March 24, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Senior Jeannelle Scheper wasted little time making a national impact after returning from nearly a year away from collegiate competition, earning USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and SEC field athlete of the week honors Tuesday morning. It is her first time earning the USTFCCCA recognition, adding to an already decorated career.

It is her second career outdoor SEC recognition, the first since March of 2011. She has also been honored twice during the indoor season, coming in 2012 and 2013.

In her first outdoor college meet since 2013, Scheper matched her program-record mark of 1.91 meters (6-3 ¼) in the high jump to win the event at the Shamrock Invite. She shattered the stadium record by more than six inches, and finished nearly five inches better than teammate Nakita Gray, who finished second overall. Her mark stands as the best across all divisions, 3 ¼ better than the next-closest mark.

Last year, the St. Lucia native was named the Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA for the indoor season, but redshirted the outdoor season to prepare for one last chance at a national championship. The five-time All-American has twice been the national runner-up for indoors and finished fifth in her last trip to outdoor nationals.

Scheper and the Gamecocks will travel this weekend to the Crimson Tide Invitational, as the team will split time between Tuscaloosa and the Texas Relays in Austin.