Shelby Stall, a junior on the women’s track and field team, was named Athlete of the Year for women’s sprint/hurdles after winning three events and securing a third-place finish at the 2026 NCAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Stall’s running career began in high school, when she wanted to try a new sport and meet new people. Now, she primarily competes in short-distance and relay races in both indoor and outdoor seasons.
At a conference meet, Stall competed in the 60- and 200-meter dashes and the 4×200 and 4×400 relay races, breaking several conference and DePauw records.
For the 60-meter dash, she finished in third place with a DePauw record time of 7.80 seconds, earning All-NCAC honors. In the 200-meter dash, Stall broke DePauw’s record time of 24.47 seconds and currently holds eighth in the NCAA Division III.
She also served as the anchor in both the winning and DePauw-record-setting 4×200- and 4×400-meter relay events. Stall, Liberty Scott ‘27, Courtney Powell ‘29 and Estella Salyers ‘29 claimed the 4×200 and set a new DePauw record of 1:41.17. The 4×400 relay consisted of Stall, Scott, Powell and Lillian Hovda ‘26, recording a time of 3:52.47.
Stall describes receiving the Athlete of the Year award as an honor on behalf of the team: “There are so many great athletes — both within our conference and even within this team in general.” She attributes the successes of her indoor season to her coaches and teammates who continued to push and support her growth as an athlete, adding, “It was kind of a combination of everyone — the team working hard all season, the coaches being so supportive and giving us what we need to be able to compete well.”
In particular, she is grateful for Associate Head Track and Field Coach Colt Slack, who leads and curates the workouts for sprints, jumps and hurdles. “He helps us be the best person that we can be and always believes in us — even more than I believe in myself sometimes,” Stall shared.
On March 13 and 14, Stall, along with Liberty Scott ‘27 and Jacob Sandlin ‘28, will compete at nationals in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. She will compete in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, in which she is currently ranked 10th and 13th, respectively.
After wrapping up their indoor season, the track and field team will begin their outdoor season. “I’m really looking forward to kind of carrying the momentum that we have into outdoor season, really continuing to push ourselves during the workouts and continue to compete as a team,” Stall said.
