American singer-songwriter Benson Boone made headlines after a controversial performance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, where he wore a very tight jumpsuit and did flips while singing. Before that, he was best known for his top song, Beautiful Things. Little did we know, Boone was actually an avid performer in the world of sports before he was famous onstage, competing in cross-country and pole vault while in high school.
Boone attended Monroe High School in Monroe, Wash., joining the cross country team in ninth grade and racing at seven meets in two months. At just 14 years old, he clocked an impressive 5,000m personal best of 20:00 at the WESCO regional cross-country Championships in Washington state.
His participation in athletics didn’t stop there. Throughout his freshman and sophomore years, Boone joined the track and field team as a pole vaulter–which is unsurprising, after seeing his ability to flip around onstage. In 10th grade, Boone vaulted to his personal best of 3.81m.
Me, a guy who follows T&F, watching Benson Boone nail a front flip with a twist off the piano at the Grammys: “Man, that dude’s athletic, I wonder if…”
Sure enough, @bensonboonex was a HS pole vaulter (12′-6″ soph yr) in Monroe, WA before his singing career took off. pic.twitter.com/hAqSbrGDKE
— Dave Devine (@PDX_devine) February 6, 2025
Boone first gained popularity when he appeared on the reality show American Idol in 2021, but dropped out of the competition after going viral on TikTok. He released his debut single “Ghost Town” later that year. In 2024, Boone performed on his first world tour, and in November, received his first Grammy nomination, in the category of Best New Artist. Other nominees included Sabrina Carpenter, Raye, Teddy Swims and the winner, Chappell Roan.
