Tiger throws coach serves as a presenter at the Winter Coaching Clinic

Glenwood Edwards Jr, who is in his eighth season as an assistant coach/throws coach for the Cowley College men's and women's track and field teams, recently had an opportunity to be a guest speaker at the Kansas Cross Country Track and Field Coaches Association Winter Coaching Clinic held January 3-4 at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, KS.

Before joining the coaching staff at Cowley College, Edwards Jr. spent six years as the throws coach at Winfield High School. He graduated from Lansdowne High School in Baltimore County, Maryland in 2003. At Lansdowne, he was a state champion in the shot put.

He went on to earn a scholarship to compete at Jayhawk Conference school Barton Community College. At Barton he was a part of two national indoor team championships and one outdoor national championship.

Edwards Jr. was a two-time Region VI indoor champion in the shot put and finished as the national runner-up in the shot put at the 2005 outdoor national championships. He finished his time at Barton as a two-time junior college All-American in the shot put.

After graduating from Barton, he earned a scholarship to compete for the University of Memphis, where he made an immediate impact by winning the Conference USA men's indoor shot put title his first season. Edwards Jr. successfully defended his title in 2008, becoming a repeat champion.

He finished two years at Memphis as a two-time region qualifier and was the indoor and outdoor Conference USA champion in the shot put each year. His efforts helped Memphis capture conference titles in both years at the school.

Edwards Jr. was joined at the Winter Coaching Clinic by his mentor and former Barton Community College coach, Lyles Lashley, who now coaches at Great Bend High School. Lashley was one of four head coaches who served as panelists, while Edwards Jr. presented a session on the Rotational Throws Technique.

"Participating and presenting at the KCCTFCA Winter Coaching Clinic in Topeka, KS, was a meaningful way to give back to the sport and express gratitude for the opportunities my coach, Lyles Lashley, gave me," Edwards Jr. said. "Coach Lashley has been one of the most influential people in my life, and his impact reminds me how deeply significant coaching can be. Connecting with young coaches and those new to the profession was inspiring, as it brought back memories of my early career. I was also fortunate to have Dae'trell Gordon, a former athlete and now volunteer assistant coach, join me. It was a valuable opportunity for him to gain experience, learn, and network in the coaching community. I have no doubt he will be an outstanding college head coach in the future."

Gardner Edgerton High School's Brian McGee, Abilene High School's Brad Nicks, and Shawnee Mission South High School's J.J. Wannamaker joined Lashley on the head coaching panel.

Other speakers at the clinic were Lance Brauman (Adidas), Travis Geopfert (Kansas State University), James Kearney (Lewis University), Colter Scott (Washburn Rural), Matt Mayeske (Gardner Edgerton), Shannon Rewarts (Hesston), Dan Schmidt (Hoisington), Jacob Schultze (Blue Valley North), Blake Arehart (Riverton), Aaron Ballew (Blue Valley Southwest), Cory Wurtz (Mill Valley), Fonda Rose (Ottawa), and Tim Testa (Junction City).

"Sharing my knowledge in a way that was both accessible and thorough was a priority because it's easy to lose people when complex information isn't presented clearly," Edwards Jr. said. "While I don't claim to know everything about the sport or events, my 20-plus years of experience have taught me the value of sharing helpful ideas that others can use. I would have gladly done it without any compensation. Through God's will, there's no greater joy than sharing good things with others."