Shaquille Walker facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 24, 1993 Blue Island, IL |
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| Residence | Bountiful, Utah | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track, Road running | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 metres, 400 metres | |||||||||||||||||||
| College team | BYU Cougars | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Brooks Beast Seattle | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Brooks Sports | |||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Dan Mackey | |||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Shaquille Walker is an American former track runner. He was born on February 2, 1993, in Blue Island, Illinois. He used to compete for the United States and was a student-athlete at Brigham Young University. He is now retired from professional running.
Shaquille Walker's Journey in Track and Field
Early Life and High School Achievements
Shaquille Walker was born in Blue Island, Illinois. His family moved to Richmond Hill, Georgia, when he was very young. While in high school, he became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He later served as a missionary for his church in Manchester, England.
Shaquille was a very successful high school athlete. He won the Georgia High School Association AAAA state track and field title in the 800 meters event two times. He won in 2010 with a time of 1 minute, 51.71 seconds. He won again in 2011 with a time of 1 minute, 53.27 seconds.
College Career at BYU
Shaquille Walker was a standout athlete at Brigham Young University (BYU). He achieved great success in college track and field events.
NCAA Championships Highlights
Shaquille competed in several NCAA Championships:
- In 2016, he finished third in the 800 meters at both the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championships.
- In 2015, he placed fifth at the Outdoor NCAA Championships and tenth at the Indoor NCAA Championships in the 800 meters.
Setting School Records
Shaquille holds several school records at BYU:
- He set the indoor 800 meters record in 2016 with a time of 1 minute, 46.97 seconds.
- He was part of the Distance medley relay (DMR) team that set a record of 9 minutes, 29.00 seconds in 2012.
- His 4x400 Men's Relay team set a school record of 3 minutes, 7.66 seconds in 2015.
- Outdoors, he holds the 800 meters record with a time of 1 minute, 44.99 seconds, set in 2016.
- His outdoor 4x400-meter relay team set a record of 3 minutes, 3.82 seconds in 2015.
- He also helped set the outdoor DMR record of 3 minutes, 14.74 seconds in 2015.
Awards and Recognition
In 2016, Shaquille Walker received the Curtis Pugsley Track and Field Award. This is the highest honor given to a male student-athlete at BYU for track and field.
Professional Running Career
After his successful college career, Shaquille Walker became a professional runner.
Early Professional Achievements
In 2012, he won first place in the 800 meters at the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2015, he placed sixth in the 800 meters at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Signing with Brooks Sports
In June 2016, Shaquille signed a contract with Brooks Sports. This meant he would represent their brand as a professional athlete.
Olympic Trials and World Record
Shaquille competed in the 2016 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) in 2016. He finished 11th in the 800 meters.
Right after the Olympic Trials, Shaquille won the Nick Symmonds Springfield Straight 800m Road Race. He ran the race in 1 minute, 46.54 seconds. This amazing time broke the world record for that distance on a road course!
Retirement
In January 2018, it was announced that Shaquille Walker had retired from professional running.
Major Competitions and Medals
Shaquille Walker competed in several important track and field events.
- In 2012, he placed 17th in the 800 meters at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics.
- In the summer of 2015, he won a gold medal in the 800 meters at the 2015 Summer Universiade. This was a big international competition for university athletes.
- In 2017, he placed 12th in the 800 meters at the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
