Carl Wallin Recognized for 40 Years of Coaching Excellence
10/15/2025 12:38:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field, Athletics
$1 million gift names track and field assistant coaching position for unparalleled service to Big Green track and field.
Adam Horst '00 remembers the first time he and his parents sat down in person with Carl Wallin, a beloved assistant track and field coach who mentored hundreds of Dartmouth student-athletes over 40 years.
"I had been an OK long jumper in high school, and Coach Wallin was recruiting me even though he didn't need to because no one else was recruiting me. I was extremely tall and extremely thin, and I couldn't imagine competing in many other events than jumps and hurdles," says Horst. "Coach Wallin said, 'You're going to be a decathlete.' My parents and I laughed. We thought he was joking."
Horst went on to have a successful track and field experience at Dartmouth, competing at different times in the pentathlon and decathlon. He placed several times in Ivy League championships as a long jumper, finished second in the pentathlon at the Ivy Indoor Heptagonal, and served as a captain in his senior year. Track and field also introduced him to his future wife, Kelly Keene '01, a long-distance runner who competed with the Dartmouth cross country team at the NCAA national championship and finished second in cross country and third in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the Heps.
"Now, I wasn't a great decathlete by any stretch, but Coach Wallin saw something in me that I hadn't," says Horst. "Whatever level of commitment you were willing to put in, Coach was going to meet or exceed it to help you realize that vision of yourself. And it was always a better version of yourself than whatever you thought possible."
Wallin's lessons—such as teaching his athletes "to be the best version of themselves on any given day"—have served the Horsts well over the past quarter century. They both work at the Mayo Clinic today, Adam as chief financial officer for the Rochester, Minnesota, campus and Kelly as a pediatric and cardiovascular radiologist. The couple recently honored Wallin by endowing the track and field throws coaching and naming the position in his honor. Their $1 million gift established the Carl J. Wallin Assistant Throws Coach of Track and Field.Â
"Returning to Dartmouth for our 25th Reunion and making this gift to endow an assistant track coach position is profoundly meaningful to us," says Kelly Horst. "With the passage of time, our appreciation for the experiences we shared here has only deepened. The track team gave us lifelong friendships, lessons, and memories that continue to shape who we are. Seeing so many of our teammates return to honor Coach Wallin was joyful and moving and reminded us that the bonds we formed here remain as strong as ever. Everyone feels just as dear to us today as they did then."
Adam Horst adds, "Coach Wallin's name should be associated with this role for the rest of time because no other name should." Â
Wallin says he was "shocked" when he learned that the Horsts had named the endowed position for him.
"Adam and Kelly are very thoughtful people," he says. "Over 40 years, I had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful students, like Adam and Kelly, who went on to achieve so much. They were witty and bright. I enjoyed all of them."
"By endowing a coaching position in Coach Wallin's name, Adam and Kelly are honoring his decades of mentorship and lasting impact while empowering future generations of student-athletes to benefit from the guidance, care, and excellence he exemplified," said Mike Harrity, Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation. "Gifts like this are essential to the long-term strength of our programs, providing critical stability and helping elevate the student-athlete experience across all of Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation."
The gift honoring Wallin is the 30th endowed position in Dartmouth's Department of Athletics and Recreation. The coaching endowments generate important annual income to address a sport's most pressing needs and the endowed staff positions support departmental priorities that benefit all varsity sports.
"This gift is incredibly important for our program," said Mike Nelson, the Marjorie & Herbert Chase '30 Director of Dartmouth Track & Field and Cross Country. "Endowed funds provide financial consistency and improve our long-term planning. The gift just shows tremendous support for the program."
Wallin's collegiate track and field success began as a Northeastern University undergraduate, where he also played football. In his senior year, he finished second in the NCAA shot put competition and was named an All-American. He arrived at Dartmouth, after a stint in the Army, in 1969.Â
Over the next four decades, Wallin coached a variety of speed-power events, which encompass competitions ranging from long jump to pole vault, and he became nationally recognized for his work in throwing events such as shot put, discus, and hammer. Among his many achievements, Wallin coached 29 All-Americans and 39 New England champions, and he was selected NCAA District 1 Coach of the Year four times. Beyond his Dartmouth successes, Wallin served as a shot put coach for the U.S. Olympic Development Camp and was the national hammer chair for the Olympic Development Committee.
Adam Lufkin is the first individual to hold the title of Carl J. Wallin Assistant Throws Coach of Track and Field. He is also close to Wallin, stopping by the retired coach's masters throws club in Lebanon, N.H. multiple times each week.
"Carl just loves coaching. You can tell he genuinely wants to be coaching all the time. Even now that he's retired, he's choosing to go coach every day and be invested in people, most of them older than 50 and brand new to throwing. It's cool to be part of that environment," says Lufkin, adding that he's becoming a more effective coach as he learns from Wallin.
"Almost every day he shares something new that I've never heard of or thought about," Lufkin says. "It makes me a better coach at the end of the day."
