Solano College Dean Sheila Hudson inducted into USATF Hall of Fame
FAIRFIELD - Dr. Sheila Hudson, Dean, School of Health Sciences at Solano College, is being inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame on Thursday.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced 14 names who will be in the 2023 induction class for the Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame.
The class will be enshrined on September 14, 2023, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon.
This year’s class features some of the greatest names in collegiate track & field and cross country history. With 70 national collegiate titles, 39 world records, and eight Olympic/World Championships medals achieved while in college, these athletes have left an indelible mark on the sports.
SCC's Sheila Hudson is known for her remarkable jumping abilities. Over the course of her college career, Hudson earned six national collegiate titles, including a historic “double-double” at the NCAA Division I Championships where she became the first woman to sweep the horizontal jumps in both indoor and outdoor events.
Dr. Sheila Hudson
Hudson’s success on the national stage was marked by her record-breaking performances and ability to deliver in high-pressure situations. In the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships triple jump, she held the lead through five attempts before being overtaken by Pac-10 rival Yvette Bates. Hudson responded with an incredible jump of 13.78m (45-2½), setting a world record and clinching victory.
Hudson also competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA. Because the Games were on home soil, friends and family were able to attend. Hudson finished 10th, but that wasn’t even the point.
“That whole month (leading to the Olympics), I was walking on the clouds,” Hudson said. “It was just magical.”
Overall, Hudson’s remarkable performances and consistency at the highest level of competition have cemented her as one of the greatest jumpers in college track and field history.
(Courtesy Solano College)