By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Sylvan Hills alumnus Jeff Henderson finished second in the long jump at the recent USTAF indoor nationals meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Henderson, who won a state title for Sylvan Hills in the same event his senior year in 2007, had a leap measured at 26-00.75 to claim the runner-up spot.
Henderson’s jump matched winner Jeremy Hicks’, but Henderson ended up with foulson his five other attempts, which gave him no other measurement to fall back on for a tiebreaker.
“I’m surprised I jumped that far,” Henderson said. “I’ve never jumped that far before indoors. I have outdoors.”
Henderson works with AAU team elite coach Walter Harris and former Olympic triple jumper Brian Wellman.
Henderson has been competing on a semi-regular basis since graduating from Sylvan Hills in 2007.
He balances his time between training and college at Pulaski Tech.
Henderson is getting his basic courses out of the way at this point and plans on pursuing a degree in architecture.
Henderson intends to go through Olympic qualifying trials for the 2012 Summer Games in London.