In a private signing Friday, Gloucester High School senior and track athlete Josh Shackelford signed a letter of intent with the College of William and Mary, where he will continue his athletic and academic career.

Flanked by his parents, Heather and Keith Shackelford, the Dukes runner put pen to paper as coaches, teachers and school leadership looked on. 

“I’m one of the first people in my family to go to college,” the young Shackelford stated. “Hopefully this is the start of a new generation to get a college education.”

Shackelford competed for the Dukes varsity outdoor and indoor track teams since eighth grade, specializing in the mile, 2-mile, and 1,000m among other events. “I hope to help them [William and Mary] get back to contending for NCAA titles because they have a really young team right now,” he said of his goals.

The runner also had serious interest from UNC Greensboro but chose the Tribe because of the college’s superior academic reputation.

Shackelford will pursue a degree in kinesiology and said he wants to follow in the footsteps of GHS coach John Perrin to coach track and field after college. 

“He definitely interacts with us well and tries to make it feel like a family,” said Shackelford of his coach. “He definitely knows what he’s doing but is flexible when he needs to be.”