Drexel University Athletics
Drexel Alum Chris McKendry Named 2026 ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award Recipient
8/19/2026 11:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis, Drexel Athletics
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Intercollegiate Tennis Association ("ITA") announced today the selection of Chris McKendry as the recipient of the 2026 ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award. Now in the award's 32nd year, McKendry will be celebrated in New York on Saturday, August 29 as part of the ITA Leadership Awards Weekend, presented by Limoneira.
Along with her work as an analyst for ESPN, McKendry has served on Drexel's Board of Trustees since 2018 and also serves on the Athletics and Academic Affairs Committees. She was nominated by Drexel and named to the World Association of Co-op Hall of Fame in 2018 and inducted into Drexel 100 in 2017. McKendry was the keynote address speaker for the College of Arts and Sciences commencement in 2016 and served as Master of Ceremony at Drexel's "The Future is a Place We Make" campaign launch in 2017.
As one of the most prestigious awards a former college tennis player can be honored with, the ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award has paid tribute to past participants in the world of varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in their chosen careers. The award honors both professional success and contributions to society made either as a result of a career or through humanitarian efforts. Endowed by Margie and Stan Smith in 2015, the ITA Achievement Award was named in honor of the long-serving Executive Director and ITA Chairman of the Board, Dr. David A Benjamin.
"Chris McKendry represents everything the ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award was created to celebrate," said ITA CEO, David Mullins. "From her days as a student-athlete at Drexel to becoming one of the most respected and recognizable voices in sports media, Chris has demonstrated the confidence, resilience, and leadership that are so often developed through the college tennis experience. We are incredibly proud to recognize Chris with this prestigious award and look forward to celebrating her remarkable journey and contributions to tennis during our Leadership Awards Weekend in New York."
Born in Philadelphia, McKendry graduated from Drexel in 1990, where she attended on a tennis scholarship. At Drexel, McKendry was a dean's list scholar for three years, and now serves on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater.
Upon graduating from Drexel, McKendry embarked on a career in journalism, working as a news anchor in some of the largest markets and for some of the biggest sports entities in the world on her way to becoming one of the most respected sports journalists covering a wide variety of sports.
Getting her start in Washington, D.C., McKendry worked at WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate, where she was the first woman to work as a television sports news anchor in the market. In June 1996, McKendry received a regional Sports
Emmy in the Best Sports Segment Category for "NFL 101," which illustrated how to watch football. In 1996, she worked with TNT and TBS during the NBA Playoffs as a sideline reporter and feature reporter. Celebrating 30 years at ESPN in 2026, McKendry began her career at ESPN in 1996 as a SportsCenter anchor, where she has spent years hosting numerous time slots of the most prolific sports show in television history. In addition to her role as an anchor on SportsCenter, McKendry also worked on the coverage of the Little League World Series, Winter X Games, and the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Utilizing her tennis background, McKendry made a switch in April 2016 to focus on the sport she grew up playing, tennis. Within this role, she hosted ESPN's coverage of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. In 2026, McKendry will further her role in ESPN's coverage, serving as a play-by-play announcer for the network's Grand Slam coverage.
"It's an honor to receive the ITA David A Benjamin Award," stated McKendry. "All these decades later, I am thrilled to be recognized as a student athlete! I'm equally excited to see Drexel University listed alongside other world class institutions. I developed my game on Philadelphia's public courts. One fateful Saturday afternoon at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center (now Legacy), I met Drexel's coach Laura White. Everything about me was a bit raw. Drexel added the polish to my game and my world. I was never the best player on the team but I absorbed the best aspects of college athletics; confidence, resilience, camaraderie, and friendship."
McKendry continues, "My current position at ESPN has brought my career and life full circle. It's come back to tennis at the public park. Only this park is the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and I'll be talking not hitting. But, my professional foundation is rooted in college athletics. Being a former collegiate player has given me credibility amongst my peers and the players. It has provided me with a keen understanding of competition and empathy for the athletes. I'd also like to mention how meaningful it is to receive an award endowed by Stan and Margie Smith. Margie was part of the first women's team at Princeton in 1971, two years after the University had gone co-ed. Trailblazing women like Margie knocked down barriers for my generation of student athletes. I am forever thankful. Finally, I sincerely thank David Benjamin for his tireless efforts on behalf of college players at every level."
"The lessons learned on the tennis court during the college years are synergistic to the academic lessons of higher education," noted ITA Chairman Emeritus, David A Benjamin. "The winners of the ITA Achievement Award are extraordinarily accomplished individuals who benefited from the experience of intercollegiate competition, went on to outstanding career achievements, and have made significant contributions to their communities. Chris McKendry, our 2026 ITA Achievement Award Laureate, is a marvelous embodiment of this award."
About the ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award: The ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award pays tribute each year to past participants in the world of varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in their chosen careers. The spirit of the award honors both professional success and contributions to society, made either as a direct result of a career, or through humanitarian efforts. In 2015, Margie and Stan Smith endowed the ITA Achievement Award in honor of Benjamin.
