THIS YEAR: An outstanding hurdler who can also score in the sprints, senior Jaylah Walker is a key figure in the Cougars’ pursuit for championships, both on the conference and national levels … Excels in the short and long hurdles and can anchor both relays … Has APU all-time top-ten marks in the 200- (24.54) and 400-meters (54.98) and owns the school record in the 400-meter hurdles (59.65).
2020 (senior): Appeared in 5 meets, all during the indoor season … Won the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier 200 (24.54) and the Samford Bulldog Invite 400 (54.98) … Had a personal-best 8.80 in the 60-meter hurdles at the Martin Luther King Invitational at the University of New Mexico.
2019 (junior): Was on her way to a fine junior campaign when she was derailed by an injury … Appeared in 4 meets and was shut down by the third week of March … Recorded season-bests of 25.52 (200 meters), 56.96 (400), 8.93 (60 hurdles) and 15.23 (100 hurdles).
2018 (sophomore): Enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign in which she set the school record in the 400-meter hurdles, winning the event at the Highlander Twilight of UC Riverside with a 59.65, breaking Lorraine Swaby’s 2007 standard of 59.81 … Qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Charlotte, NC., finishing 11th overall with a 1:00.85 … Scored 25 points at the PacWest Championship Meet, finishing 3rd in the 4x100-meter relay, fourth in the 200 meters (25.46), third in the 400 (57.39) and then anchoring the 4x400-meter relay (3:53.38) to a second place finish.
2017 (freshman): Appeared in 13 events as a 2017 freshman … Focused on the 200, 400, and 400 hurdles and ran legs on several 4x400-meter relays … At the PacWest Championships in San Diego, finished fourth in the 400 hurdles (season-best 1:02.03) and fifth in the 400 meters (58.06) … Clocked a season-best 57.56 in the 400 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was a 7-time River Valley League champion at La Sierra High in Riverside, Calif., including 3 conference titles in the 300-meter hurdles … Owns the 300H record for La Sierra (43.51) … Represented the Eagles in 3 straight CIF Southern Section Master’s Meets … Was a 4-time team MVP while competing for Head Coach Jeff Roney … Also competed in cheer for 4 years for former Cougar basketball standout Sheri Lazzarini … As a 2016 senior, was named La Sierra’s Athlete of the Year and graduated Valedictorian.
PERSONAL: Born July 13, in Corona, Calif., to Johnnie and Janice Walker … Has two older brothers (Johnnie, Jarrett) … Earned her bachelor’s of science in organismal biology, graduating in the spring of 2020 … Currently working on her master’s in public health … Wants to go into healthcare administration.
