For years, athletic director David Shannon has assisted in the development of the student athletes in concert with their respective coaches.
And for a multititude of accomplishments that range from keeping EC in compliance with Title IX standards to coaching a successful track team, he has been recognized for his achievements and was one of six inductees in this year’s California Community College Hall of Fame.
His name was placed among 49 members at ceremonies in conjunction with the track and field championships in Bakersfield on May 15.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be nominated and to be inducted into the Cal Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame,” Shannon said. “There are some great names on that list: Olympic champions and career coaches, coaches who’ve coached for over thirty and forty years on that list.”
“It’s a humbling experience to be listed among them. Somewhere along the line you must have earned the right to be on that list.”
Eddie Hart (Merritt College), James Harvey (Antelope Valley), Jim Linthicum (De Anza), Raydell Barkley (Delta) and Ed Tucker (Glendale) were the five other inductees this year.
Shannon coached cross country and track and field from1978 to 1988.
Shannon led teams to successive state championships in 1983-’84 while being honored as the state’s cross country coach of the year in ’84. He claimed 14 combined men’s and women’s conference titles.
His track and field teams won three state championships and set six national junior college records.
In ’84 he was named State Coach of the Year for track.
As athletic director, he’s assisted in stablizing a respectable program with a classy-conscience, team-oriented posture, as well as what he describes as “El Camino’s way of mentoring young coaches.”
“I’m very appreciative of El Camino College for its commitment to sports over the years to the twenty-one athletic programs here,” Shannon said.
“And I’m very appreciative of all the assistant coaches and student athletes that I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Every one of them were good students.”
