Track star Davis draws strength from his moments of excellence

Senior Shaka Davis is an outstanding jumper and leader of the Big Red track team. Tim McKinney

By Sadie Baldwin

There are times in almost everyone's life when, at some level, they experience moments of excellence in competition. For senior Big Red track star Shaka Davis, there were two such moments.

The first occurred when he was a senior at Atherton High School in Louisville, Ky. Having become a dominating competitor in the triple jump, Davis was asked during an important meet to run in the 800-meter race in place of a injured teammate. It was his first attempt at the 800, and he was unsure of his opponents' abilities, but he was certain of one thing -- he would be successful if he put his mind to it. During the race he thought of only what his coach had stressed: "Don't let anyone pass you on the last lap of the race, no matter what." So, with his opponents closing in on that last lap, Davis closed his eyes and pushed for a little more. The next thing he remembered, he was crossing the finish line -- first.

"When you feel you can't give anymore effort," Davis said he learned, " just remember that there is always more left inside of you to help you make it through and be successful."

The second moment of excellence for Davis came the summer before he came to Cornell. After leaving his birthplace of Liberia, and coming to the United States, Davis became even closer to his family. He has relied on them for support, encouragement and education. During that summer before college, Davis and his older brother closest to him in age, played a daily game of one-on-one basketball -- sort of a sibling rite of passage. Throughout the summer, Davis never beat his older and stronger brother, until the last time they played. Davis won that last game before moving on to the next stage in his life. And that win, he said, helped give him the confidence to come to Cornell and accept the challenges he would face.

Accepting challenges is something in which Davis takes pride. After being a member of the Cornell track team for a year and a half, he was chosen to lead the men's squad as co-captain.

Since accepting that title, Davis has brought a new attitude to the squad, teammates say. He has instilled a concept of family among the 75 members of the combined and diversified men's and women's teams. By following the motto of, "I carry the team, the team carries me," Davis feels team members are encouraged to work with one another and provide support.

Davis also encourages team members to write down their goals. "By doing this," he said, "it shows everyone what your objectives are, as well as giving yourself something to commit to."

As a reward for his dedication, the senior has become one of the finest jumpers in the Ivy League. His personal best in the high jump (6'8''), the long jump (23' 5 1/2'') and the triple jump (50' 2 1/2'') have given him top honors on the team, as well as making him one of the top competitors in the league. On Feb. 28 in the Heptagonal Championships at Princeton, Davis placed second in the triple jump, earning him All-Ivy second-team honors, and third in the long jump.

After graduation, Davis said he hopes to work in human resource management or communication. And, he says, he always will have the lessons from his moments of excellence to support him.