There's no doubt about it, Matthew Shelly has taken flight and there's no sign he's slowing down.
The rising senior from Bentonville took his 'game' to another level last year, winning five 6A state championships - cross country, indoor & outdoor 1,600m, and indoor & outdoor 3,200m.
In the fall, Shelly led his team to their 7th straight 6A state title, running a 15:19.43 at the state meet.
The Tigers went on to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals, becoming the first second from Arkansas to do so, at the NXR South Regional Championship in The Woodlands, Texas. Shelly finished 24th, running 15:28.20 amongst the region's best.
Shelly followed up his breakout cross country season by qualifying for New Balance Indoor Nationals in the mile and 2-mile. He also finished 3rd in the 3,000m at the Arkansas HS Invitational where he ran 8:41.09.
To finish his junior season, Shelly completed the 1,600m/3,200m at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Alabama. After finishing 16th in the 32 on Friday, Shelly earned All-American honors in the 16, finishing 6th and running a new personal best of 4:08.63.
Shelly's 4:08 finished the outdoor season as the second-fastest time in Arkansas, which also happens to be the second-fastest time in state history. Shelly also finished the season with the fastest time in the 3,200m, the eighth fastest time in state history.
Matthew Shelly's 1600m Progression: 2020 - 2024
Entering the fall, it's no secret: Matthew Shelly is the man to beat in Arkansas.
Shelly will play a pivotal role in Bentonville's quest to win their eighth straight state championship, while also looking to cement his legacy by winning a second straight state championship himself.
After the spring season he had, Shelly will be a serious contender to qualify for any national meet he attempts to qualify for. Bentonville returns 4 of their top 6 from last year's national qualifying team and will be threats to return to Portland again in December too.
History is within reach this fall. We will have to wait a few more months to see how much Shelly seizes.
...
All statistics in this article are researched and collected using the Milesplit.com database, including all-time records.
