Deandra Washington, Staff Writer
Photo credit by Shorter Sports
Junior comunication major, Ayana Walker has been an NCCAA National Champion in track and field at Shorter University since 2013. Walker is from Millen, Georgia and has been running track since she was a freshman at Jenkins County High School. Since then, all of her practice time and hard work has definitely paid off, because Walker is now the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor 400 meter dash National Champion. “It feels great to be a national champion,” Walker says “I am very grateful for this platform that God has granted me.” Walker runs other events including the 200m dash, the 4×100, and the 4x400m relays.
Walker is a firm believer in Christ, and her main objective was to align herself with an institution that believed the same as she did. “I am from a small town and I love the ‘home’ feeling that is associated with small towns,” says Walker “Shorter, in itself, was just that! It was the small, tight knit community I needed. We are like family.” Walker says as she was getting into the blocks at the starting line, she prayed and asked God to carry her around the track safely. After saying “amen,” she began singing the song, “Trust Me” by Richard Smallwood and continued as she ran the best time of her career—53.29 seconds. In terms of her track career, Walker says this is her biggest accomplishment thus far. However, she says she cannot take full credit because of all that God has blessed her with for His glory.
The first home outdoor meet is Saturday, March 28 at Baron Stadium. To prepare for the meet, Walker is letting her body recover so she can be in the best shape for the start of the outdoor season for track and field. Walker says, “Besides practicing and lifting, I am trying to clean up my diet and get more rest, and as far as mental preparation, I am focusing on doing all of the little things right so that I can run a good time when I open up with the 400m dash at Florida Relays in two weeks.”
