June 14, 2005

Capturing the NCAA Division I 400-meter title in record time
apparently helped UCLA's Monique Henderson earn college track and
field female Athlete of the Year honors yesterday.

Henderson, who graduates Sunday, edged Texas' Marshevet Hooker,
Tennessee's Tianna Madison and USC's Virginia Powell after voting by
1,000 member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards
program, now in its 29th year.


"It's a huge honor," said the Morse High graduate. "I know Jackie
Joyner-Kersee won it previously, and I was a little surprised
because all the other finalists were multi-event athletes at the
NCAAs."

Although she ran just one event, Henderson set an NCAA meet record,
winning the 400 by more than seven-tenths of a second in a school
record and personal best 50.10 seconds Saturday in Sacramento.

Although Henderson limited herself to that single event, her first
individual NCAA title, all season she ran the 200 and 400 as well as
both relay events for the Bruins.

"I'm sure they take the whole year into consideration," said
Henderson, who will compete in the U.S. National Championships
starting June 23 in Carson in hopes of qualifying for the World
Championships the first week of August in Helsinki, Finland.

She also is in the running for the NCAA female Athlete of the Year
honors which will be announced June 29.