Randy Matson
Encyclopedia
James Randel Matson (born March 5, 1945 in Kilgore, Texas
) is a former United States
Olympic
shot put
thrower. In 1968 he stood 6 foot, and weighed about 280 pounds (127 kg).
, the seat of Gray County in the Texas Panhandle
. At the age of twelve, he participated in his first track meet. He won the 50-yard dash, the 100-yard dash, the long jump and the high jump and finished sixth in the shot put. He attended Pampa High School, where he was a three-sport standout in American football
, basketball
, and track and field
. He won All-District football honors, and was a two-time All-District and one-time All-State basketball player, averaging 15 points per game. In track and field, he was a two-time State Champion in both the shot put and the discus and could run the 100 yard dash in 10.2 seconds. This led him to be named an All-State and All-American in track and field.
, where he continued to work on his shot put skills. In his first full year of using the heavier college (adult or Senior) shot (16 pounds), Matson won the Olympic Silver Medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
From 1965 through 1971, Matson entered 79 competitions and won 73 of them. In a two month span in 1965 he broke the world record three times, adding over 2 feet to the previous mark, until it stood at 21.52 metre. He earned his B.B.A. in Marketing
from Texas A&M in 1967, and was then drafted by teams in the National Football League
, National Basketball Association
, and the American Basketball Association. He turned them all down to concentrate on track and field. He had a considerable rivalry with Neal Steinhauer
, but usually came out on top.
Matson improved his world record to 21.78 metre in 1967, and was rewarded with the James E. Sullivan Award
, given to the nation's outstanding amateur athlete. He earned the Olympic Gold Medal at the Mexico City Games in 1968, and was named the 1970 Track and Field News Athlete of the Year.
In 1967 he threw the discus
to within three inches (8 cm) of the (then) world record, and was [briefly] considered as a possible double Olympic champion in shot and discus—like Bud Houser in 1924—but Matson only competed in the shot in Mexico City
.
He just missed making the 1972 Olympic team when he finished fourth at the Olympic Trials. Matson retired after that contest as the only man who had ever thrown a shot put over 70 feet. He was inducted into the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 1972, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, the National Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
in 1984, and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
in 1972, and served as their executive director from 1979 until his retirement in 1999; he was subsequently honored to be chosen the keynote speaker for the 2000 Aggie Muster held on the A&M campus.
In 2003, the Texas A&M Foundation created the post of Senior Philanthropic Officer for him. Once the foundation had completed its One Spirit One Vision fundraising campaign in 2007, far exceeding its goal, Matson announced his resignation. He had suffered from heart trouble in 2004 and wished to spend more time with his six young grandchildren.
Matson is married to the former Margaret Burns, a 1966 graduate of Abilene Christian University
, where she served as a cheerleader. They have three children, Jessica, who is married to Russell Camp of Amarillo, Jim, and Cole, all of whom graduated from Texas A&M. Matson and his family live in College Station, Texas
.
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
) is a former United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
thrower. In 1968 he stood 6 foot, and weighed about 280 pounds (127 kg).
Early years
The son of Charles and Ellen Matson, Randy Matson was reared in PampaPampa, Texas
Pampa is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,887 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gray County.Pampa is the principal city of the Pampa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Gray and Roberts counties....
, the seat of Gray County in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
. At the age of twelve, he participated in his first track meet. He won the 50-yard dash, the 100-yard dash, the long jump and the high jump and finished sixth in the shot put. He attended Pampa High School, where he was a three-sport standout in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He won All-District football honors, and was a two-time All-District and one-time All-State basketball player, averaging 15 points per game. In track and field, he was a two-time State Champion in both the shot put and the discus and could run the 100 yard dash in 10.2 seconds. This led him to be named an All-State and All-American in track and field.
Amateur career
Randy Matson is considered by many to be the greatest shot putter of all time, considering his massive improvement of the world record. He chose to attend Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, where he continued to work on his shot put skills. In his first full year of using the heavier college (adult or Senior) shot (16 pounds), Matson won the Olympic Silver Medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
From 1965 through 1971, Matson entered 79 competitions and won 73 of them. In a two month span in 1965 he broke the world record three times, adding over 2 feet to the previous mark, until it stood at 21.52 metre. He earned his B.B.A. in Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
from Texas A&M in 1967, and was then drafted by teams in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and the American Basketball Association. He turned them all down to concentrate on track and field. He had a considerable rivalry with Neal Steinhauer
Neal Steinhauer
Neal Steinhauer is a retired male shot putter from the United States. He won the silver medal in the men's shot put event at the 1967 Pan American Games, behind Randy Matson. A one-time American national champion Steinhauer set his personal best in the men's shot put event on March 25, 1967 at a...
, but usually came out on top.
Matson improved his world record to 21.78 metre in 1967, and was rewarded with the James E. Sullivan Award
James E. Sullivan Award
The James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
, given to the nation's outstanding amateur athlete. He earned the Olympic Gold Medal at the Mexico City Games in 1968, and was named the 1970 Track and Field News Athlete of the Year.
In 1967 he threw the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
to within three inches (8 cm) of the (then) world record, and was [briefly] considered as a possible double Olympic champion in shot and discus—like Bud Houser in 1924—but Matson only competed in the shot in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
He just missed making the 1972 Olympic team when he finished fourth at the Olympic Trials. Matson retired after that contest as the only man who had ever thrown a shot put over 70 feet. He was inducted into the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 1972, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, the National Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
in 1984, and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Career highlights
- Personal Record: 21.78 metre
- Olympic Gold Medal, 1968: 20.54 metre
- Olympic Silver Medal, 1964: 20.2 metre
- US National Champion in 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, and 1972
- NCAA Shot Put Champion 1966 and 1967
- NCAA Discus Champion 1966 and 1967
- Broke Shot Put World Record four times - annual bests for those years:
- 1965: 21.52 metre
- 1967: 21.78 metre
Post-Retirement
Matson has dedicated his post-sports career to Texas A&M University. He joined The Association of Former StudentsThe Association of Former Students
The Association of Former Students is the official alumni association of Texas A&M University. The Association attracts over 400,000 members and has 242 clubs worldwide...
in 1972, and served as their executive director from 1979 until his retirement in 1999; he was subsequently honored to be chosen the keynote speaker for the 2000 Aggie Muster held on the A&M campus.
In 2003, the Texas A&M Foundation created the post of Senior Philanthropic Officer for him. Once the foundation had completed its One Spirit One Vision fundraising campaign in 2007, far exceeding its goal, Matson announced his resignation. He had suffered from heart trouble in 2004 and wished to spend more time with his six young grandchildren.
Matson is married to the former Margaret Burns, a 1966 graduate of Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
, where she served as a cheerleader. They have three children, Jessica, who is married to Russell Camp of Amarillo, Jim, and Cole, all of whom graduated from Texas A&M. Matson and his family live in College Station, Texas
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
.