All-American Walter Henning Loves the Louisiana Lifestyle
When most people think of New York, they think of the city that never sleeps. They imagine the cityscape of bright lights, busy streets and big city life.
But LSU track and field athlete and New York native Walter Henning has had no problems adjusting to small town Louisiana life. That’s because he’s from Kings Park, N.Y., a tiny town on Long Island.
“When I talk, people always ask where my accent is from,” Henning said. “I say New York and they always say ?Oh, big city life,’ but that’s not it at all. I have probably been to New York City four or five times my whole life, but a lot of people don’t really see New York and think of small towns.”
Henning enters his second season with the Tigers as a thrower on the track team after transferring from the University of North Carolina in the spring of 2008. During his freshman campaign at UNC, he earned All-America honors in the weight throw while earning numerous other awards and breaking several school records.
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After transferring to LSU, Henning picked up right where he left off by winning more awards and setting new school records. He received runner-up honors in the hammer throw at the finals of the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also earned his second All-America designation by finishing fourth in the weight throw at the ’09 NCAA Indoor Championships.
But even with all of the success he enjoyed last year, Henning has set the bar even higher with the 2010 season right around the corner.
“We were kind of disappointed at how the national meets went,” he said. “I tried to put a focus on not getting second and not getting fourth. I want to win those meets because that will help the team out a lot.”
He explained his motivation is fueled by how hard he competes in both training and competitions.
“I always type out a page full of goals every year before I even start fall training about what I want to accomplish this upcoming year,” Henning said. “I usually set them higher than I really think I can get so that I have something to work for at the end of the year and have some motivation left.”
For Henning, setting the bar high is about the only thing he can do. In just one season at LSU, he is practically re-writing the throwing record books by shattering the school records for both hammer throw and weight throw.
At the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships, he became the first Tiger in school history to win an SEC title in the hammer throw. Henning also earned a second SEC title in the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships.
“What I have done this offseason is a little bit more technical focus,” he said. “I am strong enough to throw far, but there are a few technical things I need to work on so I can be a little more explosive.”
Despite the individual recognition he has already received, Henning’s main goal is still team success.
“My No. 1 goal this year and next year is to win team national championships,” he said. “That’s it. That’s my only focus and I am going to do everything I can do to put myself in a position to help the team get to that point. That’s all I care about.”
Though he has only been with the Tigers for one season, he has already fallen in love with Louisiana and LSU.
“I’ve got a tiger tattoo on my left arm,” Henning said. “I absolutely love LSU. It does remind me of home a lot. I like that small town atmosphere. Being on the team, we kind of have that small little team atmosphere and it’s kind of like a little community we have. It’s something I really like.
“You also can’t beat LSU sports or LSU fans,” he added. “They are amazing compared to any other school I have seen.”