CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• Six Conference Champions in Combined Events
• Three Conference Champions in Weight Throw
• One All-American in Decathlon (Nick Trubachik, 2010)
• Two Conference Champions in the triple jump (Sean Mackelvie, 2013; Gifton Okoronkwo, 2014)
• Two Conference Champions in the long jump (Joenisha Vinson, 2013; Baileh Simms, 2014)
Seth Henson enters his eighth season as assistant coach in charge of combined events, throws and jumps, after serving as a graduate assistant for the 2007-08 season. This year will mark Henson’s 13th on the Park Blocks, as he also competed at PSU from 2002-2007.
Henson has established himself as one of best combined events coaches on the West Coast, most recently helping Joenisha Vinson win Big Sky titles in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon during the 2013 season. Vinson, the Big Sky Athlete of the Meet at the conference indoor and outdoor championships in 2013, also became the women's program's first national qualifier in the heptathlon at the Division I level, and set a new school record at nationals at 5,563 points. Additionally, Vinson won a conference title in the long jump under Henson in 2013, and qualified for the NCAA West Regional in the event.
During the 2014 season, Henson helped former PSU football player Nevin Lewis get to the verge of nationals in the decathlon despite never having completed a full decathlon before in his career. Under Henson's tutelage, Lewis scored 7,268 points in his first-ever completed decathlon, then placed second in the decathlon at the Big Sky Championships with a score of 7,235 points.
Henson has also helped Sean Mackelvie and Gifton Okoronkwo win Big Sky titles in the outdoor and indoor triple jump, respectively, during the 2013-14 seasons, and helped then-freshman Baileh Simms win the Big Sky title in the outdoor long jump during the 2014 season. Additionally, as the Vikings' coach in charge of throws, Henson has helped Hanna Johnson and Sydney Johnson set school records in the shot put and discus, respectively. Sydney Johnson set her school record as a freshman in 2013, and qualified for junior nationals in the event that seasaon.
Jumper Sean Mackelvie also qualified for the NCAA championships in the javelin in 2012 under Henson, when he set the school record in the event. Fellow jumper Rockwell Tufty, meanwhile, set the school record in the outdoor high jump while placing second in the event at the 2014 Big Sky Outdoor Championships.
Earlier in his career, Henson oversaw the training for Nick Trubachik, the Vikings' only NCAA Division I All-American, who placed seventh in the decathlon at the 2010 NCAA outdoor meet. Trubachik then went on to place eighth at that season's U.S. Nationals and compete for Team U.S.A.
Additionally, Trubachik and Vinson each hold school records in both the indoor and outdoor combined events, while Henson's athletes hold school records in 11 different events overall (women's indoor shot put, indoor weight throw, indoor pentathlon, outdoor shot put, discus, hammer throw, heptathlon; men's indoor heptathlon, indoor high jump, javelin and decathlon).
Henson started working with Vinson, a hurdler originally, at the beginning of the 2010 season, and saw her qualify for the conference championships in the pentathlon and heptathlon by the end of the year. Vinson entered the pentathlon ranked ninth overall that season, but finished the competition with a bronze medal, the first of 12 All-Big Sky honors in her career.
Henson also assisted in coaching athletes in the combined events and throws during his first season on staff during the 2007-08 school year. Among those under his tutelage during that first season were 2007 Female Viking Athlete of the Year Caressa Sims, who was the Big Sky Champion in the indoor weight throw, and Male Viking Athlete of the Year Trubachik, who claimed the outdoor decathlon title at the 2008 Big Sky Championships. Henson also guided Trubachik to an indoor heptathlon championship in 2009 as well.
Prior to coaching at Portland State, Henson worked with La Salle High School in Milwaukie, Ore., specializing in strength and conditioning, and working with the throwers and vaulters. While there, Henson coached three state qualifiers, two of which received all-state honors.
As an athlete at PSU, Henson graduated fourth all-time in the indoor shot put, fifth all-time in the decathlon and sixth all-time in the discus. He still ranks in the top 10 of all three categories.
A native of Albany, Ore., Henson graduated from South Albany High School in 2002. In 2007, he graduated from Portland State with a bachelor’s degree in community health, focusing on physical activity and exercise.
