UMass Lowell Athletics Hall of Fame
Toni-Marie (Henry) Monfort fell in love with the track and running at an early age. Born and raised in Jamaica, Henry began running at age six in hopes of becoming the next Jamaican Sprint Queen like her idol Merlene Ottey. At UMass Lowell, competing from 2003 to 2007, she would make a name for herself.
The family moved to the United States and eventually to Springfield, Massachusetts where the young Henry was a high school athlete. UMass Lowell was the next step and Henry became a dominant performer. At the time of her graduation Henry held or was part of seven school records. Her name still appears in the record book.
Henry, competing as a jumper and a sprinter, earned All-America status four times between 2003 and 2007 and was named the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional Field Athlete of the Year in both 2006 and 2007. Henry qualified for the NCAA Championships seven times in events ranging from the triple jump to the 60-meter dash and as a member of the 4 x 400-meter relay. Henry was named All-New England 13 times.
A versatile athlete Henry excelled at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships. She was a seven-time Northeast-10 Conference Champion and was named the Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the year twice. She was also honored as the Freshman of the Year during both the Indoor and Outdoor seasons. She was a four-time triple jump champion and twice won the 100-meter title and added a 200-meter championship as well.
Henry says she loves to run and compete and has described the track as her “safe place.”
“Running is an essential part of my life,” said Henry. “It’s taught me so many life lessons. You have to dedicate yourself to something that is greater than yourself.”
