It has taken track and field standout Bailey Hensgens only two years to establish herself as one of the top high school combination jumpers in the state of Missouri.
The rising junior from Incarnate Word Academy is already a two-time state champion at the high school level. She now has a national championship in the high jump to add to her growing list of athletic accomplishments.
Competing for the Blues Track Club this summer, Hensgens won the gold medal in the 15-16 age division at last week’s Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics, which were held in Humble. Texas. She won the event with a clearance of 5 feet 7 inches. Hensgens also brought home a second medal when she finished in seventh place in the long jump.
Hensgen has been a standout performer at IWA since entering the program. In her freshman year, she won the state title in the high jump and finished seventh in the long jump to help lead the Red Knights to the Class 3 state championship. It was the first team state championship in track and field in the school’s history.
As a sophomore, Hensgens followed up with an even better performance at the state meet as she was the Class 4 state champion in the long jump and triple jump. She won the high jump by clearing 5-10 and the triple jump with an effort of 39 feet 4 ¼ inches. She also finished second in the long jump.
In addition to her prowess in track and field, Hensgens is also a standout volleyball player for the Red Knights. Her hectic summer track schedule does not prevent her from playing club volleyball for the Rockwood Thunder, which is one of the top summer programs in the Midwest region.
Hensgens’ success in track and field is following a strong family tradition in the sport. She is the daughter of former Gateway Tech track star Kathryn Coleman, who led the Jaguars to a state championship in 2004.
Coleman was a star in multiple events in high school. She was a state champion and a 40-foot jumper in the triple jump. She was also a strong sprinter and hurdler. She began her career at SEMO, where she was an Ohio Valley Conference champion in the long jump. She finished her career at national powerhouse LSU.