When redshirt freshman thrower Lawanda Henry traveled to Virginia for the Virginia Tech Elite Meet Feb. 6, she was already the first N.C. State woman to throw for more than 50 feet in the shot put. She had already achieved the unthinkable – shattering the school record as a freshman. Nonetheless, she again outdid herself, recording the longest throw of the ACC indoor season with a toss of 53-2 1/2.
“The first time [I broke the record] it was just barely, and I knew I had more in me,” Henry said. “So when I hit that 53-foot throw, it was definitely a big accomplishment for me.”
Henry has already topped the school record for the shot put seven times this season, dating back to her mark of 50-11 1/2 in the season-opener.
“I suspected that she was going to be the best weíve ever had here,” assistant coach Tom Wood said. “She’s fulfilled that expectation. Iím very pleased with Lawanda and how well sheís done.”
Shortly after shattering her own record, though, Henry came down with a severe illness that not only took her off the field, but into the hospital.
“The week before the ACC Championship she lost a lot of weight,” Wood said. “She was in the hospital about 3 different times and couldnít eat anything but yogurt for a week. That severely hampered her performance [when she got out.]”
Prior to the NCAA Championships, Henry worried that her performance would suffer from her weight loss and recovery.
“I’m not trying to give excuses or anything, but Iím nowhere near where I was before,” Henry said. “I lost about 10 or 15 pounds and was in the hospital almost all week.”
Despite her recuperation, Henry mustered a 16th place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a distance of 47-7 1/4 and remains as the highest-ranked freshman in the nation.
“Getting sick like that is usually a pretty nerve-racking thing,” Wood said. “But she is just a freshman, so by going to the NCAAís, sheíll be able to overcome all that anxiety.”
Henry has already developed into a leader among the youth-laden lineup of throwers.
“Obviously, sheís going to be something to inspire and live up to,” Wood said. “She is sort of a leader to all of them at this time now. Sheís a leader with my group and Iíll be telling people about her for years.”
However, Henry didnít always have people looking up to her. In fact, she had very little support at all during her high school career.
Originally from the small town of Dunn, N.C., Henry started throwing in the eighth grade for her middle school team in hopes of getting the ‘Most Athletic’ superlative. Henry already competed for her school in volleyball, basketball, and softball.
Henry would go on to continue throwing in high school, but admitted that her afternoon practices were far from exciting as she worked on her throws on a small concrete slab that the high school constructed for her.
“It always sucked, because during practice I had to be serious and I didnít have anyone to talk to. I was kind of like a one-person team,” Henry said. “I’m so glad that I have my teammates now to joke around with and compete with now.”
After two years, she transferred to Cape Fear Christian School to continue playing basketball. Throughout her experience in the predominantly white school, Henry stated that she was initially uneasy and at odds with her environment.
“It was a growing experience that took me out of my comfort zone,” Henry said. “In my other school, I was always used to being around a certain group of people, but when I switched I met some great people and I learned how to adapt. I was really able to find myself and mature.”
Since winning three N.C. High School Independent Athletic Association state championships, Henry has continued to mature as a thrower. Her strong desire to learn how to improve her throwing technique this season has enabled her to record the best weight throw distance in the ACC indoor season.
“She’s a very friendly young lady that is very personable, and has a great attitude about competing,” Wood said. “I just hope we have some more Lawanda’s in the future.”
