LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 7, 2019) – Senior Cowgirl jumper Ja'la Henderson will travel to Birmingham, Ala., to compete among the elite triple jumpers at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. The two-day event begins on Friday at the Birmingham Crossplex, but Henderson's event begins at 2:30 p.m. (MT) on Saturday, March 9.
 
Fans can watch the event on ESPN3, and a link to the stream will be available on GoWyo.com
 
"It's very exciting," Henderson said. "It's a good experience to represent my school. (Jumps) Coach (Quincy) Howe has done an amazing job working with me, and I just want to showcase my talent. Hopefully I perform very well. It's just a true blessing."
 
Henderson set her championship-qualifying mark at the Texas Tech Shootout on February 8 in a meet that featured three NCAA qualifiers. Overall, Henderson has finished first in three long jump competitions this season, including a Mountain West title in the event.
 
"It's realizing her potential," Howe said. "We recruit a lot on potential, and her potential is being one of the top-10 jumpers in the country. Being able to realize her potential is a big step forward. We're proud of her progress and proud of her time. This hasn't been just a one-year thing, it's been building for four years as a senior. I'm happy she's realizing the potential we all saw when we recruited her."
 
Competitors who finish in the top eight at the national championships earn first-team All-American honors, while those that finish ninth through 16th are second-team All-Americans.
 
Henderson won the conference title this year with a mark of 42-8.25. She has won the conference title in each of the last two seasons.
 
Additionally, Henderson was an outdoor triple jump All-American last season, finishing 15th at the championship meet. She currently holds the school records in the indoor long and triple jumps, as well as the outdoor triple jump.