(Atlantic) A large crowd of community members and former athletes gathered in the High School Auditorium to honor their beloved Atlantic Hall of Head Girl’s Track Coach and Cross-Country Coach Bruce Henderson
On Monday, Atlantic Athletic Director Andy Mitchell and community members planned a ceremony to rename the Trojan Relays “The Bruce Henderson Invitational.” Due to the inclement weather, school officials called off the meet and moved the ceremony honoring Mr. Henderson inside.
Coach Henderson started the Girl’s Track program in the early 1970s, and it wasn’t long after that the program became a power. As head coach, Henderson’s teams won seven State Track Championships and 22 Hawkeye Ten Conference Meet Titles during his career, not to mention his success as the Head Cross Country Coach.
Jackie Hoover, now Jackie Sampson, and her twin-sister Billie were members of the first state championship team in 1983. Jackie learned many life lessons under Coach Henderson.
Billie Hoover spoke of what she learned from Coach as a student-athlete.
Atlantic Activities Director Andy Mitchell presented plaques to Don Jenkins and Barb Olsen, two coaches assisting Coach Henderson during most of his career. Olsen learned a lot about the results of hard work.
Not only did Coach Henderson mold his athletes into a team, but he also treated his assistant coaches as a team, something that Coach Jenkins pointed out during his speech. Jenkins says Coach Henderson didn’t care about taking the credit.
Officials say renaming the track meet in honor of Bruce Henderson recognizes his resume of achievements in girls track and field as one of the best in Iowa but how he believed in all of his athletes and how they could contribute to the team and make themselves better. Coach Henderson says the entire event was fun because his family was in attendance and many of his former athletes. When asked about not caring who got the credit for all of the success?
Atlantic High School Athletic Director Andy Mitchell presented a plaque recognizing all of Coach Henderson’s accomplishments. In addition to that, Coach Henderson’s face was engraved on the track medals.
Congratulations to Coach Henderson.
Mike Jay, longtime Drake Relays and State Track and Coast-to-Coast Track announcer known as the “Voice of Track and Field in America was scheduled to announce the meet. Mike Jay prepared a taped presentation for the evening’s ceremony posted below.
