The New Hanover senior and defending 4A 800 champ might be looking to expand her repertoire (and medal collection) this spring.
Among the other great performances put in by North Carolina athletes at the Taco Bell Invitational last weekend, there was one very clear conclusion to be drawn: Shelby Howell is back. Not that she ever went anywhere, mind you; throughout her career, she has normally taken the winter off from competition (her only indoor meet was in 2009, her freshman year). She also normally does not have many published results early in track season, and this year has been no exception. After a disappointing Raleigh Relays that saw her run 30 seconds slower than last year, she clearly went to South Carolina with a chip on her shoulder. In the video interview, Shelby states her main goal for track season; I won't give it away, but let's just say that her 5:06.46 full mile and 2:14.97 800, on the same afternoon, mean that achieving it is within the realm of possibility. This video is from almost 8 moonths ago, but it is still very relevant and you can tell by her performances last weekend that she has maintained the focus on her goals throughout the school year. As a known late-season closer, don't count Shelby out of anything to which she sets her mind.
Shelby Howell's Athlete Profile