Shaddye Melu (Auburn, Wash.), a junior on the Seattle University track and field team, finished in a tie for 20th place in the men’s high jump Thursday evening at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Championships, hosted by the University of Texas at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Melu cleared the opening height of 2.03 meters (6’ 8”) on his second attempt before taking care of the next setting of 2.08 meters (6’ 9.75”) on his first attempt at that height. The bar was raised to 2.13 meters (6’ 11.75”), and Melu was able to clear that mark on his second attempt. However, he was unable to clear 2.17 meters (7’ 1.5”) on any of his three attempts, a mark which would have broken the school record of 2.14 meters (7’ 0.25”) he set over a month ago at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif.
Melu needed to finish in the top 12 to advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., in two weeks. With his participation, Seattle U had a representative at the West Preliminary Championships for the third consecutive year, as Dylan Burnett participated in the men’s javelin throw in each of the past two seasons.
The NCAA appearance wraps up an extraordinary year for Melu, who set the school records in the 400 meter dash and the high jump for both indoors and outdoors. At the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, he set a new school record of 2.11 meters (6’ 11”) to win the league title, and then he won two WAC titles at the outdoor conference meet, coming out victorious in the high jump with a mark of 2.12 meters (6’ 11.5”) and in the 400 meter dash with a school-record time of 47.39 seconds.
Melu was elected one of the captains for next year’s track and field squad, and he will look to return to NCAA competition in 2015-16. Seattle University will hope to continue the improvement it has seen in the track and field program over the past three years.