WINCHESTER, Va. - The Shenandoah University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is inducting seven individuals into its Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with today's spotlight focusing on Track & Field sprinter Shamyra Wilkerson.

Wilkerson, a King William High School product out of Manquin, Va., burst onto the stage as soon as she stepped foot on the track. In her first year with the program, she garnered All-ODAC honors in both the indoor and outdoor sprint races (indoor 60m, indoor 200m, outdoor 100m, outdoor 200m). She would also be named to the All-Region team by the USTFCCCA in the indoor 200m dash. 

Throughout her growth as a student athlete at Shenandoah, she would be named to the ODK national leadership honor society as well as attend the NCAA Convention as an immersion student, both in her junior year. She would also earn two Academic All-ODAC nods her junior and senior year, as well as USTFCCCA All-Academic her senior year.

Her career took flight during her final season as a Hornet, as she would be named the ODAC Track Athlete of the Week twice before winning three out of her four ODAC Championship races (Indoor 60m, Outdoor 100m, Outdoor 200m). She would also earn All-Region honors for her indoor 60m and 200m races.

Wilkerson held the 7th best time in the nation in the indoor 200m and the 11th best time in the 60m, marks that would send her to the NCAA DIII National Championships where she competed in both races. She would finish 13th in the 60m and 8th in the 200m, the latter of which would make her the first All-American in Shenandoah Track & Field history.

By the end of her career, she would hold school records in all four of her races, including the indoor 60m and 200m as well as the outdoor 100m and 200m.

Shamyra's story at Shenandoah didn't end at graduation. Driven by a desire to give back to the institution that helped shape her, she returned to earn a master's degree and joined the athletics department in 2022 as the Director of Marketing and Promotions. From bringing energy to home games to planning major events like the Hall of Fame inductions, she channeled the same passion into elevating Hornet athletics from the front office that she had displayed on the track.

Wilkerson and the rest of the inductees will be enshrined in the hall of fame on October 17, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center.

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