LSU track and field head coach Pat Henry believes Muna Lee truly is one of the greatest runners in the world.
Lee holds the fastest times in the NCAA for both the 60-meter and 200-meter dash events. She ran a time of 7.20 seconds in the 60 while posting a 23.03 second mark in the 200. She hopes to defend the national title in the 200 and claim her first national championship in the 60 at this weekend’s NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Henry likes the experience Lee brings to the team as a junior. He said she competed in the NCAA Championships before and knows how to handle it.
“Muna is one of those who has some great experiences where she’s been in the fire before,” Henry said. “When you go to the national meet, some experiences of being there before are helpful, and she has those kinds of experiences right now. She’s done a great job, and she’s still a young sprinter. She’s a leader by actions.”
The junior takes a laid back approach when running. She takes the same approach to the national championships this weekend.
“We’ve got to get mentally ready, but last year before [the national championships] we would just act goofy, try not to think too much about it and just have fun,” Lee said.
Lee earned All-American honors in 10 events her first two years at LSU with that approach. The junior won an NCAA Indoor individual title in the 200 last year as she set records for LSU and the Southeastern Conference with a time of 22.82 seconds. Even with all the accolades, Lee thinks it is no big deal to see her name in the record books and even considers herself a slacker.
The national meet in Fayetteville, Ark., will be somewhat of a homecoming for Lee and her family. For a period of time Lee’s family lived in Little Rock, Ark., where she was born.
Among the members of her family attending the national meet will be Lee’s greatest inspiration — her mother. She attributes her laid back attitude in her track career to her mother.
“She’s always the one that tells me just to have fun and don’t worry about everything else,” Lee said.
Henry said she makes sprinting look easy, which is the trademark of anybody who does anything exceptional.
“I think anybody that does something great — the Michael Jordan’s of the world — are the people who make everything look easy, and they have that mentality about themselves,” Henry said. “She’s one of the best in the world at what she does, and she has that mentality. It makes it look easy, and that’s the way they convince themselves it’s easy also.”
Lee not only aspires to compete in the Olympics some day but also wants to be a fashion designer. She hopes to graduate from LSU next spring and has already designed some threads.
No matter whether Lee is running track or designing clothes, she wants to better herself.
“I want something better for me. I don’t want to go back to the way I used to be,” Lee said.