Jumper looks to help team at Big Tens

Confidence has never been a problem for sophomore high jumper Noah Shelton. Even this weekend when facing one of the top high jumpers in the nation in senior Shaun Guice from Purdue at the Big Ten Championships, Shelton said he knows what he needs to do.\n"(Guice) is good, but he can be beat just like anyone else," Shelton said. "Even if he has a good meet, I still think I can beat him. I don't think anybody is that much better than me that I can't beat them."\nA high school state champion in the high jump at South Bend Adams high school, Shelton has all the credentials to match his confidence. Shelton said his goal this weekend at the conference championships is a top-three finish in the meet, which will take a jump of close to seven feet. Seven feet is higher than Shelton has jumped all season but he said he thinks that it is possible because he has been feeling better after tapering his training.\n"We started tapering two or three weeks ago and the jumps have just been easier and easier," Shelton said. "My legs feel great; they're going to be ready for this weekend."\nShelton has been essential to the team this season, assuming the role as the team's top high jumper. Coach Marshall Goss said he has shown vast improvement upon last year, mainly because of added consistency. This season, he has been the team's top high jumper in every meet.\n"I think that he's been paying more attention to the little things he's needed to correct and that's led to more consistent jumps," Goss said.\nShelton said the strong season has felt even better due to a dismal year last year. After redshirting his freshman year, Shelton faced a rough schedule of class, practice and work last year.\n"Last year was probably the toughest year in my life," Shelton said. "I was always tired. I never wanted to do anything; not go to class, go to practice or go to work."\nGoss said the team expects a strong performance out of Shelton this weekend at the Big Ten Championships. Shelton has gained a reputation as a clutch performer due to his high school state championship and during outdoor track last season when he had a personal record at the Big Ten Championship meet.\n"He's out to take it to another level and he's been known to do that," Goss said. "I always expect a lot of Noah. He's a clutch performer"