FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - APRIL 3, 2009 - INA, Ill. - Andrew and Anthony Hendrix signed their national letters of intent today to run for Brent McLain and the Rend Lake College Warriors track and field team in the fall.
The 18-year-old twins were joined on the Southern Illinois campus by New Bern High School (North Carolina) Coach Dave Simpson. McLain and Adidas runner Boaz Lalang, who ran for RLC as a freshman last year and still trains with McLain in Ina, were also there to welcome the Hendrix's to their new home.
The Hendrix twins talked about their decision to move on to RLC from New Bern High School - arguably the best high school track and field program in United States history. They said they chose RLC because they see it as a good step in their educational careers, as well as their success on the track.
"We have done everything in our lives together," Anthony said. "We shared our mother's womb ... we still argue about who came out first. We have been each other's driving force so why not keep being that force for each other?"
On an outdoor track in the rain last week at the Raleigh Relays, the twins helped break the 28-year-old national high school sprint medley record by 1.5 seconds. The team's time of 3:19.58 featured Andrew's 1:49.7 800m split and a 46.9 400m split by Anthony.
Anthony Hendrix is the No. 2 high school 400m runner in the nation. Andrew Hendrix is the No. 7 400m runner in the U.S. They run on the best 4x400m relay team in the country as well as the #2-ranked 4x200m relay team. New Bern High has won that last four-straight outdoor state titles and three of the last four indoor state championships.
"To me, track and field is the easiest sport to qualify and determine how good teams are," McLain said. "Numbers don't lie. Times don't lie. What New Bern High has done - what these gentlemen and their coach have done - they've ran faster than any other team in history. If you are talking about one of the best teams ever, numbers don't lie. ... To me this is the best high school team ever put together."
"We have people asking us, are you going to go to Penn Relays, or run against the Jamaicans in the 4x4, are we going to Arcadia?" Simpson said. "We have some goals and one goal is their graduation. That's a big one. We are chasing the 4x4 national record and a couple of other records. Ant has some personal things he wants to do in the 800. He wants to go sub 1:50 as a high schooler. Andrew also wants to go sub :46. So, we have some team goals, but one thing they haven't had the opportunity to do, because we have been the relay team for a long time, they have not had their opportunity to go and do their individual thing. Over the next three to four months, they are going to have the opportunity to become individuals."
"We are very proud to have them come to Rend Lake," McLain said. "They are coming into a program where education is very important. We are going to make sure they get their degrees, they move on and they are going to be stars. They are going to have great people here to train with. These guys are going to be in the same class as Boaz Lalang who got ninth in the Olympics and is ranked second in the world right now."
"Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to achieve getting the USA uniform," Anthony said. "My plan is to get into the 2012 or 2016 Olympics ... and to hopefully run against Boaz in the 800."
"It has been a blessing to have both of them," Simpson said. "I know you all at Rend Lake are going to be happy to have them and we will be a little sad, but they have an opportunity to move on to the next level in track and field. That started when they were 12 years old. They have been real hard workers and responsible on the track. ... They started when they were 12 years old. They have been real hard workers and responsible on the track."
For all things athletic at RLC, visit online at www.rlc.edu/warriors.