Add another record to the list for LSU junior Walter Henning.
Henning, an All-American thrower, smashed his own record in the weight throw at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York on Saturday.
The native New Yorker has a long history of success at The Armory Track and Field Center. In addition to a successful high school career, he set the meet record there last year with a throw of 72 feet, 8 1/2 inches.
He broke that record and his own personal best when he threw 76 feet, 6 1/2 inches to win the competition.
“It’s always great to come back to The Armory where I spent so many weekends in high school,” Henning said in a news release. “This is a special place to me, and to perform the way I did today in that circle is a great feeling.”
Henning was named Most Outstanding Male Competitor at the conclusion of the meet.
And he wasn’t the only Tiger to have a successful weekend in New York, as the Tigers placed second and the Lady Tigers placed third out of 117 teams.
Junior Zedric Thomas won the long jump with a jump of 26 feet, 3 inches, beating his personal best of 24 feet, 10 inches by almost 2 feet. It was redemption for Thomas, who tore his medial meniscus in his knee in the same meet last year.
“I’ve worked really hard in training to get to this level after what happened last year,” Thomas said in a news release. “I’m just motivated to perform at my best each meet.”
Staying focused is Thomas’s aim as he looks toward the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
“I also think staying focused and preparing myself mentally has been a key for me,” Thomas said. “Things like always knowing where I am in the competition and what jump I’ve got to have has helped me focus on every jump I take. I’m really focused on helping the team as much as I can at nationals.”
The runners had a good weekend alongside the field competitors, particularly the middle-distance runners.
Of six LSU athletes competing in the 800-meter run, five had NCAA provisional qualifying times.
Junior Richard Jones took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 48.88 seconds. Senior Jamaal James placed second, and freshman Sadiki White placed sixth.
The Lady Tigers were no slouches either. Senior LaTavia Thomas finished second in the event, senior Kayann Thompson placed third and freshman Charlene Lipsey was sixth.
“I thought we continued to make progress as a team today,” LSU coach Dennis Shaver said in a news release. “It’s important that we continue to take steps in that direction with each competition.”
Shaver said he thought the team performed well in a championship-like atmosphere.
“I also thought we continued to show the kind of competitive spirit we will need in order to have success in the championship meets,” Shaver said. “It had that kind of atmosphere this weekend, and I’m proud of some of our kids with how they stepped it up.”
LSU will take another road trip next weekend to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational. The meet will be held Friday and Saturday.
Contact Katherine Terrell at [email protected]