Former collegiate track star Shelby Daniele has died. She was 23. Daniele was previously a sprinter for California Polytechnic State University’s track and field team.
Her death was announced by the school’s athletic department on Friday, September 27. She died three days earlier. “Cal Poly Athletics was deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of former Cal Poly student-athlete Shelby Daniele,” an Instagram statement read.
“Shelby was an exceptional student-athlete on the Cal Poly track and field team for five years, graduating from Cal Poly this spring with her master’s in agriculture with distinction. She was a six-time All-Big West honoree, a two-time Big West champion, a team captain and is a school record holder, but more importantly, she was an incredible teammate and leader.” The statement added, “She cared deeply for those around her, had a remarkable heart and was a role model for so many.
Shelby was truly one of a kind and will be missed dearly by everyone in the Cal Poly community. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.” A cause of death has not been publicly shared.
Prior to her tenure with the Cal Poly Mustangs, Daniele was also a standout on her high school team in Fresno, California. “She was a big part of our family,” Buchanan High School track coach Brian Weaver told local outlet Your Central Valley . “It was a great athlete coaching experience for me because we had to get through some things together.
That is a memor.