Junior only USC high jumper to be recognized as All-American
For the second time this season, junior Jeannelle Scheper broke South Carolina’s record in the women’s high jump at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., which was held this past weekend. Scheper’s high jump measured in at 6 feet, 3 inches, earning her first place at the invitational. No other female Gamecock has jumped 6 feet or higher. Scheper was recognized for her efforts on Tuesday when she was named the SEC’s field athlete of the week.
“It wasn’t really a new experience, but of course doing it again feels awesome,” Scheper said. “[Being] the best at anything or the first at anything always feels amazing.”
Scheper was highly decorated coming into this season. In 2012, she was named a first-team All-American in both indoor and outdoor track and field. She is currently the only Gamecock high jumper to be recognized with the honor. She’s also the NCAA Division I leader in the event.
Several years ago, Scheper made a jump of a different kind. She left her native country of Saint Lucia and came to the United States to compete. Born in November of 1994, Scheper was a teenager when she enrolled at school.
“It wasn’t a big deal to me because I’ve been in a higher grade for the majority of my life,” Scheper said. “It was, I guess, a little bit of a culture shock. It’s a lot more laid-back at home. At school, the big change was more like everything was scheduled and a lot more intense.”
At the Tyson Invitational, Scheper beat out numerous SEC competitors, including Makeba Alcide of Arkansas, who finished in second place. Alcide, a senior, is also from Saint Lucia.
“The fact that it came down between her and another SEC competitor, somebody from her country, probably added some adrenaline and excitement to her efforts,” said Scheper’s coach, Delethea Quarles.
Both Scheper and Quarles highlighted the importance of playing in a competitive conference.
“Competing in the SEC, you can’t really get more intense than that,” Scheper said.
Quarles emphasized the value of Scheper’s training in the weight room. Quarles said that the time spent there has contributed to Scheper’s success, perhaps more than any other factor.
Not only has Scheper physically matured into a two-time All-American athlete, but she has also developed herself personally.
“I think she has learned more about herself and me, her coach,” Quarles said. “She’s older. We’re maturing together.”
Scheper noted that she has not been the only one to grow over the past year. She said that the team collectively has become stronger.
“I think the attitude of the team has changed from last year, positively,” Scheper said. “That’s going to help us a lot in the big competition like SECs. We have a lot of people on the team who have been pulling their weight, which encourages everybody else to do the same.”
Scheper and her coach are optimistic heading into the final stretch of the indoor season.
“I think performances like Jeannelle’s and Kierre Beckles’ and Clayton Gravesande’s and many others help with getting to the top of the conference,” Quarles said.
“I didn’t really expect to start off this well,” Scheper said. “So now I guess the sky’s the limit.”