Jeannelle Scheper To Compete At CARIFTA Games

April 5, 2012

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sophomore high jumper Jeannelle Scheper will represent her country of St. Lucia at the 41st edition of the Caribbean Junior Championships, known as the CARIFTA Games, being held at the Bermuda National Stadium in Hamilton, Bermuda this weekend. Scheper will compete in the under-20 high jump competition Sunday, April 8 at 5:15 p.m.

Twenty-five Caribbean Island countries are taking part in the 2012 CARIFTA Games that spread over three days of the Easter weekend. Scheper enters the weekend with an outdoor season-best mark of 5’9 Â¾ (1.77m) after previously setting the South Carolina school record during the indoor season at 6’0 (1.83m).

This year marks Scheper’s third appearance after also qualifying for the 2010 CARIFTA Games in George Town, Cayman Islands, and the 2011 CARIFTA Games in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She won bronze medal honors in both of her attempts, and last year was the highest placing and only medaling female athlete for St. Lucia in any event. At this weekend’s competition, she will be one of seven athletes representing St. Lucia in a meet that will see over 550 Caribbean athletes compete.

“I’m really excited to be going to CARIFTA again not only because it’s an opportunity to compete with familiar opponents on Caribbean soil, but also because this is a high level regional competition where I get to proudly represent St. Lucia,” Scheper said of qualifying for the meet. “It’s a privilege, and I’m looking forward to making my people proud. Hopefully this year I’ll bring back a gold.”

Regardless of the outcome this weekend, Scheper knows that she will wear the cerulean blue, gold and black of St. Lucia again this year as she is one of two Saint Lucian qualifiers for the IAAF World Junior Championships that will be held July 10-15 in Barcelona.