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 memory that I will have forever.”
Weaver added, “She mentored so many athletes. Kept them going when times were tough — after graduating she would take her personal time to come say hi to all the coaches and athletes. She was an extremely, extremely fierce competitor but had so much love and joy for every person that she was around.”
While Weaver will remember Daniele as a track star, he will also remember her appreciation for life.
“She loved everything,” Weaver told the local news outlet. “If people could just go and do that, love every minute that you have, she would want to be remembered for that. She lived life to the fullest.”
In high school, Daniele helped the team win a state championship in 2019 through her first-place finish in the 200-meter race.
Speaking to the Fresno Bee, Weaver additionally noted that he had bumped into the late athlete a week ago while out for a run and that she’d called out to say “hi.”
“She always made time for her old coach,” he added.
