Henderson Zeroing In on Elusive Track Goal

UCLA’s Monique Henderson could have gone with the tide and turned pro after she won a gold medal in the 1,600-meter relay at the Athens Olympics. Instead, she returned for her senior year with one objective -- and she’ll soon get her last chance to accomplish it.

Still seeking her first NCAA individual title, Henderson will run the 400 at this week’s NCAA track and field championships at Sacramento and will skip the 200 because of a tight right hamstring. The choice was recommended by Coach Jeannette Bolden, who didn’t want to risk the stress of multiple rounds in two events.

“I know it’s in my best interest,” Henderson said during a conference call. “It’s very important to me to win the title. It’s been my goal since I came to UCLA.”

Said Bolden: “No matter what happens at Sacramento, she’ll be missed as a Bruin. She’ll definitely be remembered as one of the top quarter-milers in collegiate history.”

UCLA won the women’s team title last year thanks to Henderson’s superb effort on the final leg of the 1,600 relay, but the Bruins are sending only nine athletes in 10 events and will have a tough time repeating. Besides Henderson, they’ll rely on defending pole vault champion Chelsea Johnson, who received an at-large bid after finishing sixth at the NCAA West regional.

“We may not have the quantity of athletes of past years, but we have the quality,” said Bolden, whose team was second to Stanford at the Pacific 10 Conference meet. “I’m looking forward to us being in the top three, and if we’re in the top three we’re definitely going to make a run.”

UCLA’s men’s team, also second in the Pac-10, will send a squad of 14. Senior Jon Rankin, who doubled in the 800 and 1,500 all season, will run only the 1,500.

USC senior Wes Felix, who won the 100 and the 200 at the NCAA regional, will compete in the 100. Junior high jumper Jesse Williams, vying to become the first Trojan to win the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in one season, will be challenged by freshman teammate Manjula Wijesekara of Sri Lanka, who jumped 7 feet 4 1/2 inches in April. The Trojans qualified 16 men in 11 events.

The Trojan women, fourth in the NCAA regional and the Pac-10, are led by All-American hurdler Virginia Powell, who won the NCAA 60-meter hurdles title indoors. She also won the Pac-10 100 and 100 hurdles titles and the 100 hurdles at the NCAA regional. She’ll also run on the 400 relay team, which is expected to contend.