KJAN
Radio Atlantic, Iowa
May 21, 2012
by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Activities Director/Assistant Principal Josh RASMUSSEN has announced Trojann Head Track Coach Bruce HENDERSON is retiring from his position after 39-years of leading the Atlantic Girls' Track Team.

The 2002 National Coach of the Year said he had been going back and forth on his decision to retire throughout the year and didn't actually make the decision until the weekend before the state track meet. Coach HENDERSON says there were three or four factors for why he decided to retire at this time, including no longer being a teacher, a winter home in Texas, and some advice from an old coaching buddy.

Coach HENDERSON, who is originally from Mount Ayr, started the girls' track program in Atlantic during the 1973-1974 school year. Coach HENDERSON said there weren't a lot of girls with interest in track at the time, but over the years the interest slowly started to gain. He credits assists Larry BULLOCK, Don JENKINS, and Barb OLSEN for helping build the program over the years. OLSEN, in particular, was one of the driving forces as she eventually won the first ever National Assistant Coach of the Year award.

Under Coach HENDERSON'S leadership, the Trojann track team won seven state championships (1983, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 & 2004), and 22 Hawkeye-10 conference championships. The Atlantic girls' track program and Coach HENDERSON also shares a few state records for most team Championships won by a head coach, HENDERSON (7), most team championships (7), and most consecutive team championships won by a school (4) (1998 - 2001).

Coach HENDERSON said out of the seven state championships he remembers the first and second titles the most. The first one, in 1983, he will always remember because it was the first one. The last one, in 2004, will always be remembered because he says there was "no way" they ever should have won the title. He tells the story of how things slowly started going their way through the weekend and culminated in a 4x400 victory by Hall of Famer Courtney JACOBS and company.

Coach HENDERSON has also been recognized for his accomplishments at the state and national level. In 2008, Coach HENDERSON was inducted into the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2002, Coach HENDERSON was named National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches and a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2003.

Bruce and his wife Gail, both retired educators, reside in Atlantic.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2012