Bigger, better Henderson

Bigger is better and even a smaller Brock Henderson was pretty good.

A year of growth and an off-season devoted to weight training is paying dividends for the North Linn sophomore.

Henderson has become a full-sized 106-pounder with an unbeaten record so far this season, climbing to second in the latest Class 1A rankings by The Predicament.

Last season, Henderson placed fourth at the state tournament, going 38-6. He improved to 21-0 after winning Benton Community's Jerry Eckenrod Invitational on Saturday.

'This year has been a lot more fun,” Henderson said. 'I'm big enough for 106. It's exciting.”

North Linn Coach Brad Bridgewater has seen a significant change and witnessed the effort that went into making it happen. He said Henderson is starting to see the benefits.

'He's definitely a full 106 pounds,” Bridgewater said. 'He's been doing a great job and is working hard.”

He walked around at 103 pounds as a freshman. Henderson was determined to bulk up and received a boost from naturally maturing. He grew two to three inches from the end of last season.

'I hit the weights hard,” Henderson said. 'I actually grew quite a bit. That was a big thing and transformed that into muscle mass.”

Results provide proof Henderson has made physical gains. In a dual against Durant, Henderson weighed in at 113, bumping up to 120 and getting a win.

'The kid was strong and pushed me,” Henderson said. 'I realized I'm there and I can do it. I got even more excited for the season.”

Sometimes when wrestlers grow their technical skills suffers, losing flexibility and stamina. Henderson has avoided that problem and has even improved his ability.

'I think his technique has improved, because he can actually finish some of the positions he was in,” Bridgewater said. 'He had good technique last year, but he would get out-horsed in some situations. He drills well and is looking pretty tough.”

Henderson's competitive edge fueled him in the off-season. He was not satisfied with just reaching the awards podium at Wells Fargo Arena. Losing his last match of the season served as a catalyst, eating at him until the start of this season.

'That pushed me to become better,” said Henderson, who also plays baseball for the Lynx. 'It's not good to lose your last match. Even though I didn't want to lose that last match, it did give me motivation.”

Adding strength and a more physical approach to go along with solid technique and an attacking style, Henderson finds himself as a contender for a state title. He has that feat in his sights and Bridgewater said it is within reach.

'It's his goal and that's my goal for him,” Bridgewater said. 'If he keeps doing the right things, he has a good opportunity to get there.”

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