Nike Running Camps

UC Santa Barbara
Summer Camp

Shevell Quinley (Merrill West, Tracy)
Interview prior to Pan
American Junior Meet
With US Jr Heptathlon Champ

Sac Joaquin Section star talks in mid-July - Doug Speck

Shevell in action at the mid-July Azusa Pacific "Mid-Summer Classic"

Another of the super athletes who closed out her prep career as a Golden State star this past spring was Shevell Quinley, part of the super group from Merrill West in Tracy and Coach John Harvey. Quinley had a fine junior year with bests in the hurdles (14.30 (14.23w) and 43.14), jumps (19-04w LJ) , and heptathlon (4517), but along with her team she really took her act to the next level with the squad one that certainly had to be ranked among the top ten in the entire country helped in a number of areas by Shevell. She recorded bests of 12.05 100m, 24.39w 200m, 13.82w-14.20 100mH, 42.11 300mH, 20-04.5/20-10.5w LJ, 38-03 TJ, and was the National Junior Heptathlon Champ at 5142.  The 20-10.5w Long Jump is the #6 California prep of all-time under any conditions, with the 5142 in Heptathlon the #3 California prep ever.  The State multi-event record is 5411 by Gayle Hunter (North, Riverside) from 2004, with Shevells preparing for another serious attempt at the multi's at the Pan American games in Windsor, Canada in late July. 

We caught up with Shevell as she shuffled between a series of events in the Mid-Summer meet at Azusa Pacific as she prepared to go to Windsor, Canada for the Pan American Junior Championships in the Heptathlon before heading off to the University of Arizona and do battle for Coach Fred Harvey’s Wildcat program.

Shevell had started off the first day of the two-day Azusa Pacific meet with a great day in the Long Jump, with a 20-04.5 wind legal best and 20-10.5 wind-aided effort, with the windy jump the #4 lead in the nation under any conditions, and the 20-04.5 the #7 legal mark nationally this spring!

Day Two had Quinley racing the 100m Hurdles (14.38), making a rare apprearance in the flat 100 meters (fine 12.05), then finished off in the 200 (24.39w). We caught up with her part-way through day two, between the two flat sprint events.

–Shevell, what were your performances this evening in the 100 hurdles and the 100 meter dash.

SQ - In the hurdles it was not my best performance, but we came out to work on specific parts of the race, and here it was the first six hurdles. I felt good for the first half of the race, then had some of the hurdles a bit off towards the end. I was still able to put it together and run a good time for a practice. We were approaching this totally as a practice meet for Canada (Pan American Juniors). I have never run a 100 before, so it was kind of interesting. The second half of the race really mattered and I felt stronger and faster near the end.

–Yesterday was a personal best in the Long Jump. What have you been doing to work on that event?

SQ - After the Junior Nationals we went back to the weight room and started lifting a lot more, and we have been working on speed. I have actually been practicing my throw events more than anything lately, so it was nice to come out here and jump like I did yesterday. It was nice in this setting to go out and PR, with each of my three jumps farther than the one before.

–Was there a plan all along this year to do the Heptathlon at the Junior Nationals?

SQ - Yes, ever since last September when we first started practicing our goal has to been to go to the Junior Nationals and win the Heptathlon. I had only done the Heptathlon one time, last year at the Junior Nationals in Texas (11th at 4517), so it was kind of an out there far-fetched goal in the beginning. As the season went along and my individual events such as the hurdles and long-jump started to progress, I became more confident and really took care of myself with my training. So, I went out to Junior Nationals and did my thing. I actually did not start to do some of the heptathlon stuff until after the state meet, like the throws, so I was not always working on the seven events during the entire year.

–You threw about 95 feet in the Javelin and ran about 2:27 in the 800 in the Junior Nationals, so how much do you think you can improve in events such as those to raise your 5100 point total in the Junior Pan Ams in Canada in couple of weeks?

SQ - So far in practice I have been throwing over 31 feet in the Shot Put, and consistently over 90 feet in the javelin, and out to 98 to 100 feet there which would be really good. In the 800 I think I can drop a few seconds to 2:24 to 2:25.

–What has it been like to have an athlete like Brittany Daniels with you every day at practice during your high school career?

SQ - It has made track and field more interesting and more competitive for me because you are with someone who is as good as you or even a little bit better. It has been really nice to have her as a training partner to be able to push each other and help each other at the same time.

–What impressed you most about the University of Arizona in your choice of a college to continue your athletic and academic career at?

SQ - Coach Harvey really seemed to care about you as an athlete and as a person. He is as concerned about your personal life as much as what is happening out on the track, because before track what comes are grades and what is happening in your life. His concern for track and you as a person is what really impressed me.

--How is your pole vaulting?

SQ - If they add the pole vault in the multi events I am in real trouble because that is not my thing. I have been hearing rumors about them changing the heptathlon to like ten events like the guys. I don’t know, if it comes up I guess I’ll just have to do it, but I’m not really thinking about that right now. I am trying to focus on the events that they have in the heptathlon right now. I have never tried to pole vault before.

–Do you have a goal point-wise for Canada if the weather is decent and all?

SQ - We really have not sat down and come up with the points yet, but we are sure we can add at least 150 more points by improving in the High Jump and the throws, and getting my hurdle times down. By taking just a little bit in each event and improving more I may be able to add 200 points and get up around 5300 points.