26 Facts About Shelly Steely

Shelly Steely specialized in the 3,000 meters on the track and later competed in road running events.

Shelly Steely made her international debut in cross country and helped the United States the women's team title at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1985.

Shelly Steely's focus changed to the 3,000 meters, a distance in which she was a two-time US champion.

Shelly Steely reached the final of that event at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Shelly Steely made one more appearance at the World Half Marathon event in 2000, but retired to focus on education studies.

Shelly Steely was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and attended Bishop Conwell High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania.

Shelly Steely received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she ran for the Florida Gators track and field team in National Collegiate Athletic Association competition.

Shelly Steely was fifth in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoors in 1983, but found greater success over shorter distances the following year: she won both the 5000 meters and 3000 meters Southeastern Conference titles.

Shelly Steely was third in the 3,000 meters at the 1984 NCAA Outdoors and made two podium finishes at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Shelly Steely reached the semi-finals of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials that year.

Shelly Steely made her international debut for the United States in 1985, and her fifteenth-place finish at the 1985 IAAF World Cross Country Championships helped the American women to the long race team title.

Shelly Steely made two more appearances at that competition, taking part in the 1989 and 1990 editions.

Shelly Steely competed on the international cross country circuit in Europe, including a win at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Banos.

Shelly Steely began training in New Mexico and improved her best times in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters in 1990, and was ranked highly at the national level.

Shelly Steely began to expand her oeuvre to include road running and that year she took wins at the Cooper River Bridge Run and Great Cow Harbor 10K races, as well as shorter distance wins at the Fifth Season Race and the Jean Bouin Memorial in Spain.

Shelly Steely won the national title in the 3,000 meters with a significant personal best run of 8:49.00 minutes.

Shelly Steely ran a personal record of 8:48.54 minutes in the qualifying rounds, only finishing behind two eventual medalists.

Shelly Steely did not perform as well in the final and ended the competition in fourteenth place.

Shelly Steely ended her season with road wins at the Phoenix 10K and Senior Bowl 10K.

Shelly Steely claimed her second national title at the start of the following year, winning the 3,000 meters at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 8:51.29 minutes.

Shelly Steely was the 1993 USA Outdoor runner-up in the 3,000 meters but was replaced in the national team for the 1993 World Championships in Athletics.

Shelly Steely's performances waned over the next three years and she did not compete at all in 1996.

Shelly Steely returned to compete in 1998 and ran frequently, mainly out of necessity as she no longer had a sponsor.

Shelly Steely was in the top three at the 1998 USA Outdoors in the 10,000 meters, came fourth in the event at the 1998 Goodwill Games, and ranked second nationally in the distance that year.

Shelly Steely won the US titles in the 25-kilometer and 10-mile events that year, as well as runner-up placing in the national 12-kilometer and half marathon events.

Shelly Steely ran in the 10,000 meters at the 1999 USA Outdoor Championships and competed at the 2000 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.