Lehigh University Athletics
Henderson Just Keeps Running
4/3/2020 11:13:00 AM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field, Student Athlete, Features
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
It's Thursday, March 12. Maura Henderson has a hard time getting out the door for her morning run.
"I finally get myself out and slog through four miles… barely," she said. "Then, I walk in and hear the news."
All Patriot League spring seasons are canceled.
"In a physical manner, it felt like the world stopped," said Henderson.
"You could feel things stop moving."
"Like a Breakup Out of the Blue"
That day, the Patriot League announced the cancellation of all spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA would go on to cancel its winter and spring championships later that afternoon.
Imagine pouring hours upon hours into your sport, then it's over just like that.
Student-athletes losing their seasons (and for some, careers) don't compare to the issues happening in the country, and world, right now. But it is heartbreaking nonetheless. It's something only the student-athletes, and those close to them, can fully understand.
It was especially difficult for Henderson, who has experienced so many ups and downs in her career. She's developed a unique bond to the sport, like so many student-athletes do.
As she said, "I very frequently refer to running as my significant other."
Following a difficult few years, Henderson was on an upward trajectory, but then it all stopped.
"After hearing the news, I went to be alone," she said. "I cried. I wanted all the information to process."
Not all paths in life will be smooth all the time, but how that person responds to adversity reveals character.
Maura Henderson is a true success story.
Breaking Records
Henderson began her Lehigh career on the lacrosse team, alongside her twin sister Jane. That changed after the fall semester of her freshman year.
"The team was great, but the sport wasn't for me," said Maura.
Henderson, who had begun falling in love with running in high school, reached out to assistant track and field coach Brooke Astor. She then had conversations with the head coaches for women's cross country and lacrosse – Debbie Utesch and Jill Redfern – about transitioning sports.
"They were both very supportive in the process," she said.
Henderson didn't waste any time to make an impact on her new team. In the spring of her freshman season, she scored points at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships in the 5K and earned third place in the Steeplechase.
As a sophomore in 2016-17, Henderson broke out. In cross country, she placed fifth overall at the Patriot League Championships, was named first team All-League and garnered All-Region accolades.
"Later that year in indoor, I earned every school record from the mile to the 5K," said Henderson. "Outdoor, I had the 3K, Steeplechase and 5K records and was Patriot League Champion in two events.
"But I felt a little burnt out at the end of the season. Like most athletes, I ignored it and pushed on when I should have taken some time to recharge my batteries."
Facing Adversity
The summer going into her junior year, something happened out of Maura's control. She started experiencing anemia, which is low ferritin (iron deficiency).
"If you have low ferritin, it's harder to breathe because your oxygen isn't going through the proper processes," said Henderson. "You typically feel it about two miles into a race and when you're running a nearly four-mile race, running two miles with oxygen deprivation is not ideal.
"I pulled through junior season and still got All-League in cross country, but decided to take some down time during the winter and not compete in indoor track."
Henderson went on to have a solid spring campaign, but she wasn't the same.
Her luck only got worse from there.
"I went abroad that summer and picked up a virus – no one could figure out what it was – and struggled my entire senior year," said Henderson.
That virus, combined with her anemia, was not a good combination.
Henderson enjoyed a couple solid races in 2018-19, but well below her high standards. She finished 41st overall at the Patriot League Cross Country Championships, one year after placing eighth and two years after finishing fifth.
"I eventually shut down track and field because senior year was essentially a wash."
With her performance trending in the wrong direction, Henderson could have easily quit, but she loved running too much to let go.
"It was a really negative time," she said. "You feel very, very alone, spending hours on a bike while your teammates are at practice. At meets, you see holes and think that should be you.
"Imagine driving a race car with a donut tire," Henderson continued. "Things still function, but it's a lot harder to do what you've always done. And that encompasses the entire range of my life during this time – from waking up to toeing the line.
"However, I feel fortunate that my 'crew team' – family, teammates and even competitors around the league – got behind me every day."
A critical member of Maura's "crew team" was Utesch, her cross country coach.
As Utesch said, "Throughout Maura's distressing ride between the incredible athletic highs and devastating lows, she worked hard to take on new team roles, adjust her perspective, adapt her expectations and just keep putting one foot in front of the other."
The Comeback
Maura was too strong a person to end it this way, and had too much support from those around her. She was planning on returning to Lehigh for graduate school anyway and would be able to receive a fifth year in all three seasons (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track).
"In the fall of my freshman year, I didn't run cross country," said Henderson. "Then junior year, I sat out indoor and most of outdoor track."
Maura returned in 2019-20 for the love of the sport, and the love of her teammates.
More than halfway through her fifth year, Henderson was in the midst of a strong bounce back season. She wasn't where she was a few years prior in terms of results. But she was impacting the program in so many ways.
