Walter Henning has already had some success in North Carolina. Obviously, the South Huntington NY (St. Anthony’s) senior likes it down there.

The nation’s top prep hammer thrower and DyeStat 2005-06 MVP has committed to continuing his track and field career at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. It’s not far from Greensboro NC, where he won the Nike Outdoor Nationals as a junior last spring and was 2nd as a soph in 2004. It’s several months before he will have a chance to defend that title, but he wanted to get the college selection process out of the way now.

Photo by Vic Sailer

“It really takes a lot of stress off,” said Henning.

He took just three of his five visits, also checking out U. of Oregon and U. of Virginia. “All three of them made it a real hard decision,” he said. “But I was the most comfortable at UNC.”

The Tar Heels have been extraordinarily successful in the throws in recent years. At the 2006 NCAA Outdoor meet, they had the winners in the men’s discus (Vikas Gowda), men’s javelin (Justin Ryncavage), women’s shot (Laura Gerraughty), and the third-place finisher (1st American) in the men’s hammer (Nick Owens).

All are under the tutelage of throws coach Brian Blutreich, who has developed a strong all-around tradition in those disciplines for the Tar Heels.

“I really got along well with the coaches,” said Henning. Considering the mentoring he has received from his coach Marty Engel, the 1952 Olympian, he added,“I feel like Coach Blutreich is also the type of coach that will go out and give his athletes the individual attention they need.”

Walter isn’t certain what he plans to major in at UNC, but says “some sort of education field, like Elementary Education, or maybe English” is a strong area of interest. He also liked the school because “it’s easy to get to and has a real nice campus.”

While Henning isn’t ready to set specific goals for his senior indoor and outdoor seasons for St. Anthony’s, topping 2006 will be no easy task. Indoors, he destroyed the weight throw records while winning NIN and NSIC back-to-back. Outdoors, he became #2 all-time with the prep hammer, won NON, then took the USATF Junior title. Later he reset the mark with the relatively new junior implement, and wrapped up the whole campaign with a very respectable 8th in the IAAF Junior Meet – despite the fact that he was just 17.

One can only imagine the magic he might produce this winter and spring.

“After three weeks of practice, training is going really well,” he concluded.