Austin Halterman: A Walk On's Path to Generals Track Excellence

Host Thomas Wakefield welcomes Austin Halterman, a Washington and Lee track thrower and scholar-athlete, to discuss his path to W&L and his niche as a hammer/weight thrower. Halterman explains that he chose W&L for the campus culture and friendliness, then earned a walk-on spot after switching late in high school to weight throw (hammer is banned in Virginia) and finding success despite an ACL tear and limited coaching resources.

He describes the jump to heavier college implements, improved training resources, and highlights a strong indoor opener where he placed second and W&L went 1–2 while finishing ahead of VMI athletes. The conversation expands to W&L’s athletic culture and academic-athletic balance, then to his Special Collections research on early track results (including an 1883 hammer mark), hammer throw’s evolution, and archival links between W&L and Alabama athletics through President George Denny and coach Frank Thomas.

Generals on the March is a storytelling podcast exploring the athletic history of Washington and Lee University through interviews with athletes, coaches, and alumni.

📍 Recorded at the Generals Redoubt Podcasting Studio, Fancy Hill, W&L University