"I had been an OK long jumper in high school, and Coach Wallin was recruiting me even though he didn't need to because no one else was recruiting me. I was extremely tall and extremely thin, and I couldn't imagine competing in many other events than jumps and hurdles," says Horst. "Coach Wallin said, 'You're going to be a decathlete.' My parents and I laughed. We thought he was joking."
Horst went on to have a successful track and field experience at Dartmouth, competing at different times in the pentathlon and decathlon. He placed several times in Ivy League championships as a long jumper, finished second in the pentathlon at the Ivy Indoor Heptagonal, and served as a captain in his senior year. Track and field also introduced him to his future wife, Kelly Keene '01, a long-distance runner who competed with the Dartmouth cross country team at the NCAA national championship and finished second in cross country and third in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the Heps.
"Now, I wasn't a great decathlete by any stretch, but Coach Wallin saw something in me that I hadn't," says Horst. "Whatever level of commitment you were willing to put in, Coach was going to meet or exceed it to help you realize that vision of yourself. And it was always a better version of yourself than whatever you thought possible."
Wallin's lessons—such as teaching his athletes "to be the best version of themselves on any given day"—have served the Horsts well over the past quarter century. They both work at the Mayo Clinic today, Adam as chief financial officer for the Rochester, Minnesota, campus and Kelly as a pediatric and cardiovascular radiologist. The couple recently honored Wallin by endowing the track and field throws coaching and naming the position in his honor. Their $1 million gift established the Carl J. Wallin Assistant Throws Coach of Track and Field.Â
"Returning to Dartmouth for our 25th Reunion and making this gift to endow an assistant track coach position is profoundly meaningful to us," says Kelly Horst. "With the passage of time, our appreciation for the experiences we shared here has only deepened. The track team gave us lifelong friendships, lessons, and memories that continue to shape who we are. Seeing so many of our teammates return to honor Coach Wallin was joyful and moving and reminded us that the bonds we formed here remain as strong as ever. Everyone feels just as dear to us today as they did then."
Adam Horst adds, "Coach Wallin's name should be associated with this role for the rest of time because no other name should." Â
Wallin says he was "shocked" when he learned that the Horsts had named the endowed position for him.
"Adam and Kelly are very thoughtful people," he says. "Over 40 years, I had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful students, like Adam and Kelly, who went on to achieve so much. They were witty and bright. I enjoyed all of them."
"By endowing a coaching position in Coach Wallin's name, Adam and Kelly are honoring his decades of mentorship and lasting impact while empowering future generations of student-athletes to benefit from the guidance, care, and excellence he exemplified," said Mike Harrity, Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation. "Gifts like this are essential to the long-term strength of our programs, providing critical stability and helping elevate the student-athlete experience across all of Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation."
The gift honoring Wallin is the 30th endowed position in Dartmouth's Department of Athletics and Recreation. The coaching endowments generate important annual income to address a sport's most pressing needs and the endowed staff positions support departmental priorities that benefit all varsity sports.
"This gift is incredibly important for our program," said Mike Nelson, the Marjorie & Herbert Chase '30 Director of Dartmouth Track & Field and Cross Country. "Endowed funds provide financial consistency and improve our long-term planning. The gift just shows tremendous support for the program."
Wallin's collegiate track and field success began as a Northeastern University undergraduate, where he also played football. In his senior year, he finished second in the NCAA shot put competition and was named an All-American. He arrived at Dartmouth, after a stint in the Army, in 1969.Â
Over the next four decades, Wallin coached a variety of speed-power events, which encompass competitions ranging from long jump to pole vault, and he became nationally recognized for his work in throwing events such as shot put, discus, and hammer. Among his many achievements, Wallin coached 29 All-Americans and 39 New England champions, and he was selected NCAA District 1 Coach of the Year four times. Beyond his Dartmouth successes, Wallin served as a shot put coach for the U.S. Olympic Development Camp and was the national hammer chair for the Olympic Development Committee.
Adam Lufkin is the first individual to hold the title of Carl J. Wallin Assistant Throws Coach of Track and Field. He is also close to Wallin, stopping by the retired coach's masters throws club in Lebanon, N.H. multiple times each week.
"Carl just loves coaching. You can tell he genuinely wants to be coaching all the time. Even now that he's retired, he's choosing to go coach every day and be invested in people, most of them older than 50 and brand new to throwing. It's cool to be part of that environment," says Lufkin, adding that he's becoming a more effective coach as he learns from Wallin.
"Almost every day he shares something new that I've never heard of or thought about," Lufkin says. "It makes me a better coach at the end of the day."
Bobby Clark Head Coach of Men's Soccer Bo Oshoniyi Postgame vs. Penn - 10.25.25
Sunday, October 26
Maura Crowell Postgame vs. Cornell - 10.25.25
Saturday, October 25
Women's Rugby Seniors Postgame vs. Brown - 10.25.25
Saturday, October 25
Head Coach Katie Dowty Postgame vs. Brown - 10.25.25
Saturday, October 25
