NAME: Silverado Socrates
UNIVERSITY: Victoria
CATEGORY: Student-Athlete
SPORT: Women’s Cross Country
YEARS ACTIVE: 1985-1988
HIGHLIGHTS:
Three-time CIAU Cross Country Athlete of the Year
1987-88 CIAU T&F Athlete of the Year
Five-time CIAU gold medalist
UVic Female Athlete of the Year (1987-88)
BIOGRAPHY:
Silverado Socrates (formerly Brenda Shackleton) had a remarkable career as a student-athlete at the University of Victoria, culminating in 1987-88 when the distance runner was named the CIAU Female Athlete of the Year for both cross country and track and field.
For three straight seasons, spanning 1985-86 to 1987-88, Socrates pulled off the hat-trick in CIAU cross country competition, winning individual gold, being selected Athlete of the Year, and receiving All-Canadian honours.
She was no slouch on the track, either, winning gold in the 1,500-metre and bronze in the 1,000-metre at the CIAU championships in 1985-86, then topping the podium for the 3,000-metre at nationals two years later.
Her excellence as an individual helped propel UVic to three consecutive CIAU cross country team titles between 1985 and 1987, and the Vikes never finished lower than sixth as a team at the CIAU Track and Field Championships during her student-athlete career.
Prior to running for the Vikes, Socrates set the Canadian junior 3000-metre record with a clocking of 9:12.84.
Socrates was named Victora’s Rookie of the Year in 1985-86, and its Female Athlete of the Year in 1987-88.
She was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2013.