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Walker in running for track and field titles
Shaquille Walker
Shaquille Walker - photo by Photo by BYU Athletics

Brigham Young University’s Shaquille Walker is heading to the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in two events.

Walker, a sophomore from Richmond Hill, finished second in the 800 meters and anchored BYU’s second-place 4x400-meter relay team Saturday at the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas, punching his ticket to nationals in both events.

Walker ran a 1:47.30 to win his 800-meter semifinal heat and place second overall in the west region. He ran in second place most of the race but took charge in the final 200 meters to win by nearly a second.

Walker’s timewas second only to the 1:46.23 by Edward Kemboi of Iowa State, earning him a spot in the NCAA outdoor championships June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.

The Richmond Hill High School alumnus then qualified in a second event, giving BYU a strong finish that shattered the school record in the 4x400-meter relay.

The Cougars were in third place in their heat when  Jesse White handed off to Walker for the anchor leg. Coming into the homestretch, Walker shifted over a lane and outsprinted the two top-seeded teams' anchors to take the victory.

Every 4x400 team member’s split came in well under 47 seconds. The team’s time was 3:03.82, breaking the 44-year-old school record by more than two seconds.

The BYU relay team’s time was second overall to Illinois’ 3:03.11.

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