Midland Daily News > Sports > Fogus earns lacrosse scholarship to Aquinas College > Tri-Cities > Michigan
Freeland’s Henderson earns track/cross country scholarship to SVSU

One of the most versatile athletes in Freeland’s senior class will be taking his talents to the Saginaw Valley State track and field and cross country programs next school year.

Three-sport athlete Kyle Henderson signed a national letter of intent last week to compete in track and cross country for the Cardinals.

“It showed me that I have the potential to be a very successful college runner,” Henderson said of SVSU’s scholarship offer. “I think I’m ready to run at the college level.

“I couldn’t have gotten where I am today without (Freeland track and cross country) coach (Jason) Robinson and my dad.”

“Kyle’s a very gifted runner,” said Robinson, who has coached Henderson since he was in seventh grade. “He is very naturally talented, but he’s talented because of hard work more than anything. He spends lots of time running on his own in the offseason.”

In cross country, Henderson’s personal best time of 16:15 in the five-kilometer run last fall put him in the top five all-time in Freeland’s program, Robinson said. Henderson placed second at the Division 3 regional despite having sprained his ankle two days earlier.

In track, Henderson was part of the Falcons’ school record-breaking 3,200-yard relay last spring.

On top of cross country and track, Henderson is in the midst of his final high school wrestling season and has already become the school’s all-time wins leader with 189 wins. He’ll try to qualify for the individual state finals for the fourth straight year.

“I’ve loved all three sports. I might as well get the most out of high school while I can,” Henderson said.

A chance to learn from one of the greatest | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal
A chance to learn from one of the greatest

I’m a relatively new track and cross country coach with only four years listed on my resume.

But even a newcomer will appreciate that the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA) encompasses most of the positive results seen in Michigan’s track and field and cross country programs.

I yearned for an opportunity to attend a MITCA educational clinic, but missed them due to calendar and financial conflicts. When I read that Jim Ryun was scheduled to speak this year, I knew this would be the clinic not to miss.

Ryun is one of our country’s most extraordinary distance runners of all time. He broke world records in the 800 and 1,500 meter and one-mile events (before the age of 21).

“The Jim Ryun Story” was one of the first books I borrowed from the Central Michigan University library when I was a student. I’ve been an admirer ever since.