On Friday, April 24th at 7 p.m., as part of the Big Red Track & Field Invitational, a plaque will be dedicated in honor of former head track and field coach Bob Shannon who passed away last April. Shannon's name will now be memorialized in the same facility that already honors former Denison coaching greats Keith Piper and Woody Hayes, class of 1935, as well as Col. Edward A. Deeds, class of 1897, whose generosity provided the college with its historic stadium in 1922.

A 1950 graduate of Denison, Shannon began his collegiate coaching career in 1954 as an assistant football coach on Keith Piper's staff.  In 1958 he was appointed head track and field coach, two positions he would hold until his retirement from Denison in 1993.

During his tenure at Denison, Shannon had the opportunity to coach an Olympic gold medal sprinter and serve as an official at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  He was voted by his peers in the North Coast Athletic Conference as the league's Track and Field Coach of the Year on 10 different occasions and his Denison teams won numerous indoor
and outdoor conference championships.  In 1987 his Big Red track squad placed fifth at the Division III National Championships, and in 1985, Shannon served as Meet Director when Denison hosted the NCAA Division III National Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Granville.

The track meet is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the dedication slated for 7 p.m., inside the stadium, during a break between running events.  A reception will follow the dedication ceremony in the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse area of the Denison Physical Education Center.