Shannon Osika (born 15 June 1993) is an American

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...

specializing in the

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...

. She is a four-time outdoor and three-time

indoor Indoor(s) may refer to: *the interior of a building *Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality *Built envi ...

USA Championships finalist, and she was the silver medalist at the

2018 NACAC Championships The 2018 North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships was a regional track and field competition held at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada, from August 10–12, 2018. It was the third edition of a senior track and field championsh ...

. She briefly held the world record in the

distance medley relay The distance medley relay (DMR) is an athletic event in which four athletes compete as part of a relay. With its inclusion in the IAAF World Relays program, the IAAF announced on May 1, 2015 that the event would be an official world record event ...

in 2022.

Biography

Osika is from

Waterford, Michigan Waterford Township (commonly known simply as Waterford) is a charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Waterford is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the ...

where she attended Mott High School and was a

Michigan High School Athletic Association The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Assoc ...

Division I cross country champion. Her parents, P.J. Osika and Andrea Bowman, were collegiate milers at

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...

and they competed at the 1988 United States Olympic trials. Halfway through the 2011–2012 season, Osika enrolled at

Michigan University The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where she competed on the

Michigan Wolverines track and field The Michigan Wolverines track and field teams are the intercollegiate track and field programs representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( ...

team until 2015 under coach Mike McGuire—who also coached her parents in the 1980s. While at Michigan, Osika ran five NCAA national track finals and two cross country national races, with a best finish of 3rd at the

2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships was the 51st NCAA Men's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 34th NCAA Women's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Randal Tyson Track Center i ...

distance medley relay. At the 2012 NACAC Cross Country Championships, Osika competed in the U20 race and won the race for the United States, leading her team to a victory over Canada as well. Osika achieved her first national top-three finish in the 1500 m at the

2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Organized by USA Track and Field (USATF), the three-day competition took place from February 16 to February 18 and served ...

, behind

Shelby Houlihan Shelby Houlihan (born February 8, 1993) is an American middle distance runner, Olympian and World Record holder in the 4x1500m relay. Houlihan competed in the 5000m final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, finishing 11th. She is a 12-time US Nati ...

and Colleen Quigley. Although the United States could only send two athletes to compete at the

2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 17th IAAF World Indoor Championships was held from 1 to 4 March 2018 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. This was the city's second hosting of the event as it previously did so in 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships, 2003. Bidding process Birmin ...

, Houlihan had initially stated she would only run the

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...

at the world championships, opening up a spot for Osika to run at her first track and field world championship. However, Houlihan later decided to run in both events, blocking out Osika from the spot. During the outdoor season, Osika was selected for the

team, where she won a silver medal in the 1500 m. In 2019, Osika was selected to run on the mixed 4 × 1 km relay at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. Running second leg, the team finished 4th behind Ethiopia, Morocco, and Kenya. At the 2021 United States Olympic trials, Osika qualified for the finals of the 1500 m and placed fourth, just outside the top-three to be selected for the 2021 U.S. Olympic team. On 11 February 2022, Osika was part of the Nike Union Athletics Club team that set an indoor world record in the

, with a time of 10:39.91 at the Lilac Grand Prix. The record was only briefly held, as it was overtaken by New Balance running 10:33 on 15 April later that year. Osika is sponsored by

Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. (stylized as ''NIKE'') is an American athletic footwear and apparel corporation headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. It is the world's largest supplier of Sneakers, athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equ ...

Statistics

Personal bests

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Osika, Shannon Living people 1993 births American female middle-distance runners 21st-century American sportswomen Sportspeople from Waterford, Michigan Michigan Wolverines women's track and field athletes Michigan Wolverines women's cross country runners World record setters in athletics (track and field)