The Lincolnian

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Sports

Roland Whiting, an alumnus of Lincoln is back on campus as assistant track and field coach.

Although Lincoln University is a small college, it is a big name in the track and field world. Winning seventeen national championships under Hall of Fame inductee, Coach Cyrus D. Jones, the track program is one of the most elite in the country.

Roland Whiting, a Philadelphia native, was not only apart of five of the seventeen national championships as a runner, he has now come back to Lincoln as an assistant coach, and was an asset to the men's indoor championship in 2006. After being a head coach at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and assistant track coach at Widener University, Whiting felt the need to return to his alma mater.

"My experience since I graduated, showed me how important alumni is," said Whiting. "Being passionate about seeing your school move forward helps a school move forward. And I want to see Lincoln move forward."

Whiting was an All-American sprinter from 1996-2000, running the 55 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and the 4x100 meter dash. With fifteen All-American honors, Whiting worked hard to emerge into a great runner. Dubbed as "Buzzard" by Coach Jones, as a part of an ongoing Lincoln track team tradition to be nicknamed once a member of the team, Whiting was a determined and consistent runner.

"He ran on the fastest 4x1 team we've had in Lincoln's history," said Jones. "And Buzzard was one of the best lead-off runners I've had in Lincoln's history."

Coming back to Lincoln after six years, the smell of mushrooms and manure still permeated the air surrounding the track, and the only obvious change Whiting noticed was the different group of athletes that were on the track. Discipline is still the key to Jones' successful program, and Jones still continued to run a tight ship.

"Coach (Jones) adapts to the different groups of people and when the times changes, people have to change with it," said Whiting. "Coach (Jones) does a good job of adapting with the times and the group of athletes he is working with," he added.

Whiting was a part of one of the most significant eras in Lincoln's track and field history, with four consistent male sprinters, that helped to lead to five national championships. Now, the men's team is made up of exceptional quarter-milers, such as Bobby Young, whose 400 meter times have landed him into the Faces in the Crowd section of Sports Illustrated magazine. As a sprint coach, Whiting is trying to build up the sprint program.

Continued...

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