(Atlantic) Some of the top track and field athletes will be competing at the Bruce Henderson Invitational Track Meet in Atlantic later today.
The boy’s field includes St. Albert, Lewis Central, Shenandoah, Creston, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln, Harlan, Red Oak, Glenwood, Clarinda, and the host team, Atlantic.
Atlantic Head Coach Abby Becker says this is a “big meet” for them, and they worked on some of the finer details leading up to the relays on their home track today.
On the girls’ side, the teams competing include host school Atlantic, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson, Harlan, St. Albert, Lewis Central, Ankeny Centennial, Red Oak, Clarinda, Glenwood, Shenandoah, and Creston.
Atlantic Head Coach Matt Mullenix says the championship season begins tonight. Tonight’s meet is followed by conference meets, and the State Qualifying meet next week.
The meet is named after former Atlantic Head Girls’ Track and Field Coach Bruce Henderson, who built the girls’ track program from the ground up when he started it in 1974 and developed it into a state powerhouse, with seven state track titles and 22 Hawkeye Ten Conference Meet Championships while at the helm. Coach Henderson’s teams finished as state runners-up three times, third place three times, and fourth place four times, and also won 18 regional titles and 203 invitational track meet titles.
Coach Henderson is still active, now coaching the middle school track and field participants.
The meet starts at 4:00 p.m. at the Atlantic High School Track.
