View source for Monique Henderson

{{short description|American track and field athlete (born 1983)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Monique Henderson
| image =
| caption = 
| fullname = Monique Marie Henderson
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|February 18, 1983}}
| birth_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Women's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] }}
{{MedalCountry| {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition| [[Olympic Games]] }}
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 meter relay]] }}
{{MedalGold| [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 meter relay]] }}
}}

'''Monique Marie Henderson ''' (born February 18, 1983, in [[San Diego, California]]) is an American [[track and field]] athlete, who specializes in the [[400-meter dash]]. Henderson was a [[gold medal]]ist in both the [[2004 Olympic Games]] in [[Athens, Greece]] and the [[2008 Olympic Games]] in [[Beijing, China]] as a member of the American [[4 × 400-meter relay]] squad.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/monique-henderson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000857/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/monique-henderson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-18 |title=Monique Henderson |access-date=2011-09-03}}</ref>

As a young runner, she set the still standing American record for 9-10-year-old girls in the 400 meters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://legacy.usatf.org/statistics/records/view.asp?division=american&location=outdoor%20track%20&%20field&age=youth&sport=TF|title=USATF - Statistics - Records|website=legacy.usatf.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref>

Henderson prepped at [[Samuel F. B. Morse High School|Morse High School]] in San Diego '01. She is the only four-time [[400 metres|400 meters]] California State Champion in the state's history from 98–01.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/stateres.htm |title=California State Meet Results - 1915 to present |publisher=Hank Lawson |access-date=2012-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092406/http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/stateres.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1999 while in high school, age 16, she won the 400 m at the World Youth Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland. At age 17, she set a US junior class, as well as [[United States high school records in track and field|high school national record]] (since broken), at 50.74 in the 400 m at the [[CIF California State Meet]]. In 2000, still in high school, she was named to the US Olympic track and field team. Selected as an alternate (Pool) for the 4 × 400 m squad but did not run.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://trackfield.brinkster.net/OlympicTrials.asp?TourCode=T&Year=2000&Gender=W&TF=T&P=F&By=Y&Count=|title=Track and Field Statistics|website=trackfield.brinkster.net|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref> That year she was named the national Girl's "High School Athlete of the Year" by ''[[Track and Field News]]''.<ref>[http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/HSAOYs.pdf Track and Field News High School AOY] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013091646/http://trackandfieldnews.com/archive/HSAOYs.pdf |date=October 13, 2011 }}. (PDF) . Retrieved on 2011-09-03.</ref>

After graduating from high school in 2001 she accepted a scholarship to attend UCLA. While at [[UCLA]] in 2002, she place 1st in the 400 m at the World Junior Championship held in Kingston Jamaica. Also at UCLA she went on to be a five-time Pac-10 champion. In 2004, she placed second at the NCAA championships at 400 m. The next year she became the 2005 [[NCAA Outdoor Women's Track and Field Championship|NCAA outdoor champion]] at 400 m, establishing a new [[NCAA Women's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships#Championship records|NCAA record]] (50.10). In 2005, she won the [[Honda Sports Award|Honda Award]] as the nation's best female collegiate track and field athlete.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pac-12.com/article/2005/06/21/five-finalists-including-uclas-monique-henderson-named-2005-collegiate-woman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326121244/https://pac-12.com/article/2005/06/21/five-finalists-including-uclas-monique-henderson-named-2005-collegiate-woman|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 26, 2020|title=Five Finalists, Including UCLA's Monique Henderson, Named For 2005 Collegiate Woman Athlete Of The Year|date=June 21, 2005|website=Pac-12 Conference|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/archives/trackfield|title=Track & Field|website=CWSA|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref>

Since 2010, the gold medal at the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Athens Olympics in 2004]] has been in doubt as [[Crystal Cox]], who ran for the team in a preliminary round, admitted to doping.<ref name=jobserver>{{cite web |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Jamaica-Athens-Olympics-women-s-4x400m-silver?ito=feeds-newsxml |title=Jamaica gains Athens Olympics women's 4x400m silver |date=March 16, 2010 |publisher=[[The Jamaica Observer]] |access-date=July 3, 2011}}</ref> However, as of 2012 the original result still stands.

She holds a [[master's degree]] in [[kinesiology]] and worked as a professor in the exercise science department at [[San Diego Mesa College]] until 2015 when she became the head coach at [[Golden West College]] in Summer 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gwcathletics.com/sports/wtrack/coaches/index|title=Women's Track & Field|website=Golden West College|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref><ref>moniquesbootcamp.com</ref>

==Honors==
Monique Henderson was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2009 hosted by [[Women's History Museum and Educational Center|Women's Museum of California]], Commission on the Status of Women, [[University of California, San Diego]] Women's Center, and [[San Diego State University]] Women's Studies.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{Team USA|new_id=monique-henderson|old_id=HE/Monique-Henderson|archive=20230323142513}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20040823030606/http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_22052.htm archive August 23, 2004])
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com profile}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620000346/http://usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf |title=The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field |date=mdy}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x400 m Women}}
{{Footer World Athletics U20 Champions women's 4x400 metres}}
{{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions 400 Metres Women}}
{{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions Medley Relay Women}}
{{Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2004 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{Women's Museum of California}}
{{Honda Sports Award}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Monique}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American women sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from San Diego]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic women sprinters]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:San Diego Mesa College alumni]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games]]