"At the end of the day, I really wanted to make the Patriot League Championships rosters," said Henderson. "I was lucky to do it in cross country. I pulled together a couple good races and Coach Deb has a lot of faith in me as a leader and athlete. I didn't have the performance of my life, but I just wanted to be there and be on that team. It's a special experience to make a roster, especially in a sport as hard as ours where we can only take 12 people."
Unfortunately, Henderson didn't make the indoor track and field roster. But flash forward to today and with the way everything has played out, she called it a "blessing in disguise."
"I won the 3K at the Bucknell Tune-Up on February 21," said Henderson. "Most people don't get to say they ended their career on a win. My coaches always said if they could get one thing out of me, they wanted me to have a race I was proud of and was smiling."
That's exactly what happened.
"I was able to walk away from the Bucknell race very happy and with some unprecedented confidence.
"It really made me dream again."
Appreciating the Journey
Not long after she began dreaming, Henderson's sport was taken away – like it was for everyone.
"It's like a breakup out of the blue," said Henderson. "I care so much about my teammates, and my biggest loss is never getting to run beside them in a Lehigh uniform again. Of course we can keep running. I've done it every day since we heard the news, but there's so much camaraderie within this sport.
"I just want to be with my teammates."
Those teammates have learned so much from Maura, and truly admire who she is and everything she stands for.
"Maura has formed a deep wisdom that reaches all ends of the running journey," said junior Kara Bonner. "Whenever I've reached the finish line with tears welling in my eyes from happiness or frustration, Maura has always been there, ready to point out the positives. She's taught me the impact one leader can have on so many.
"She has always told me to celebrate the small victories in each race because you never know what tomorrow may bring."
Unfortunately for everyone, there will be no tomorrow of the 2020 season. Henderson was understandably devastated, but once she took several days to reflect, she has become more and more appreciative of her journey and her "crew team" – the people who have always been there for her.
"I'm very thankful I even got to one start line in a Lehigh uniform," said Henderson. "That was not in the cards for me originally and I couldn't be more grateful for Lehigh. Coach Deb is a huge influence on my life, and she's everything I want to be as a person. It's really nice to have her to look up to, along with (head track and field coach) Matt Utesch."
True Definition of Success
Maura has learned what success truly means. She admits she's become a stronger runner through the tough times.
"When you toe the line and have achieved so much, but know you can't even achieve half of that, you don't know who you are anymore," said Henderson.
"You don't really know the true value of success if you've never failed," she continued. "I definitely struggled with that when I was a sophomore. I would cry if I didn't win a race, but now, I would give anything to get third in a race.
"It puts perspective on what success means to you."
No one can take away Henderson's Patriot League Championships, but she knows records and accolades don't define her.
"When you aren't at 100 percent, but still have the courage to step back on the start line time after time as Maura did, that's when you see who a person truly is," said Bonner. "On the track, there is nowhere to hide. You have to be brave to put yourself out there. Maura showed everyone that in order to reach the good days, you have to be brave enough to push through the bad ones.
"Maura has a balance of grace and grit, which inspires all those around her – both on her team and throughout the entire Patriot League."
Remember when Henderson highlighted Patriot League student-athletes as part of her "crew team?" That's because Maura has made a concerted effort to build bridges across the league.
"I always tell my teammates that when we run past people in warmups, we don't just ignore them. We say hello. We stop and wave," said Henderson.
"You should want good things for your league mates because you never know what they're going through. I've had people across the league reach out to me all the time and tell me how inspiring I am because I didn't quit. And maybe I'm the reason they didn't quit."
It's obvious Henderson has truly cherished every aspect of her Lehigh journey and hasn't taken a single day for granted.
"Maura embraced the opportunity to put on a pair of spikes, compete beside teammates, push them to perform at their highest levels and shake hands with other racers, all while continuing to grow her personal development," said Debbie Utesch.
As Bonner said, "I am so proud of Maura and the resilience she's shown through our years together as teammates. Even though we have reached the finish line of that chapter, I will continue to look up to her for the rest of my life because people like Maura show me what courage is."
"Even when facing herself as her toughest competitor, Maura found ways to win," said Utesch. "The Lehigh women's cross country program is better for having experienced her influence… and so am I."
What's Next?
Henderson will finish her graduate degree in education within the next year, with aspirations of becoming an elementary school teacher.
She of course will continue to run as well.
"At this point, I have made a list of all the races I want to run next year," said Henderson. "A lot of them are around, if not at, Lehigh."
For Maura, Lehigh has been a place of so many emotions. Through the roller coaster ride of the past five years, there has been one steadying force…
"I've come to realize the only way I can cope with this loss is to: Just. Keep. Running."
It's Thursday, March 12. Maura Henderson has a hard time getting out the door for her morning run.
