SOUTH CAROLINA, United States, CMC- Leading Caribbean high jumper, St.Lucia’s Jeannelle Scheper, has received the inaugural Hammer Strength All-American award.
A junior at the University of South Carolina, Scheper was presented with the award during the halftime interval of a football game between South Carolina and Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Award was created to recognize outstanding athletes best poised to become an elite athlete.
“Jeannelle is the embodiment of what this award stands for. Her situation is unique in that she has become an All-American by the time most people are receiving their driver’s license,” said South Carolina assistant strength and conditioning coach Mike Sirignano who nominated Scheper for the award after working with her in the offseason.
“Her tremendous drive and focus in the weight room is what has accelerated her career from conference competitor to international gold medalist.”
The 17-year-old mathematics major is the indoor and outdoor school record holder who won the first Southeastern Conference (SEC) high jump crown in school history at the 2013 SEC Indoor Championships.
Scheper wrapped up the indoor season by claiming silver at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships and also collected silver at the 2013 SEC Outdoor Championships.
She copped a CARIFTA gold medal with a meet-record clearance, and took silver at the Central American and Caribbean Championships.
Scheper, the Caribbean record holder for the high jump, moved from her native Saint Lucia and enrolled at South Carolina at the age of 16.
