As a leader of the LSU men’s track and field team, senior pole vaulter Marcus McGehee will provide his insight into the LSU Track & Field program throughout the 2011 season as the Tigers and Lady Tigers join the national championship chase once again. Check back each week as McGehee provides a behind-the-scenes look into the program from an athlete’s perspective in competition, in the classroom and in the community.
Walter Henning & Max Lauro Explain the Weight Throw
As many of you fans may not know, this week the LSU Track & Field teams will be heading to New York for the running of the 2011 New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
This is one of the few meets during our regular season that we get to line up and compete against some of the best teams in the nation for a shot of winning the meet. For many that don’t know, track and field is not like a lot of other sports in that there is not always a clear winner every time we compete. Most of the meets in which we compete are set up for athletes to achieve certain times or marks so they can qualify for the NCAA Championships, instead of actually scoring points for the team.
However, the New Balance meet is scored each year and will have a clear winner at the end of the day. Apart from the SEC and NCAA Championships, this is traditionally the only scored meet we have during the season, with the exception of the dual meet against Texas A&M just a couple of weeks ago.
Since we are going to New York, I thought it would be most fitting to interview New York native Walter Henning. Walter was the NCAA champion in both the weight throw indoors and hammer throw outdoors last season, and he’s sure to be in the hunt again this year during his senior season. This weekend, he will be representing his home state and the Tigers at The Armory.
When asked about The Armory, Walter said that he’s always loved competing there and strives to do his best every time he makes the trip back home. He also said that it’s always a great feeling to go back to his roots and perform for the numerous family members and friends that will come to watch him throw.
In addition to being LSU’s school-record holder in the weight throw, Walter also holds the meet record at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at 23.33 meters, or 76 feet, 6 ½ inches. This is a mark and record that he’s intent on improving this weekend in his last collegiate meet in his home state.
“To me this is just another stop on the long road towards the championship meet in March,” Henning said about Saturday. “It doesn’t matter what we are ranked or what the outcome of this meet really is. All that matters is that we get guys qualified for NCAAs so that we can win a national championship.”
To keep this blog as engaging and entertaining as possible, I asked Walter and fellow weight/hammer thrower Max Lauro to give a brief explanation and demonstration of the weight throw.
Fortunately for you, Max is very knowledgeable and is no stranger to the camera (see the video on LSU Track & Field’s official Facebook page on him running the 60-meter dash) and does a very good job of explaining the process of the weight throw.
We’ll be leaving early Thursday morning for New York, so stay tuned to the LSU Track & Field page on Facebook and @LSUTrackField profile on Twitter for a preview of the meet and all of the live up-to-date coverage of the New Balance Invitational from The Armory Track & Field Center. We have another great opportunity to strengthen our team for the NCAA Championships.
Geaux Tigers!!