Shannon Osika

Shannon Osika (born 15 June 1993) is an American middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500 metres. She is a four-time outdoor and three-time indoor USA Championships finalist, and she was the silver medalist at the 2018 NACAC Championships. She briefly held the world record in the distance medley relay in 2022.

Biography Osika is from Waterford, Michigan where she attended Mott High School and was a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I cross country champion. Her parents, P.J. Osika and Andrea Bowman, were collegiate milers at Eastern Michigan University and they competed at the 1988 United States Olympic trials.

Halfway through the 2011–2012 season, Osika enrolled at Michigan University, where she competed on the Michigan Wolverines track and field team until 2015 under coach Mike McGuire—who also coached her parents in the 1980s. 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, behind Shelby Houlihan and Colleen Quigley. Although the United States could only send two athletes to compete at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Houlihan had initially stated she would only run the 3000 metres at the world championships, opening up a spot for Osika to run at her first track and field world championship. During the outdoor season, Osika was selected for the 2018 NACAC Championships 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. 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.

Statistics

Personal bests Event Mark Place Competition Venue Date Ref 1500 metres 4:00.73 USATF Golden Games Walnut, California 9 May 2021 Mile run 4:24.19 5th Wanamaker Mile New York City 29 January 2022