HomeMy WebLinkAboutCampus_MatsonAggie athletes have been representing their school and community
at the Olympic level for decades. One notable athlete and long-time
College Station resident, Randy Matson, captured the world’s
attention by throwing for record distances in the shot put in the
1960s and 70s.
In 1965 Randy became the first man to surpass the 70-foot barrier.
Randy's 70-7 1/4 throw on May 8, 1965, ended an extraordinary
one month period when he broke the American record (AR) three
times, adding nearly three feet to the previous AR. He just missed
making his third Olympic team in 1972, when he finished fourth at
the Olympic Trials.
Championships:
1968 Olympic gold medal (Mexico City) *shown
1964 Olympic silver medal (Tokyo) *shown
U.S. National Champion: 1964, 66, 67, 68, 70, 72
NCAA Champion: 1966, 67
NCAA Discus Champion: 1966, 67
Today, Aggie athletes have a notable presence on the international
stage. A total of 23 athletes and two coaches with Texas A&M ties
participated in the 2012 London Games. Representing 15 different
countries, Aggies saw action in four different sports - swimming and
diving (12), track and field (8), archery (2) and basketball (1). Aggie
women's swimming head coach Steve Bultman was on the Team
USA staff and swimming letterman Rick Walker was on the Egyptian
swimming staff.
Items courtesy of Randy Matson. Descriptions courtesy of the Texas A&M
Athletic Department.
The 16-lb. iron cast shot put shown right is similar to the one
thrown by Randy Matson in the Olympic and NCAA Championship
games during his career.