Erin Henry (’02)
Erin Henry was Glen Rock High School’s most outstanding distance runner, whose notable achievements include being the first Bergen County athlete to ever win seven Group, Track & Field State Championships. She was honored by The Record for three All-Decade teams: cross country; winter track & field; and spring track & field.
In the fall of her freshman year, Erin Henry began her athletic career at Glen Rock High School as a soccer player. Later that year, she joined the 1999 Track & Field Team and quickly became one of its leading members, with her performances as a member of the 4×400 relay and distance medley relay helping Glen Rock win the Group 1, Bergen County Relays Championship and then her medals in the three distance races helping Glen Rock win the B-PSL King Championship and the Group 1, Bergen County Championship and finish second at the Group 1, Sectional Championship meet.
In her sophomore year, after playing soccer on the school’s 1999 Group 1, State Championship team, Erin joined the winter track & field team. Her 3:05.4 time in the 1,000 meters was the best time of any New Jersey female athlete that year and she won the All Group, Bergen County Championship in that event. That spring, she established herself as the best distance runner in Bergen County. At the Group 1, Bergen County Relays, she was a member of Glen Rock’s victorious 4×800, 4×1,600 3and distance relay teams that contributed to Glen Rock’s team championship. Although only a sophomore and despite competing in Group 1, she was named the Outstanding Female Track Performer at the meet. She then helped lead Glen Rock to victories at the B-PSL King Championship, the Group 1, Bergen County Championship and the Group 1, Sectional Championship. At the league championship, she finished first in the 800 and the 3,200; at the county championship, she again finished first in those two events; and at the sectional championship, she finished first in the 1,600 and in the 3,200 and second in the 800 (to Hall of Fame inductee Kim Mineo – her first defeat of the season). At the Bergen County Meet of Champions, Erin won the 800 meters championship. At the end of that season, Erin won the Group 1, State Championship in the 800, the 1,600 and the 3,200 – making her the first Bergen County athlete (male or female) to win three Group, State Championships in the same year. Her three wins helped lead Glen Rock to a Group 1, State Championship (61-60 over second place Palmyra).
As a junior, Erin switched from soccer to cross country and quickly became recognized as the best female cross country runner in Bergen County. She was Group 1, Bergen County Champion and Group 1, Sectional Champion, and finished second in the Group 1, State Championship meet.
That winter, Erin repeated as Bergen County Champion in the 1,000 meters. She was also a member of the 4×800 meters relay team (with Hall of Fame inductee Leah Jerome, Kim Mineo and Danielle Patoir) that achieved a time of 9:41.3, that was then the fourth fastest time in Bergen County history.
That spring, Erin repeated her prior year’s spectacular success. At the Group 1, Bergen County Relays, she again helped lead Glen Rock to victories in the 4×800, the 4×1,600 and the distance relays and a repeat team championship. She also was named one of two Outstanding Female Track Performers at that meet. At the subsequent Penn Relays, against top schools from the entire country, she was a member of the 4×800 relay team (with Kim, Danielle and Liz Saydah) that ran a 9:34.09 — the seventh fastest time in Bergen County history (and only exceeded by six Ridgewood teams) and still one of the fastest times in county history — as well as still the school record for that event.
Erin then helped lead Glen Rock to victories at the B-PSL King Championship, the Group 1, Bergen County Championship and the Group 1, Sectional Championship. At the league championship, she finished first in the 800 and the 3,200; at the county championship, she again finished first in those two events; and at the sectional championship, she finished first in the 1,600 and in the 3,200 and second in the 800 (to Kim – her first defeat of the season). At the Bergen County Meet of Champions, Erin won the 800 meters championship. Finally, at the season ending Group 1, State Championship meet, Erin, Kim and Danielle led Glen Rock to a second consecutive Group 1, State Championship. Erin finished first in the 1,600 and the 3,200 and finished second to teammate Kim in the 800 – making her the first Bergen County female athlete to ever win five Group State championships. With Kim winning the 800 and finishing second in the 400 and in the 400 hurdles and Danielle finishing third in the 800 and second in the 1,600 and the 3,200 and other teammates earning numerous other medals, Glen Rock won that championship by a 76-58 margin over Palmyra.
