Athlete – Track & Field
Shonda L. James was born in Lexington, KY. Her track journey began in elementary school, where she discovered her passion for the sport. Shonda possessed a natural talent and began excelling in shuttle sprints—winning numerous competitions.
She’d continue to dominate in track and field. During her first year at Bryan Station Senior High School, she won the Regionals and Sectionals in the 200 meters. Shonda qualified for the KHSAA State Track Championship, where she placed 3rd. In her junior and senior years, she placed among the top four in the State Championship finals in the 200m and won the 800m medley relays.
Her track accomplishments at Bryan Station gained her recognition as one of Kentucky’s top athletes. As a consistent top qualifier in the 200m, she earned Honorable Mention and was ranked in the top 10 on the All-time List for the 200m and 400m within the state. The speedster competed in the 4x100m relay as the anchor leg, which earned her and her teammates a State Championship title. Their record stood for more than three decades. Shonda was named the State Champion in the 4x200m medley relay, and during the “Senior Superlatives” awards program at Bryan Station, she was named “Most Likely to Succeed.”
Shonda received several track and field scholarship offers and committed to Indiana State University. She later transferred to North Carolina A&T University, where she continued to excel in her beloved sport. In 1988 and 1989, Shonda participated in the United States Outdoor Track National Championships in Tampa, FL, and Houston, TX. She competed against Olympians Rochelle Stevens, Dawn Sowell, and Diane Dixon in the semi-finals.
During the 1989 season, Shonda plateaued on the track. She dominated in the 100m and 200m, placing 2nd to Olympian Gwen Torrence in the Georgia Relays. She claimed victory in the 200m at the Raleigh Relays, where she assisted in setting a stadium record in the 4x100m relay. She competed against Olympian Wenda Vereen in the 200m at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship and placed 2nd.
Shonda earned All-MEAC honors in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m at North Carolina A&T. She was named MVP of the track and field team for her outstanding performance—cementing her status as the university’s number one female sprinter during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
After completing her collegiate career in track and field, Shonda pursued a career in education. She is employed by the Fayette County Public School system and teaches at the Virtual Learning Academy. She served as the head coach in track and field at Bryan Station for more than a decade. She also coached at Crawford and Winburn Middle Schools. She is the founder of Believing and Achieving in Reading (BAR), a literacy program that targets students in public schools and assists them with reading at a proficient level.
Shonda is also a proud member of the Lexington (KY) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, where she serves as Sergeant of Arms. In 2023, Shonda was honored as an “Unapologetically Woman” honoree by the Community Action Council of Lexington.
Shonda has one son, Phillip L. Barner, and one granddaughter, Apollo Layne Barner.
