University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Great Colin Anderson Passes Away
11/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota mourns the loss U.S. Olympic qualifier and three-time Big Ten champion Colin Anderson, who passed away on Monday at age 62 from cancer.
A four-year letter winner for the Gophers, Anderson swept the 1972 Big Ten shot put titles with an indoor title at 61-01.5 ft. and an outdoor title at 61-04.75 ft. His throw of 62-01.75 ft., in 1972 marked the first 60-foot throw in Big Ten history and stood as the conference record for a decade. He repeated as the Big Ten outdoor champion in 1973 with a throw of 60-00.75 ft. A former co-captain and MVP for the Gophers, Anderson still ranks fourth all-time among Minnesota throwers in both indoor and outdoor records.
Following his college career, Anderson won the 1979 AAU Indoor National Championship and earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the Moscow games. He went on to teach at Elk River High School for 33 years and coached football and track with various programs including a stint as an assistant coach for the Gophers from 1989-1995.
Anderson began his throwing career at Golden Valley High School and became the first male in state history to surpass 60 feet in the shot put. He was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Minnesota Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1996 and was inducted into the University of Minnesota 'M' Club Hall of Fame in 2000.
Anderson is survived by his wife, Lynne, and son, Thomas. Lynne Anderson served as an assistant track & field coach at the University of Minnesota for more than 30 years while Thomas Anderson is a redshirt sophomore at Arizona State and a two-time Minnesota state shot put champion. The Gopher women's track & field program sends its condolences to Lynne, Thomas, and the rest of Colin's family and friends.
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