-18, Benson will travel to Penn State to compete on the White Course at this year’s tourney.
Not surprisingly, Kayla has high expectations for herself. First and foremost, she wants to improve on last year’s effort.
“My goal for states this year is to stay below 80 both days,” she said. “But, I want to have a clear mind and I want to stay focused. Those two things are the recipe for success.”
Coach Miller firmly believes that the sky’s the limit for his star pupil. The veteran skipper couldn’t help but smile while talking about Kayla at the 27th Annual Wayne County Commissioners Cup. The event was held Wednesday afternoon at Red Maples.
Not surprisingly, Benson captured the overall title with a 1-under par round of 32.
“Kayla is a great kid,” Coach Miller said. “She works extremely hard and she’s very coachable. I’m just so happy for her and proud of everything she’s accomplished.”
A Bright Future
Benson’s future plans are to attend college and study medicine, but she also wants to hone her writing skills.
At this point in time, Kayla is looking at universities on the West Coast including Stanford, Cal Poly Pomona and Claremont McKenna. While she’s not yet certain as to a major (and whether or not she’ll continue her links career) Benson has genuinely noble intentions.
“I want to improve human quality of life with new medicine and technology,” Kayla said. “Overall though, my biggest aspiration is to inspire people and to change the world.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne County Wanderings Kevin Edwards Kayla Benson Honesdale golf
