David Shannon '82: Tracking His Records
It’s not unusual for Collegiate’s aspiring track and field athletes to peruse the record board in front hall of the Seal Athletic Center. One of the names that quickly grabs their attention is David Shannon, who established marks in the long jump (22-6) and high jump (6-8) that have stood for almost 25 years. If those credentials draw oohs and aahs from the youngsters of today, they would have been even more impressed had they actually seen him compete.
“David was a Cadillac: big, smooth, and fluid,” said Lewis Lawson, an Upper School English teacher and assistant track coach in Shannon’s day. “When he needed that extra gear to make up a stagger or close the gap on a relay, he had more of a 489 GTO engine.
“David was a Cadillac: big, smooth, and fluid,” said Lewis Lawson, an Upper School English teacher and assistant track coach in Shannon’s day. “When he needed that extra gear to make up a stagger or close the gap on a relay, he had more of a 489 GTO engine.
“When he high jumped, it was as if he had ankles built on pogo sticks
and, in the long jump, legs like Slinkies which stretched out for an
extra foot to the marvel of his competition.
“The best part of all was how coachable, polite, and appreciative he was.”
Shannon came to Collegiate during the late fall of his sophomore year when his father, Dr. David T. Shannon Sr., became president of Virginia Union University. He quickly made his mark as much for his buoyant personality as for his athleticism.
“David is one of the finest athletes we ever worked with,” said Jim Hickey, who served as Collegiate’s head track coach for 38 years before he retired in 2005. “He competed really well and gave it all he had. He was also a great guy.”
There were many highlights during Shannon’s high school career but none more memorable than his performance in the state independent schools championship meet in May 1982, his final appearance in a Collegiate uniform.
Competing at 5-8, 150-pounds, he won 5 individual events – high jump (6-6), triple jump (44-7), long jump (22-6), 100 (11.1), and 200 (22.5) – and ran the second leg of the 4x100 relay (with Bill Deep, Stan Thalhimer, and Tom Crosby) that finished first in 44.2 and broke a 12-year-old school record they’d pursued all spring.
His point total – 52½ of Collegiate’s first-place 135 – was greater than that of all but the top three teams.
For his accomplishments, he was named the outstanding field events performer in the meet and recognized in the “Faces in the Crowd” section of the July 26, 1982, issue of Sports Illustrated.
“We had the prom that night, so everybody had to do a quick flip to get ready,” said Shannon, who was voted outstanding senior athlete in the class of ’82. “Then, on Sunday after church, I sat down and read the newspaper and thought, ‘Look what we did.’ It was a huge high, great for the team but a bittersweet feeling because it was over.”
Shannon, also an All-Prep League wide receiver, later earned a B.S. in math from Virginia Union and a B.S. in aerospace engineering from University of Michigan. He competed in track and football at VUU and led the CIAA in kickoff returns in 1984. When he arrived in Ann Arbor, he continued only with track, later joined the University of Chicago Track Club, grew to 5-10, 185, and improved his long jump to 26-8. That distance qualified him for the Olympic Trials in 1988, but an administrative glitch scuttled his dream. It was a rare disappointment in an illustrious career.
Shannon eventually returned to Virginia, worked in the International Space Station office at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, became highly respected in his field, and earned numerous awards for his work. While on the Peninsula, he regularly officiated local track meets and served as a volunteer high school jumps coach at both Phoebus and Kecoughtan.
In 2001, he founded Shannon International Enterprises and Holdings, a company which specializes in technology management and small business development services. He now lives in Sanford, FL, near Orlando with his wife Nancy and their sons David, 7, Malachi, 4, and Isaiah, 3.
This past November, he returned with his family for his induction into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame. It was his first trip back to his alma mater in many years, and the memories abounded, especially of that remarkable day almost a quarter-century ago.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of pride competing for Collegiate. I’ve been on a gazillion teams, but the ones at Collegiate were like family to me.” — Weldon Bradshaw
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“The best part of all was how coachable, polite, and appreciative he was.”
Shannon came to Collegiate during the late fall of his sophomore year when his father, Dr. David T. Shannon Sr., became president of Virginia Union University. He quickly made his mark as much for his buoyant personality as for his athleticism.
“David is one of the finest athletes we ever worked with,” said Jim Hickey, who served as Collegiate’s head track coach for 38 years before he retired in 2005. “He competed really well and gave it all he had. He was also a great guy.”
There were many highlights during Shannon’s high school career but none more memorable than his performance in the state independent schools championship meet in May 1982, his final appearance in a Collegiate uniform.
Competing at 5-8, 150-pounds, he won 5 individual events – high jump (6-6), triple jump (44-7), long jump (22-6), 100 (11.1), and 200 (22.5) – and ran the second leg of the 4x100 relay (with Bill Deep, Stan Thalhimer, and Tom Crosby) that finished first in 44.2 and broke a 12-year-old school record they’d pursued all spring.
His point total – 52½ of Collegiate’s first-place 135 – was greater than that of all but the top three teams.
For his accomplishments, he was named the outstanding field events performer in the meet and recognized in the “Faces in the Crowd” section of the July 26, 1982, issue of Sports Illustrated.
“We had the prom that night, so everybody had to do a quick flip to get ready,” said Shannon, who was voted outstanding senior athlete in the class of ’82. “Then, on Sunday after church, I sat down and read the newspaper and thought, ‘Look what we did.’ It was a huge high, great for the team but a bittersweet feeling because it was over.”
Shannon, also an All-Prep League wide receiver, later earned a B.S. in math from Virginia Union and a B.S. in aerospace engineering from University of Michigan. He competed in track and football at VUU and led the CIAA in kickoff returns in 1984. When he arrived in Ann Arbor, he continued only with track, later joined the University of Chicago Track Club, grew to 5-10, 185, and improved his long jump to 26-8. That distance qualified him for the Olympic Trials in 1988, but an administrative glitch scuttled his dream. It was a rare disappointment in an illustrious career.
Shannon eventually returned to Virginia, worked in the International Space Station office at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, became highly respected in his field, and earned numerous awards for his work. While on the Peninsula, he regularly officiated local track meets and served as a volunteer high school jumps coach at both Phoebus and Kecoughtan.
In 2001, he founded Shannon International Enterprises and Holdings, a company which specializes in technology management and small business development services. He now lives in Sanford, FL, near Orlando with his wife Nancy and their sons David, 7, Malachi, 4, and Isaiah, 3.
This past November, he returned with his family for his induction into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame. It was his first trip back to his alma mater in many years, and the memories abounded, especially of that remarkable day almost a quarter-century ago.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of pride competing for Collegiate. I’ve been on a gazillion teams, but the ones at Collegiate were like family to me.” — Weldon Bradshaw
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