What do Bill Russell, Ty Cobb, and Capital’s track coach Kunle Lawson all have in common? They all played in their respective sports while also coaching them.
Lawson is in his first year of coaching both the men’s and women’s track teams. As a former Division III athlete himself, Lawson has a love for the game that has not faded, despite his college days being behind him. Lawson competes in all throwing events, such as the weight throw, super weight, and shot put.
“When I graduated, I looked around on the internet for track and field events. There was one near Lynchburg, Virginia, where I was at, and I decided to go to one of the meets. I was still pretty fresh in the sport, but now, I’ve thrown in that event every year since college,” Lawson said.
He prefers the weight throws to the shot put, and his personal record is 49.5 meters (162.5 feet).
Competing after college is fairly simple. The United States Track and Field hosts many different events nationwide. Athletes are considered masters after age 40 for men and age 35 for women, and Lawson competes in one of many sub-categories for people who are over 30.
“It’s a good way to keep people in athletics for a long time. You can do indoor or outdoor championships,” Lawson said.
The students he is involved with coaching are well aware that Lawson is still active in the sport.
“I threw at the Ohio Wesleyan University meet a few weeks ago. The kids always want me to compete. I want to inspire them, but I don’t know if you can really call my performances inspiring. Some of the students [want to compete against me]. I think it helps them realize that this doesn’t have to end with school,” Lawson said.
Lawson has no plans to end his athletic career anytime soon. He is hoping to participate in the indoor national championships in Indianapolis later this year, and the master outdoor championships in Illinois in March.
“I’ve seen 90 year olds out there competing. I will compete as long as I still see myself improving, and even at my age, I’m still getting better,” Lawson said.
