NEW YORK – Saturday was a much anticipated homecoming for LSU junior All-American Walter Henning as he competed in the same circle at the New Balance Track & Field Center in which he crushed the nation’s best high school throwers in the junior weight throw week in and week out during a brilliant prep career at St. Anthony’s High School in nearby Kings Park, N.Y.
And he did not disappoint a partisan crowd on hand for the second day of competition at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational with yet another record-setting performance in an LSU uniform.
Henning has grown accustomed to setting records during his two seasons at LSU, and his decisive victory in the 35-pound weight throw on Saturday was no different as he shattered his own meet record and set an impressive New Balance Track & Field Center collegiate facility record with a winning mark of 76 feet, 6 ½ inches on his fifth attempt of the competition.
This comes just one week after setting his previous personal record and LSU school record of 75-8 to win the weight throw at the New Mexico Invitational at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Jan. 30.
It also comes just one year after Henning set the previous New Balance Collegiate Invitational meet mark of 72-8 ½ to claim the event crown in his first collegiate appearance at The Armory a season ago.
For his effort, Henning was honored by the meet director with the Dr. Phillip Edwards Award as the Most Outstanding Male Competitor of the weekend.
After earning All-America honors a year ago with a fourth-place finish in the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, Henning is certainly a worthy candidate to bring home the NCAA crown with the consistency he has shown through three meets of the 2010 indoor season.
“I really took advantage of the rest week we had in training this week and come out here and throw well,” Henning said. “We’re not done yet. We have another full training cycle to work through before peaking at the NCAA meet. That’s the goal. I want to make sure I do everything I can to score 10 points and help my team compete for a national championship. That’s where my focus is at right now.
“And it’s always great to come back to The Armory where I spent so many weekends in high school. This is a special place to me, and to perform the way I did today in that circle is a great feeling.”
Saturday also marked the season debut for LSU’s middle distance group as six 800-meter runners lined up for the first time in 2010 and responded with five NCAA provisional qualifying performances.
Junior All-American Richard Jones raced to the finish line in 1 minute, 48.88 seconds to take first place in the men’s 800-meter final, catapulting himself into the No. 5 spot on LSU’s all-time indoor performance list in the event and into the No. 6 spot on the NCAA performance list this season.
Senior Jamaal James followed closely behind with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of his own as he finished runner-up with an opening time of 1:50.10. Freshman Sadiki White nearly missed the provisional qualifying standard himself after placing sixth with a new overall personal best of 1:50.93.
The Lady Tigers featured three NCAA provisional qualifiers of their own in the 800 meters, led by senior LaTavia Thomas‘ season-opening time of 2:06.06 to finish runner-up in the event and rank No. 7 nationally. Senior Kayann Thompson (2:07.06) followed Thomas in third place, while freshman Charlene Lipsey (2:08.94) took sixth place in her season-opening race.
In addition, sophomore Marcus McGehee became the sixth individual NCAA provisional qualifier on the afternoon with his fourth-place performance in the men’s pole vault competition. McGehee soared higher than he had ever gone before by vaulting up and over the bar at 17-0 ¾ for a personal best and tied for the No. 10 indoor performance all-time at LSU.
In the meet’s final event, both the Tigers and Lady Tigers recorded NCAA provisional qualifying times in the 4×400-meter relay for the first time during the 2010 indoor season.
The Lady Tiger foursome of sophomore Cassandra Tate, Thompson, senior Samantha Henry and Thomas combined to carry the stick around the track in second place in 3:35.74, including a 52.62-second split by Thomas on the anchor leg. It is a time that ranks No. 4 in the NCAA this season.
The Tigers’ 4×400-meter relay followed with a NCAA provisional qualifying time of its own as freshman Caleb Williams, Jones, James and senior Armanti Hayes teamed for a time of 3:10.24.
In addition, four other athletes enjoyed personal-best performances on Saturday at the New Balance Invite as Williams led the way by earning a fifth-place finish in the final of the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.32. Fellow freshman Kimberlyn Duncan finished fifth in the 200-meter dash with a PR of 23.97, while junior Alan Sticker (4:07.79) and freshman Laura Carleton (4:59.71) each clocked bests in the mile
“I thought we continued to make progress as a team today. It’s important that we continue to take steps in that direction with each competition,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “I also thought we continued to show the kind of competitive spirit we will need in order to have success in the championship meets. It had that kind of atmosphere this weekend, and I’m proud of some of our kids with how they stepped it up.
“And we will need to take another step forward next week when we travel to Fayetteville for the first time this season. We look forward to another challenge.”
The 2010 indoor season continues next weekend as LSU makes its first of three trips to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the Tyson Invitational to be held Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The University of Arkansas will also play host to both the SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 26-28 and the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13.