University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Leigh & Jeff Hennessy - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019
11/1/2019 3:47:00 PM | Athletics
There haven’t been very many father-daughter combinations like Jeff and Leigh Hennessy were in the sport of trampoline
LAFAYETTE - Successful father-daughter combinations are rare in collegiate athletics, and even more rare on a world-wide athletic stage.
Then again, there haven't been very many father-daughter combinations in any sport like Jeff and Leigh Hennessy were in the sport of trampoline.
The elder Hennessy, who passed away in 2015 at age 85, served for 28 years on the University's physical education faculty. In 17 of those years, he did double-duty in serving as the head coach of the U.S. Trampoline Team, coaching more trampoline and "double-tram" world and national champions than any person in that program's history.
His star pupil? That would have been Leigh, a two-time world champion and a 10-time U.S. champion during her competitive career.
Even though trampoline and gymnastics were not "official" parts of the Ragin' Cajuns Athletics program for much of their careers, that didn't stop the duo from making the Cajuns well-known across the country and around the world in those sports' circles.
"They traveled the world with the U.S. teams, taking part in competitions, but they were always acting as ambassadors for the university," said Dr. Mark Robson, a 1984 University graduate who also happens to be Leigh's husband. "Along the way, they brought glory to the university by consistently winning competitions, and Leigh gained recognition as the world's most accomplished female trampolinist."
That's no idle boast. The younger Hennessy has already been inducted into the World Acrobatics Society Hall of Fame in 2005 and an even-more-prestigious USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame honoring two years later. She joined her father in the latter after he was inducted in 1996, four years after he was selected for the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1992.
Both receive another Hall of Fame honor this week when they are in the induction class for the 2019 Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame, as part of a group that will be honored during this week's Homecoming activities. Induction ceremonies are at 6 p.m. Friday at the Stadium Club at Russo Park, and the honorees will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's 4 p.m. Homecoming football game against Texas State.
Jeff's U.S. gymnastics and trampoline teams won nine world titles between 1964-80, and he also coached a U.S. squad that became the first to compete in the Soviet Union in 1974. In the collegiate ranks, his then-USL team went undefeated for two seasons (1960-61), won 12 straight national AAU Trampoline team titles from 1964-75 and added three more from 1979-81, and won the NAIA national title in 1969. Among the athletes the Ancon, Panama, native coached in that time was University student and 1988 Miss America Judith Ford – who used her trampoline skills in that pageant's talent competition.
During the latter part of those years, daughter Leigh became one of the world's best in her discipline. While a student, Hennessy – among the first females ever to earn a UL athletic scholarship – was a five-time AAU All-American and the Southern AAU Athlete of the Year in 1978 before earning her degree in 1980.
That same year, Leigh won the second of her world trampoline titles, having won the first as a Cajun freshman in 1976. She represented the U.S. in five different World Championships between 1976 and 1994, and won an unprecedented 10 U.S. women's titles in her career – still the most of any American woman.
Leigh followed her father's footsteps into coaching for a while, serving as U.S. Trampoline national team coach from 1984-88, and moved into what may have been an even more challenging field as one of film's most respected stunt performers and coordinators. Dozens of movies and TV shows have shown her athletic skills, most notably when she served as Demi Moore's stunt double during the filming of "G.I. Jane."
"I shaved my head, jumped out of helicopters, planes, and got beat up by Viggo Mortensen," Hennessy said. "It was fabulous."
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Then again, there haven't been very many father-daughter combinations in any sport like Jeff and Leigh Hennessy were in the sport of trampoline.
The elder Hennessy, who passed away in 2015 at age 85, served for 28 years on the University's physical education faculty. In 17 of those years, he did double-duty in serving as the head coach of the U.S. Trampoline Team, coaching more trampoline and "double-tram" world and national champions than any person in that program's history.
His star pupil? That would have been Leigh, a two-time world champion and a 10-time U.S. champion during her competitive career.
Even though trampoline and gymnastics were not "official" parts of the Ragin' Cajuns Athletics program for much of their careers, that didn't stop the duo from making the Cajuns well-known across the country and around the world in those sports' circles.
"They traveled the world with the U.S. teams, taking part in competitions, but they were always acting as ambassadors for the university," said Dr. Mark Robson, a 1984 University graduate who also happens to be Leigh's husband. "Along the way, they brought glory to the university by consistently winning competitions, and Leigh gained recognition as the world's most accomplished female trampolinist."
That's no idle boast. The younger Hennessy has already been inducted into the World Acrobatics Society Hall of Fame in 2005 and an even-more-prestigious USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame honoring two years later. She joined her father in the latter after he was inducted in 1996, four years after he was selected for the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1992.
Both receive another Hall of Fame honor this week when they are in the induction class for the 2019 Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame, as part of a group that will be honored during this week's Homecoming activities. Induction ceremonies are at 6 p.m. Friday at the Stadium Club at Russo Park, and the honorees will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's 4 p.m. Homecoming football game against Texas State.
Jeff's U.S. gymnastics and trampoline teams won nine world titles between 1964-80, and he also coached a U.S. squad that became the first to compete in the Soviet Union in 1974. In the collegiate ranks, his then-USL team went undefeated for two seasons (1960-61), won 12 straight national AAU Trampoline team titles from 1964-75 and added three more from 1979-81, and won the NAIA national title in 1969. Among the athletes the Ancon, Panama, native coached in that time was University student and 1988 Miss America Judith Ford – who used her trampoline skills in that pageant's talent competition.
During the latter part of those years, daughter Leigh became one of the world's best in her discipline. While a student, Hennessy – among the first females ever to earn a UL athletic scholarship – was a five-time AAU All-American and the Southern AAU Athlete of the Year in 1978 before earning her degree in 1980.
That same year, Leigh won the second of her world trampoline titles, having won the first as a Cajun freshman in 1976. She represented the U.S. in five different World Championships between 1976 and 1994, and won an unprecedented 10 U.S. women's titles in her career – still the most of any American woman.
Leigh followed her father's footsteps into coaching for a while, serving as U.S. Trampoline national team coach from 1984-88, and moved into what may have been an even more challenging field as one of film's most respected stunt performers and coordinators. Dozens of movies and TV shows have shown her athletic skills, most notably when she served as Demi Moore's stunt double during the filming of "G.I. Jane."
"I shaved my head, jumped out of helicopters, planes, and got beat up by Viggo Mortensen," Hennessy said. "It was fabulous."
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