"I finally get myself out and slog through four miles… barely," she said. "Then, I walk in and hear the news."
All Patriot League spring seasons are canceled.
"In a physical manner, it felt like the world stopped," said Henderson.
"You could feel things stop moving."
"Like a Breakup Out of the Blue"
That day, the Patriot League announced the cancellation of all spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA would go on to cancel its winter and spring championships later that afternoon.
Imagine pouring hours upon hours into your sport, then it's over just like that.
Student-athletes losing their seasons (and for some, careers) don't compare to the issues happening in the country, and world, right now. But it is heartbreaking nonetheless. It's something only the student-athletes, and those close to them, can fully understand.
It was especially difficult for Henderson, who has experienced so many ups and downs in her career. She's developed a unique bond to the sport, like so many student-athletes do.
As she said, "I very frequently refer to running as my significant other."
Following a difficult few years, Henderson was on an upward trajectory, but then it all stopped.
"After hearing the news, I went to be alone," she said. "I cried. I wanted all the information to process."
Not all paths in life will be smooth all the time, but how that person responds to adversity reveals character.
Maura Henderson is a true success story.
Breaking Records
Henderson began her Lehigh career on the lacrosse team, alongside her twin sister Jane. That changed after the fall semester of her freshman year.
"The team was great, but the sport wasn't for me," said Maura.
Henderson, who had begun falling in love with running in high school, reached out to assistant track and field coach Brooke Astor. She then had conversations with the head coaches for women's cross country and lacrosse – Debbie Utesch and Jill Redfern – about transitioning sports.
"They were both very supportive in the process," she said.
Henderson didn't waste any time to make an impact on her new team. In the spring of her freshman season, she scored points at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships in the 5K and earned third place in the Steeplechase.
As a sophomore in 2016-17, Henderson broke out. In cross country, she placed fifth overall at the Patriot League Championships, was named first team All-League and garnered All-Region accolades.
"Later that year in indoor, I earned every school record from the mile to the 5K," said Henderson. "Outdoor, I had the 3K, Steeplechase and 5K records and was Patriot League Champion in two events.
Maura Henderson with her second league championship of the day! First place in the 5K in 16:37.34 🥇🥇 @LehighTFXC pic.twitter.com/0IMnDgtp0f
— Lehigh Sports (@LehighSports) May 6, 2017
"But I felt a little burnt out at the end of the season. Like most athletes, I ignored it and pushed on when I should have taken some time to recharge my batteries."
Facing Adversity
The summer going into her junior year, something happened out of Maura's control. She started experiencing anemia, which is low ferritin (iron deficiency).
"If you have low ferritin, it's harder to breathe because your oxygen isn't going through the proper processes," said Henderson. "You typically feel it about two miles into a race and when you're running a nearly four-mile race, running two miles with oxygen deprivation is not ideal.
"I pulled through junior season and still got All-League in cross country, but decided to take some down time during the winter and not compete in indoor track."
Henderson went on to have a solid spring campaign, but she wasn't the same.
Her luck only got worse from there.
"I went abroad that summer and picked up a virus – no one could figure out what it was – and struggled my entire senior year," said Henderson.
That virus, combined with her anemia, was not a good combination.
Henderson enjoyed a couple solid races in 2018-19, but well below her high standards. She finished 41st overall at the Patriot League Cross Country Championships, one year after placing eighth and two years after finishing fifth.
"I eventually shut down track and field because senior year was essentially a wash."
With her performance trending in the wrong direction, Henderson could have easily quit, but she loved running too much to let go.
"It was a really negative time," she said. "You feel very, very alone, spending hours on a bike while your teammates are at practice. At meets, you see holes and think that should be you.
"Imagine driving a race car with a donut tire," Henderson continued. "Things still function, but it's a lot harder to do what you've always done. And that encompasses the entire range of my life during this time – from waking up to toeing the line.
"However, I feel fortunate that my 'crew team' – family, teammates and even competitors around the league – got behind me every day."
A critical member of Maura's "crew team" was Utesch, her cross country coach.
As Utesch said, "Throughout Maura's distressing ride between the incredible athletic highs and devastating lows, she worked hard to take on new team roles, adjust her perspective, adapt her expectations and just keep putting one foot in front of the other."
The Comeback
Maura was too strong a person to end it this way, and had too much support from those around her. She was planning on returning to Lehigh for graduate school anyway and would be able to receive a fifth year in all three seasons (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track).
"In the fall of my freshman year, I didn't run cross country," said Henderson. "Then junior year, I sat out indoor and most of outdoor track."
Maura returned in 2019-20 for the love of the sport, and the love of her teammates.
More than halfway through her fifth year, Henderson was in the midst of a strong bounce back season. She wasn't where she was a few years prior in terms of results. But she was impacting the program in so many ways.
