Shelby Tyler’s last two trips to Bloomington have been quite successful.
On June 1, the Noblesville senior-to-be won went to Indiana University and won the high jump in the IHSAA girls track and field state finals. This past Saturday, Tyler returned to IU and won a national championship – and a trip to Finland.
Tyler won the high jump in the USA Track & Field (USATF) Junior Outdoor Championship, which took place this past weekend in Bloomington. Tyler won with a jump of 6 feet, 3/4 inches.
“It was exciting,” said Tyler during an interview on MileSplit USA (http://www.milesplit.com/videos/298082). “It was a good competition here, it was a really fun meet and I’ve had an incredible amount of support from almost everyone. So it’s been wonderful.”
Tyler went toe-to-toe with another state champion, Sanaa Barnes from Byron Nelson High School, which is located north of Fort Worth, Texas. Barnes won the high jump state championship as a junior in 2017 in Class 6A, the highest of Texas’ track classifications, and was runner-up this year as a senior.
Both Tyler and Barnes cleared the 6 feet, 3/4 inch mark, but Tyler did so on her first try. Barnes made it on her second try, so Tyler got the win for her third major championship at IU. Tyler also won the IHSAA high jump state championship in 2017 as a sophomore.
“It’s awesome,” said Tyler. “I love this facility. It’s brought good outcomes for me. It’s also a familiar place, which I think helps a little bit, because I’ve been here quite a few times jumping.”
Tyler competed against her friendly rival Katie Isenbarger of Zionsville, who finished fifth with a jump of 5 feet, 9-1/4 inches.
“I love having her there,” said Tyler. “She’s become a really good friend of mine and it’s nice to have someone who supports you and is at all the meets and someone to push you and support you and encourage you.”
Tyler’s USATF win qualifies her for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) U20 World Championships, which takes place July 10-15 in Tampere, Finland. Tyler said it’ll be the first time going out of the United States.
“I’ve never been out of the country,” she said. When asked if she had a passport, Tyler said “I do. I just got one.”
Noblesville’s Shelby Tyler, seen here at the sectional meet, won the high jump at the USATF Junior Outdoor Champonship, which took place this past weekend at Indiana University in Bloomington. Tyler’s performance qualified her for the IAAF U20 World Championships, which are next month in Tampere, Finland. (Kent Graham/File photo)