BYU's Walker posts nation's top 800 time at Sun Angel Classic

Brigham Young University’s Shaquille Walker recently became one of seven All-American runners to break the 1 minute, 45 second mark in an 800-meter race at the Sun Angel Classic with a time of 1:44:99.

“We’ve been preparing for this for quite some time now,” Walker, who now ranks No. 1 in the nation, said. “I’ve been having dreams of what was going to happen in this race. It feels amazing to come out and perform well. It’s been an unreal night and I’m really grateful. It’s been a really good year having people support me – the trainers, Coach Ed Eyestone and my wife have been the biggest supports.”

Walker’s time made him the first athlete to drop under 1:45 since 2012, and broke his school record for the 800. Jesse White also posted the fourth-fastest 400-meter time in the country this season with a 45.92, and Shea Martinez-Collinsworth now ranks third in the nation after running the women’s 800 in 2:03:21.

“I was shocked after the race; I couldn’t believe it,” White said. “I thought the clock was broken. I was just so amazed. I clapped a couple times then kneeled down and said a little prayer and just thanked God for the opportunity because that’s where it all came from. I’m thankful for my teammate Shaquille who always knew I could do it. He always tells me that I’m going to go 1:45. We motivate each other and we fed off each other’s energy tonight.”