"At the end of the day, I really wanted to make the Patriot League Championships rosters," said Henderson. "I was lucky to do it in cross country. I pulled together a couple good races and Coach Deb has a lot of faith in me as a leader and athlete. I didn't have the performance of my life, but I just wanted to be there and be on that team. It's a special experience to make a roster, especially in a sport as hard as ours where we can only take 12 people."
Unfortunately, Henderson didn't make the indoor track and field roster. But flash forward to today and with the way everything has played out, she called it a "blessing in disguise."
"I won the 3K at the Bucknell Tune-Up on February 21," said Henderson. "Most people don't get to say they ended their career on a win. My coaches always said if they could get one thing out of me, they wanted me to have a race I was proud of and was smiling."
That's exactly what happened.
"I was able to walk away from the Bucknell race very happy and with some unprecedented confidence.
"It really made me dream again."
Appreciating the Journey
Not long after she began dreaming, Henderson's sport was taken away – like it was for everyone.
"It's like a breakup out of the blue," said Henderson. "I care so much about my teammates, and my biggest loss is never getting to run beside them in a Lehigh uniform again. Of course we can keep running. I've done it every day since we heard the news, but there's so much camaraderie within this sport.
"I just want to be with my teammates."
Those teammates have learned so much from Maura, and truly admire who she is and everything she stands for.
"Maura has formed a deep wisdom that reaches all ends of the running journey," said junior Kara Bonner. "Whenever I've reached the finish line with tears welling in my eyes from happiness or frustration, Maura has always been there, ready to point out the positives. She's taught me the impact one leader can have on so many.
"She has always told me to celebrate the small victories in each race because you never know what tomorrow may bring."
Unfortunately for everyone, there will be no tomorrow of the 2020 season. Henderson was understandably devastated, but once she took several days to reflect, she has become more and more appreciative of her journey and her "crew team" – the people who have always been there for her.
"I'm very thankful I even got to one start line in a Lehigh uniform," said Henderson. "That was not in the cards for me originally and I couldn't be more grateful for Lehigh. Coach Deb is a huge influence on my life, and she's everything I want to be as a person. It's really nice to have her to look up to, along with (head track and field coach) Matt Utesch."
True Definition of Success
Maura has learned what success truly means. She admits she's become a stronger runner through the tough times.
"When you toe the line and have achieved so much, but know you can't even achieve half of that, you don't know who you are anymore," said Henderson.
"You don't really know the true value of success if you've never failed," she continued. "I definitely struggled with that when I was a sophomore. I would cry if I didn't win a race, but now, I would give anything to get third in a race.
"It puts perspective on what success means to you."
No one can take away Henderson's Patriot League Championships, but she knows records and accolades don't define her.
"When you aren't at 100 percent, but still have the courage to step back on the start line time after time as Maura did, that's when you see who a person truly is," said Bonner. "On the track, there is nowhere to hide. You have to be brave to put yourself out there. Maura showed everyone that in order to reach the good days, you have to be brave enough to push through the bad ones.
"Maura has a balance of grace and grit, which inspires all those around her – both on her team and throughout the entire Patriot League."
Remember when Henderson highlighted Patriot League student-athletes as part of her "crew team?" That's because Maura has made a concerted effort to build bridges across the league.
"I always tell my teammates that when we run past people in warmups, we don't just ignore them. We say hello. We stop and wave," said Henderson.
"You should want good things for your league mates because you never know what they're going through. I've had people across the league reach out to me all the time and tell me how inspiring I am because I didn't quit. And maybe I'm the reason they didn't quit."
It's obvious Henderson has truly cherished every aspect of her Lehigh journey and hasn't taken a single day for granted.
"Maura embraced the opportunity to put on a pair of spikes, compete beside teammates, push them to perform at their highest levels and shake hands with other racers, all while continuing to grow her personal development," said Debbie Utesch.
As Bonner said, "I am so proud of Maura and the resilience she's shown through our years together as teammates. Even though we have reached the finish line of that chapter, I will continue to look up to her for the rest of my life because people like Maura show me what courage is."
"Even when facing herself as her toughest competitor, Maura found ways to win," said Utesch. "The Lehigh women's cross country program is better for having experienced her influence… and so am I."
What's Next?
Henderson will finish her graduate degree in education within the next year, with aspirations of becoming an elementary school teacher.
She of course will continue to run as well.
"At this point, I have made a list of all the races I want to run next year," said Henderson. "A lot of them are around, if not at, Lehigh."
For Maura, Lehigh has been a place of so many emotions. Through the roller coaster ride of the past five years, there has been one steadying force…
"I've come to realize the only way I can cope with this loss is to: Just. Keep. Running."
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