After the state competition, the distance medley relay team of Erin, Kim, Danielle and Lauren Robbins ran a 12:16.8 at the Eastern States Championship that was the sixth fastest time in Bergen County history and is still one of the very fastest times in county history — as well as still is the school record for that event.
In her senior year of cross country, Erin repeated as Group 1, Bergen County Champion and Group 1, Sectional Champion. She then won the Group 1, State Championship – making her the first Individual Girls Cross Country State Champion in school history. With her titles at those two meets, she helped lead Glen Rock’s female cross country team to its first Group Sectional Championship and to a second place finish at the Group State Championship.
That winter, Erin won her third consecutive Bergen County Championship in the 1,000 meters race, with a sub 3 minute time of 2:58.4 that was the first sub 3 minute result in a decade and fourth fastest time in Bergen County history. Erin was also a member of the school’s 4×800 relay team (with Kim, Danielle and Liz Saydah) that ran a 9:28 time that was then the second fastest time in Bergen County history.
That spring, Erin repeated her prior year’s spectacular success. At the Group 1, Bergen County Relays, she again helped lead Glen Rock to victories in the 3,200, the 6,400 and the distance relays and an overall second place finish in the team competition. She then helped lead Glen Rock to victories at the B-PSL Carpenter Championship, the Group 1, Bergen County Championship and the Group 1, Sectional Championship. At the league championship and at the county championship, she finished first in the 800 and the 3,200 (while also being a member of the winning 4×400 relay team). At the sectional championship, she finished first in the 1,600 and in the 3,200 and second in the 800 (to Kim – her first defeat of the season) — while also being a member of the second place finishing 4×400 relay team. At the Bergen County Meet of Champions Erin won the 800 meters championship. At the season ending Group 1, State Championship meet, Erin and Kim led Glen Rock to a third consecutive Group 1, State Championship. Erin won both the 1,600 and the 3,200 races, giving her a sixth and then a seventh Group State championship – setting a Bergen County record and tying a North Jersey record. She also finished fourth in the 800. With Kim winning the 800 and two other events (the 400 and the 400 hurdles) and other teammates earning numerous other medals, Glen Rock won that championship by a 69-26 margin over Penns Grove.
During that season, Erin and her teammates on the 4×1,600 relay team ran a 21:28.07 that was the third fastest time in Bergen County history and is still one of the very fastest times in county history.
Erin holds all of Glen Rock High School’s cross country records. On the track, she holds the school’s records in the 1600 meters (5:08.64) and the 3200 meters (11:02.93). Her times in those races – and her time in the 800 meters – are still among the top times in Bergen County history.
In June 2002, the administration and coaches of Glen Rock High School recognized Erin as the top female athlete in that year’s graduating class and gave her the esteemed Athlete of the Year Award.
In 2010,The Record selected Erin to its All-Decade All-County Cross Country Team and gave her Honorable Mention to its All-Decade All-County Winter Track & Field and All-Decade All-County Spring Track & Field Teams. By being honored to three All-Decade teams, Erin joined Hall of Fame inductee Kim Mineo as one of a select number of Bergen County athletes honored to three All-Decade teams.
In addition, thanks to Erin, Kim Mineo and other great athletes leading Glen Rock to four consecutive Group 1, State Championships from 2000 through 2003 under the leadership of Hall of Fame Head Coach D.J. Nimphius, The Record also named Glen Rock High School the Bergen County Girls Track & Field Program of the Decade.
Erin continued her running career on scholarship at Georgetown University where she ran cross-country, winter track and outdoor track. At Georgetown she received All-Region recognition in cross-country and was named to the Big East Academic All-Star team. She was the number three runner on a GU cross-country team that qualified for the national championship meet and took second place at the IC4A.