University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Henderson, Cosby Named Pac-10 Women's T & F Athletes of the Year
June 23, 2005
UCLA seniors, Monique Henderson (track) and Jessica Cosby (field), have been named the 2005 Pac-10 Women's Track & Field Athletes of the Year, announced Thursday by conference commissioner Tom Hansen.
Henderson (San Diego/Morse HS) in 2005 at the Pac-10 meet became only the second woman in conference history (joining Arizona State's Maicel Malone, 1991) to repeat as the conference 200m (23.06)/400m (51.31) champion. At the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Henderson won the 400m in a personal-best time of 50.10 -- an in-season collegiate and Pac-10 record. It was recently announced that Henderson won the Honda Award for the sport of women's track and field. Last summer, at the Athens Olympics, Henderson won a gold medal on the U. S. 4 X 400m relay.
Cosby (Mission Hills/Cleveland HS) was also a double winner at the 2005 Pac-10 Championships, in the shot put (56-1.75) and hammer throw (216-10, meet record), joining UCLA's Christina Tolson (2001) as the only woman's athlete to win both events at the conference meet. At the 2005 NCAA Outdoor, Cosby scored 12 team points for the Bruins, placing third in both the shot put (55-1.50) and hammer throw (209-6). Cosby is the Pac-10 record-holder in the hammer throw (219-5).
A UCLA women's athlete has won the Pac-10 Track honor the last four years (2005 Monique Henderson; 2004 Sheena Johnson, 2003/2002 Lena Nilsson) and a total of 11 times in 19 seasons (1987-2005). The Pac-10 Field Athlete of the Year is a new award.
Also honored (the awards were decided by a vote of the conference's T & F coaches) on Thursday were: