June 8, 2015

EUGENE, ORE. – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Senior high jumper Jeannelle Scheper was named the Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year after an undefeated season that has her on the cusp of a national championship.

This is the second-straight season that Scheper has earned the regional honor, following up on her recognition as the indoor field athlete of the year for 2014. The St. Lucia native showed no signs of rust after missing the 2014 outdoor and 2015 indoor season, winning all six meets, with no mark lower than 6-1.25.

During the regular season, she earned USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Week and was a three-time SEC Field Athlete of the Week. To cap off the regular season, she without a miss en route to her first career SEC Outdoor title, passing 1.96 meters (6-5) for the sixth-best mark in collegiate. Though she has moved back to fourth in the world after a recent IAAF Diamond League competition in Rome, Jeannelle remains the top collegiate high jumper, a role she has held the entire season. Before this, recognition, she also earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, becoming the third Gamecock ever to do so.

Each of the regions honored both genders’ top track athletes and field athletes and the top men’s and women’s head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.

Scheper will begin her national championship competition on Saturday, while her teammates begin Wednesday.