Hall of Fame
While at Cheyney Wesley Whitaker ran Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track. Wes was first to admit that he used cross country as a training tool for the indoor and outdoor seasons. Whitaker was member of the Cheyney Fab Five. The 1982 Cross Country Team went 15 and 3 with six shutouts. A shutout in cross country is when all five members of one team cross the finish line before any other competitor. Whitaker holds six indoor records: 500 meters 1:06 (1982), 600 meters 1:14 (1982), 800 metersa 1:58.9 (1981), member of the 4X400 meter relay 3:25.0 (1982), meter of the 880 relay 1:33 (1982). He also ran th ea fastest split ever recorded in the 4X400...50.2. Whiter shined during the outdoor season as well. He owned the record in the 400 meters at 48.7 (1983) which was subsequently broken. He was all Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in the 400 meters (1982 and 1983). His mile relay team owned the school record in a time of 3:17.2 (1982). He was a three time medal winner at the Penn Relays (1981 - 1983) Whitaker was captain of the cross country, indoor and outdoor team (1980 - 1983).
Upon graduation, Whitaker enlisted in the Army. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992. He spent ten years in the Germany and a year in Bosnia working in teh chemical field. Whitaker currently works for the First U.S. Army inthe Weapons of Mass Destruction Department in Atlanta, Georgia. His specific duties are to evalute State Civil Support Teams that would respond to an emergency in the event of a terrorist attack in the United States. He is a part of a team that evaluates and trains more than 2,400 Army Reserve and National Guard Units in Chemical Warfare and Homeland Securit Procedures.
Whitaker has still contiues to compete on the track. In 2002, Whitaker was ranked seventh nationally in the 400 meters (40-44 age category). In that year he was also crowned champion at the Georgia State Games 5 K (age 40-44). The following year he was was crowned Geogia State Champion in the 7 K (age 40-44). He is currently a member of the Atlanta Track Club and continues to coah the Army 10 Miler Teams.
Whitaker is a 1983 graduate of the University. He is married to the former Ms. Catchy Oliver. Together they have a son and daughter. Aaron is a senior at Evergreen University pursuing a degree in engineering. Tisha is a senior at Morrow High School in Atlanta, Georgia.
