Jolyta Henderson

**Jolyta Henderson** serves as the head coach for both the cross country and track and field programs. Henderson enters her first season at the helm of the cross country program after assuming the reigns in the summer of 2022, becoming the ninth head coach in program history. Additionally, she is in her fourth season as head coach of the Skyhawk track and field program after becoming the fifth head coach in the program’s Division I history back the fall of 2019.

Henderson made history when she was elevated to head coach after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the UT Martin track and field programs. Henderson, then 25, was the youngest female African American head coach in UT Martin and Ohio Valley Conference history while ranking amongst the nation’s youngest head coaches.

During her time at UT Martin, Henderson has been critical in the development of a reintroduced program after over a decade hiatus. During her tenure, UT Martin has seen the roster consistently grow to over 50 members while recording numerous school records.

The 2022 season showed the program's continued ascension as the Skyhawks posted their highest finishes in the OVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively. During the outdoor season UT Martin's men finished fourth in the championship with 73 total points - it's best finish in the championship - while the women's team came in ninth with four points. In addition to the Skyhawks team success, Darius Holland was honored at the championship as the league's OVC Male Co-Freshman of the Year after a season full of school records in the long jump and triple jump. On top of that, the men's DMR team of Cole Davis, John Collin Askew, Andre Brown and Luke McNair strung together a championship performance with a time of 10:05.75 to claim first place. Then at the OVC Outdoor Championship, the Skyhawks posted numerous personal records - including three new school records - along with six medalist honors. UT Martin's men finished the championship in fifth with 80 points - setting a new program scoring record - while the women finished ninth.

The Skyhawks posted their best finish at the OVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship since the program was reintroduced in 2021 with four medalists and 21 scoring performances. UT Martin's men finished the championship with 59 points which ranked as a modern-era record before being shattered a year later. Senior Ryan Ford was named the UT Martin Bob Carroll Male Athlete of the Year after posting a pair of podium finishes including an OVC title after winning the 5k and finishing second in the 10k. Following the championship, Ford (10k) and Holland (long jump) qualified for the NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary in their respective events.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 OVC Outdoor Championship and 2021 OVC Indoor Championship were canceled.

During the 2019 track season, UT Martin took its program to another level of competition at the OVC Championships. At the OVC Indoor Championship the Skyhawks posted four event titles overall including the men's DMR which recorded the fourth-fastest time in OVC history. Individually, freshman Tyreke Sapp ranked as the highest point scorer at the championship after contributing on the DMR while winning individual titles in the 60m and 200m events. Meanwhile, another freshman Brady Fry set a new program record with a title in the 60m hurdles. A total of seven school records were broken during the 2019 indoor season, including the 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400m, mile, 3k and DMR. Along with competitive success, the Skyhawk men's squad earned the OVC Team Sportsmanship Award.

In the outdoor track season, the Skyhawks tallied three school records in the men's 110m hurdles and 4x100m while posting a school mark in the women's high jump. At the OVC Outdoor Championship, Oisin O'Gailin posted a pair of top-five finishes in the 5k (second) and 1500m (fifth) while Fry finished runner-up in the 110m hurdle. Junior Leonel Perez (800m) and freshman Alexis Grandys (5k) also recorded top-five times.

A former collegiate athlete herself, Henderson competed in sprints, jumps and hurdles at Murray State University. During her time at Murray State, she achieved many personal records in sprints and hurdles. Along with her athletic ability, she was voted to the team’s Leadership Council.

Prior to her collegiate career, Henderson was a five-time Tennessee state champion at Dyersburg High School. Henderson competed in sprints, jumps, hurdles and the pentathlon. She qualified for the Tennessee State Track and Field Championships in the 4x100, 4x200, 400m, long jump and triple jump where she held several school records.

Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and wellness from Murray State in 2016. She later completed her Master’s in family and consumer science from UT Martin in 2018.