SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 24, 2018) – Bridge City native Alexus Henry added to her stellar season last Thursday by earning a berth into next month’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Her effort headlined opening-day action at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

Henry cleared 1.80m (5-10 ¾) to claim her second-ever trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships (2016). It also will be Henry’s second national appearance in 2018, following a 10th-place showing in the event at this year’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Henry, seeded first in the region and third nationally, was one of 10 individuals to top 1.80m, and will be one of 24 finalists in the event in Eugene, Ore., on June 9.

Henry missed on her opening attempt at 1.70m (5-7), but cleared the bar on her next try. She then was successful on her first attempts at both 1.75m (5-8 3/4) and 1.80m, and did not need to continue jumping because the top 12 automatically qualified.

Henry, broke the school’s outdoor high jump record by more than two inches and moved into first place in the NCAA rankings this season with a big performance in late April.

Henry cleared 6-1 ½ (1.78 meters) during the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Invitational. She is the first UTA female ever to clear the 6-foot mark outdoors. Earlier this season she matched the school standard of 5-11 ¼, which had stood since 1999.

The native of Bridge City, Texas, now holds the solo records in both the indoor (6-1 ¼) and outdoor high jump, as well as the indoor pentathlon mark (3,895 points).

Henry is the 2014 and 2015 Orange Leader Female Athlete of the Year after starring in basketball, volleyball and track for the Lady Cardinals.