In the sport of track and field, there is no better test of strength than the shot put and weight throw events. In shot put, a four kg “shot” is thrown as far as the athlete can launch it, while the weight throw consists of hurling a 20-pound ball attached to a steel chain the farthest distance possible.
In either case, no female in N.C. State history has been better than junior thrower Lawanda Henry. Henry has set school records in both shot put and weight throw with distances of 54’01.00″ and 64’00.50″, respectively.
Though Henry has a total of seven wins in those two events in her six meets this season, she still sees room for improvement.
“I’m not really happy with the way things are going right now,” Henry said. “I still have plenty of time to make improvements, it’s not over yet. I need to focus more on where I want to be and get to the point where I have been in the past.”
Henry has been a standout athlete for the Wolfpack since the moment she stepped inside of the 7-foot circle for shot put. During her freshman and sophomore campaigns, Henry won ACC Championships in outdoor competition.
Before she came to State, no female shot put thrower had topped 50 feet – Henry did it eleven times as a freshman. While the feat may be familiar to Henry, she still says the first time she threw over 50 foot was one of the biggest moments of her life.
“I still remember in high school thinking that throwing over 40 feet was basically the end of the world,” Henry said. “So to come here and hit over 50 was one of the greatest feelings in my life. Knowing that I’m able to do it makes me want to go farther.”
Hitting the mark was much more than just a milestone for Henry, but also a reassurance that she belonged in the sport at the collegiate level.
“It was a very big deal to me, obviously,” Henry said. “The first time I threw over 50 sealed the deal for me. I knew right then that this is what I’m here for. If I had any feelings that I was not good enough, they all went out the door after that.”
This year, Henry has taken on a new role for the Pack. Though she has always been a great performer, Henry is being looked at by the underclassmen as a leader of the Pack.
Coach Rollie Geiger says, that while she has never been boisterous, Henry has shown her leadership skills in other ways.
“Lawanda has always become one of our quiet leaders,” Geiger said. “She pays attention to what everyone does, and she leads by her own performance. If you have 18 Lawandas, you have a pretty spectacular track and field team. We know we get our best from her each time out, and we hope everyone else will try to emulate that.”
Henry echoed Geiger’s comments and says she is always there when her teammates need an extra lift.
“I feel like I’m a leader for the team,” Henry said. “All of the throwers have different personalities for our team, so we all try to uplift each other. I may not always be loud, but when someone needs encouragement, I’m always there to step up.”
When Henry came to Raleigh to attend State, she stepped outside of her comfort zone of the small-town atmosphere of Dunn. Since she came to the big city, she says she has fallen in love with her new home.
“Raleigh is totally different from back home,” Henry said. “There were only 14 of us in my graduating class, so coming to State was an eye-opening experience. At first, I wanted to go back home, but I’m glad I made the decision to come to State.”
But one thing that Henry says will never change for her is her devotion to someone much higher than her. Before coming to State, Henry attended Cape Fear Christian Academy, and she says she has always been a devout Christian. While she feels that she is struggling this year with getting the distance she wants on her throws, Henry says she knows that there is always someone who can help her.
“I credit everything that I have done and accomplished to God,” Henry said. “God blessed me to be able to do what I have done here at State. I am a very strong Christian and I know that I will get back to where I need to be.”
