Friday, January 06, 2017

Joel W. Shankle (Duke)

Joel W. Shankle
Courtesy: Duke Sports Information
Release: 12/14/2005
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1956 Olympic Bronze Medalist, High Hurdles
1955 NCAA Long Jump Champion
1954 ACC Athlete of the Year
Duke School Record, Long Jump (24-8), 1955
Scored 682-3/4 Duel Meet Points


Versatile Joel Shankle, a native of Level Cross, NC, is one of the great names in Duke track history. Shankle earned the nickname "The One-Man Track Gang" while competing for the Blue Devils, because of his mastery of several events. Shankle scored a total of 682 _ duel meet points at Duke, often winning three or four events in one meet. His specialties were the long jump and high hurdles. In 1954, after his junior season, he was named the initial recipient of the ACC's Anthony J. McKelvin Award as the conference's athlete of the year. That year, he won the IC4A high hurdles and placed third in the IC4A long jump. His senior year, he became the first Duke athlete ever to win an NCAA individual track championship by capturing the long jump. He came back to place third in the high hurdles the next day. He still holds the Duke long jump record of 24-8. In 1956, he reached the pinnacle of his track career when he qualified as a member of the U.S. Olympic track team in the high hurdles. In the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia, he placed third to capture the bronze medal. Shankle’s  two sons, Mike and Steve, followed in their father’s footsteps and attended Duke.

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