Shameka Marshall found herself walking down the hallways of the RAC with her track and field coach James Robinson wondering about the faces that appeared on the wall.

Marshall questioned, "Coach James, why are these people's pictures here?"

"And then he said they are very distinguished people. I told him, 'I want my picture up there.'"

Marshall more than earned the right to be featured on the wall at the RAC, her stellar track and field career landed her among the all-time greatest student-athletes "On The Banks," as she is inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend.

The Mizpah, New Jersey native, however, hesitated about making the leap to college athletics from high school.

"Shameka was a very talented young lady who was just coming to the sport," Robinson remembered of recruiting one of the best athletes in Rutgers history. "She was actually a cheerleader.  Her coach called me March or April of her senior year saying, 'Coach I have a kid you may be interested in'.  I actually recruited her older sister, so I recognized the name."

As a high school senior, Marshall was barely thinking about track and field. Being anxious during high school meets caused this future hall of famer to second guess herself about possibly pursuing the sport at the next level.

"After a conversation with my mom, we said we'd pray about it before making a decision," recalled Marshall about becoming a collegiate athlete. "And before I could get all my words out, in my heart, it was so loud and clear that this is a gift and I needed to use it and not give it up."

It was at junior nationals between her freshman and sophomore year that Marshall's potential was brought to the forefront.

"That's when the light bulb went on for her," said Robinson. "I told her she was talented when she got here, but at that time, she wasn't as confident from an athletics perspective. She wasn't sure what her future held for her. She had goals but she wasn't sure how far she could go in this sport."

A USATF Junior All-America title and seventh place finish was just the tip of the iceburg of what the Scarlet Knight was about to accomplish.

"When I went there, everything for me clicked," remembered Marshall. "Having that exposure was paramount to see the big picture right away. I was very thankful that Rutgers allowed me to go to that meet, because you know it wasn't necessarily a NCAA meet,  but having that exposure and being at the national level was great for me to see the fight I was going to have in order to be successful."

The nerves went away and success came in spades.

A quick flip through the Scarlet Knights' record book and you can still find Marshall's name. After graduating in 2006, she still holds six Rutgers school records including both the indoor and outdoor long jump benchmarks, as well as the Scarlet Knights' top times in the indoor 55m, 55m hurdles, 60m hurdles and outdoor 100m hurdles.

A four-time NCAA qualifier in the long jump, Marshall brought back two all-america distinctions, was the national runner-up in the long jump in 2006, ranking as high as 13^th internationally that season, and was the 2005 NCAA East Regional long jump champion. Also among Marshall's honors were being named the 2005 Mondo Mid-Atlantic Track & Field Athlete of the Year and earning ECAC Most Outstanding
Performer twice with championship titles in the long jump, 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles.

Among Marshall's eight Big East gold medals were first-place finishes in the long jump, 60m hurdles, 100m hurdles and as a member of the 4x100m relay team.

On the national scene both during and after her time as a Scarlet Knight, Marshall made three trips to the Olympic Trials in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and captured sixth-place performances at nationals in the long jump in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

"She is definitely the best athlete I have ever coached," boasted Robinson. "And the most accomplished athlete I've coached.  Her ability to always rise to the occasion and do multiple events, Big East titles, individual titles, as well several MVP awards…her ability to perform is spectacular. She is always able to compete when needed the most. Whether it's the NCAA Championships, the Big East Championships, she was always able to summon her performance when it was needed."

"To be inducted into the Hall of Fame knowing that track and field was the vehicle to getting me there is outstanding and beyond my thoughts," said Marshall of her upcoming induction. "As its getting closer, I'm realizing this is a once in a lifetime thing about to happen. Over years you hear about people inducted, but to be one of the ones inducted is just incredible and it is an honor."

On Saturday at halftime, Marshall's picture will be displayed on the videoboard at High Point Solutions Stadium and who knows, maybe it's her picture that will inspire a future Scarlet Knight to be up there one day.