University of Tennessee Athletics
LVFL Delisa Walton To Be Inducted Into USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame
February 24, 2026 | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday that former Lady Vol and nine-time national champion Delisa Walton will be inducted into the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.
A mid-distance standout for the Lady Vol track & field program from 1980–83, Walton was a 12-time All-American and nine-time national champion during Tennessee's dominant run in the early 1980s under head coach Terry Crawford. In 1981, she played a key role in the program's first team national title at the AIAW Outdoor Championships, contributing 13 points by placing second nationally in the 800 meters and helping the Lady Vols capture championships in both the sprint medley and 4x400-meter relays.
Walton concluded her collegiate career with nine national championships as either an individual or relay member. Her first individual national title came as a true freshman in 1980, when she claimed the outdoor 800-meter AIAW crown in 2:04.88. The following year, she won the indoor 600-meter national title and helped Tennessee secure victories in the sprint medley relay and 4x400-meter relay. Her junior campaign included national championships in the indoor 600-yard, outdoor 800-meter and 4x400-meter relay, before she closed out her career in 1983 with titles in the indoor 600-yard—completing a three-peat—and the 4x400-meter relay.
Walton's impact on the program endures, as she still holds Tennessee school records in the indoor 600-yard (1:17.38), indoor 600-meter (1:26.56) and indoor 880-yard (2:03.10).
Following her collegiate success, the Detroit native represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the 800 meters, finishing fifth in the final with a lifetime-best performance of 1:57.80.
Walton joins former Lady Vol greats Joetta Clark and Benita Fitzgerald as Tennessee representatives in the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, which was established in 2022.
A mid-distance standout for the Lady Vol track & field program from 1980–83, Walton was a 12-time All-American and nine-time national champion during Tennessee's dominant run in the early 1980s under head coach Terry Crawford. In 1981, she played a key role in the program's first team national title at the AIAW Outdoor Championships, contributing 13 points by placing second nationally in the 800 meters and helping the Lady Vols capture championships in both the sprint medley and 4x400-meter relays.
Walton concluded her collegiate career with nine national championships as either an individual or relay member. Her first individual national title came as a true freshman in 1980, when she claimed the outdoor 800-meter AIAW crown in 2:04.88. The following year, she won the indoor 600-meter national title and helped Tennessee secure victories in the sprint medley relay and 4x400-meter relay. Her junior campaign included national championships in the indoor 600-yard, outdoor 800-meter and 4x400-meter relay, before she closed out her career in 1983 with titles in the indoor 600-yard—completing a three-peat—and the 4x400-meter relay.
Walton's impact on the program endures, as she still holds Tennessee school records in the indoor 600-yard (1:17.38), indoor 600-meter (1:26.56) and indoor 880-yard (2:03.10).
Following her collegiate success, the Detroit native represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the 800 meters, finishing fifth in the final with a lifetime-best performance of 1:57.80.
Walton joins former Lady Vol greats Joetta Clark and Benita Fitzgerald as Tennessee representatives in the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, which was established in 2022.
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