Lauren Henkel, one of the most accomplished athletes in New York University history, is in her second year serving as an assistant coach of both the Violets’ men’s and women’s track & field teams. Now in her third stint on staff, Henkel’s main responsibilities are to work with NYU’s jumpers.
Under Henkel’s tutelage, sophomore Alex Simonoff had her finest collegiate season in 2011. She scored in the long jump (5.08m) at the UAA Indoor Championships, and won the event (5.00m) and recorded a personal-best in the triple jump (9.87m) at the Emory Invitational. Simonoff set a career-best in the long jump (5.11m) at the Matthew Vassar Open, and also won the event at The College of New Jersey Invitational and at the Haverford Keogh Invitational.
On the men’s side, Henkel helped senior Joe Lota score in the triple jump at both the indoor and outdoor UAA Championships.
Prior to rejoining the staff in November 2010, Henkel spent two seasons (2004-06) as the women’s assistant track & field coach and two seasons (2007-09) as a men’s and women’s assistant track & field coach at NYU. She helped produce two University Athletic Association (UAA) champions in her first year, as Lauren Pringle won the indoor 55-meter hurdles, as well as the indoor and outdoor high jumps, while Crystal Winter won the outdoor 400-meter hurdles.
In 2005-06, she was instrumental in helping Winter capture the New York State 100-meter championship, as well as the UAA outdoor 400-meter hurdles title.
A four-year member of the Violets’ women’s track & field team, Henkel earned NCAA All-America honors in the high jump three times. She established 11 NYU individual and relay records, and was a nine-time UAA champion in a variety of events.
In 2010, Henkel was inducted into the NYU Hall of Fame.
“Lauren was quite possibly NYU’s greatest female track & field athlete ever,” said Violets' head coach Nick McDonough. “With her great success as an athlete and her previous coaching experience with our program, we’re certainly excited to have her back with us."
A 2004 graduate of NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education with a Bachelor of Science degree in studio art, Henkel also earned many academic awards. During her distinguished career, she received the NYU President’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, the Varsity Club Freshman Athlete of the Year Award, the Dan Quilty/NIT Scholar-Athlete Award, the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award, and the NYU Alumni Association Student-Athlete of the Year Award. Henkel also received the Ida Bodman Service Award for her work in the community.
Henkel’s versatility and excellence as an athlete extended beyond the track, as she also earned All-American and All-UAA honors as a member of the Violets’ women’s soccer team.
Now in her fourth year as the Assistant Equipment Room Manager at NYU’s Palladium Athletic Facility, Henkel also works as an artist has had her paintings and artwork appear in local galleries in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the surrounding NYC areas.
Henkel, who also earned a Master of Science degree in sports business from NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies in 2010, is a native of Rockville Centre, NY.
