Shana Williams competed in various disciplines as a heptathlete, and had much success at Seton Hall University. She won thirteen BIG EAST Conference track titles as a Pirate, including four consecutive high jump titles as well as long jump victories in 1990 and 1991.
Williams was named the Most Outstanding Performer in the field events for the 1992-93 BIG EAST Indoor Track Championship as she captured first place in the pentathlon, long jump and high jump. The Pirates finished 12th overall at NCAAs behind the performances of Williams and the 4 x 400 relay team that season. Williams claimed second in the long jump and ran a leg on the 1600-meter relay team.
Williams was once again named the Most Outstanding Performer in the field events, this time for the 1993 Outdoor campaign. Williams won the long jump with a leap of 21' 9", setting the BIG EAST, Seton Hall and Villanova Stadium records, eclipsing the previous conference record by more than one foot. The senior collected her third BIG EAST long jump title becoming only the second woman in the history of the conference to win the event three times. She also won the high jump becoming the first to win that event all four years.
In her final season, she came third in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finished seventh at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and set a personal record of 6.63 meters to rank fourth nationally for the 1993 season. She also competed at the Summer Universiade that year, coming seventh in the heptathlon.
She is a two-time Olympian, having competed in the long jump event at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. Williams won the silver medal at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Maebashi, Japan. Her personal best of 7.01 meters ranks her as the fifth-best American in the long jump on the all-time lists. She is a two-time USA Indoor champion and won the gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games.