Monique Henderson
Samuel F.B. Morse High School
Impact Statement
The two time Olympic Gold Medlaist is the only four-time 400 meters California State Champion in the state’s history.
Biography
“Athletes like Monique Henderson are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best track athletes not only in the state of California, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”
Henderson, who will attend UCLA, is the nation’s top female sprinter. She will be going for her third straight state title in the 400-meter dash and her second straight 200-meter title this year. She set the national high school record in the 400 in the state finals last year – her time of 50.74 seconds marked the second week in a row she had set a national record in the event. She also has run the nation’s fastest 200-meter time this year, 23.16 seconds on April 21.
Henderson also has run the 100-meter dash, a race that is not her specialty, in 11.61 seconds, and will try to set Southern Section records in all three events this week.
While at UCLA, Henderson was a 5x Pac-10 Champion. She also won the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship in the 400-meter dash and set a record that still stands.
Henderson also won a Gold medal in Athens in the 4×400 meter relay, an honor she would repeat in Beijing at the 2008 Olympic Games.
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