“I spend all that time training for the feeling of PRing,” senior Lindsay Hendrickson said.
“I could care less about the placement of certain meets, but to do well personally, that’s why I spend so much time doing this.”
Track and field athlete Hendrickson did just that in the triple jump at the NCS Redwood Empire meet, where she finally surpassed her personal record of 35’11” when she jumped a 36’3”, finally allowing her to reach her season goal of passing the 36 foot mark.
“What is that, just four inches?” she said, thinking aloud. “But it’s so much different than going from 35’4” to 35’9”.

Hendrickson’s talent goes beyond the triple jump event. She has participated in four events throughout her track and field career, including the 4 by 100, the 100, the long jump, and her best event: the triple jump.
Hendrickson’s athleticism has qualified her for the NCS finals Meet of Champions each year since she joined the team as a freshman.
“I had just finished 10 years of gymnastics,” she said. “And since triple jump is an incredibly technical event, my coaches figured that I would be one step ahead in the technical aspect of it.”
Redwood track coach Laura Schmitt and jump coach Bret Johnson’s thoughts proved to be correct. As Hendrickson makes her MCAL exit and heads to the University of Michigan this fall, she leaves holding this year’s top spots in both the triple and long jump.
Though she has been able to excel in triple jump, Hendrickson’s body does not mimic one of the “ideal” jumper. She is slender, and at 5’4”, she is considerably shorter than most jumpers. However, her sheer technique allows her to fly past competitors.
“You can be strong and tall and all the qualities you need to be a good jumper,” she said. “But if you don’t have the technique, you won’t be able to go far at all.”