Lawrence commitment to Oregon a step in the right direction – Robinson
Published:Sunday | November 13, 2022 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
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AS THE final chapter of World Under-20 shot put silver medallist Kobe Lawrence’s high-school journey starts, Calabar coach Julian Robinson says that he is excited for his future next year at the University of Oregon, a move he hopes will lead to...
AS THE final chapter of World Under-20 shot put silver medallist Kobe Lawrence’s high-school journey starts, Calabar coach Julian Robinson says that he is excited for his future next year at the University of Oregon, a move he hopes will lead to his achieving his Olympic dream.
Lawrence was announced on Thursday via Instagram as the latest member to join the Oregon family as part of the 2023 recruiting class.
Lawrence, who has been a mainstay for Calabar High School, will join a programme which has seen the likes of 2022 4x100m World Championship silver medallist Kemba Nelson pass through its ranks. He will also join fellow student-athlete Xavier Narine, who is in his junior year with the university.
Robinson says that Lawrence will benefit from the university’s resources, as well as a staff led by new head coach Jerry Schumacher, who was appointed on July 11 before the start of the World Championships.
“Relatively speaking, he is going to a big school. By any standard, by American track and field standards, it is a Nike school. They have a big track and field budget. The coach that he is going to is a good NCAA coach and a coach that has produced at the World Championship level,” Robinson told The Sunday Gleaner.
Lawrence will be under the direction of throws coach Brian Blutreich, who has coached student-athletes to various Division One titles, as well as five Olympians.
“I think that he can go there and prosper and continue to progress. He likes the campus, he likes the set-up. It’s good for Jamaica. Hopefully, in 2024 he can qualify for the Olympics. I think he should be able to do it under coach Blutreich’s guidance,” Robinson said.
Lawrence is coming off a strong 2022 campaign, highlighted by his first World Under-20 silver medal captured at the Under-20 World Championships in Cali, Colombia in August. Lawrence threw a personal best, 20.58 metres, for the podium finish.
The feat was historic, as the 18-year-old became the first Jamaican junior to win a shot-put global medal. The achievement was even more gratifying for Lawrence after his eighth-place finish the season before in Kenya. He would also make it to the final of the discus throw event where he would finish 10th with an effort of 59.96.
At the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships in April, he won silver in the Boys’ Class One Shot Put and the Boys’ Class One Discus. At the Carifta Games, he completed the Under-20 shot put and discus double, as well as finished second at the Penn Relays.
Though his college future is already decided, Robinson will not change his approach to his final season in Jamaica, ensuring he stays healthy being the major goal..