Shelly Caplinger was magnificent athlete and special individual

The mid-1980s marked a truly productive period for Shelbyville High School female athletes. As girls high school sports gained momentum across the country, Golden Bear girls athletics shifted into high gear.

Volleyball, basketball, swimming, and track teams recorded a multitude of victories, set various school records and its athletes established a precedent for achievement that future Shelbyville competitors could aspire to.

Shelly Caplinger will forever stand out as one of the best in this multi-year pool of remarkable talent. Her natural ability coupled with an intense drive for excellence resulted in success that is represented across the spectrum of SHS athletic history and elevates her to a special status as one of Shelbyville High School’s greatest athletes.

Shelly Caplinger died on May 8 at the age of 56, following a one-year battle with ovarian cancer.

The 1986 SHS graduate continually demonstrated a profound level of athletic ability across multiple sports and recorded exceptional success whenever she participated, earning a plethora of awards and accolades along the way. She was a four-year varsity performer in basketball and volleyball. She ran track for three years and switched to the softball diamond during the spring of her senior season.

In simple summation: she was the among the very best at whatever she attempted.

“Shelly was a workhorse and a strong athlete and a very strong leader,” said former Shelbyville volleyball coach Karen Bowman. “The final home game of their senior season, I called timeout. Shelly told me to go back to the bench. She said it was her job as senior captain to make sure they did not lose that game and they didn’t. She had a great personality and I truly value all the time I had to spend with her.”

Caplinger excelled as a student and athlete at Penn State University, graduating in 1991. She later became a successful company CEO. However, she will always be best remembered by the area’s sports faithful for her remarkable athletic ability and sports achievements in a Golden Bear uniform.

Shelly was physically suited for athletics. She had a five-foot, nine-inch frame and long arms and legs that lent themselves to layups, steals and rebounds in basketball, spikes in volleyball and long strides on the track that appeared to overtake competitors with a calm sense of inevitability.

Caplinger is best known for her tremendous basketball accomplishments. She relentlessly developed her basketball skills that combined with her athleticism to set her apart from even the most accomplished players.

She made an immediate impact as a freshman starting guard on the 1982-83 Golden Bears basketball team as she averaged 14 points per game, and led the team in assists and steals. The Golden Bears finished the season with a 14-7 record, losing 39-37 in the sectional to eventual regional champion Rushville.

When spring rolled around, she and senior track teammates Michelle Bush, Roberta Nuthak and Ruth Fordham set a school record in the 1600-meter relay and qualified for the state meet. That school record stands to this day. Bush, who finished first in the 800 meters in the sectional and regional that year, would later compete on the Purdue track team.

Caplinger continued to excel as a sophomore. She worked with a talented group of players to lead Shelbyville volleyball to a 17-6 finish. The 1983-84 SHS girls basketball team finished 12-7. Shelly was selected to the all-South Central Conference teams in volleyball and basketball.

SHS girls basketball fans anxiously anticipated the 1984-85 campaign and the Golden Bears did not disappoint. They compiled a 16-5 record and lost a sectional championship game to perennial state powerhouse Rushville in what might be the most exciting, classic game in SHS girls basketball history.

Shelbyville was led by Caplinger, seniors Valerie Morrison and Kristi Barnard and sophomores Valerie Pilk, who closed her basketball career with just over 1,000 points, and Jean Soller. Rushville boasted standouts Subrina Davis, Kris Harpring and Suzanne Hauntz.

The game in front of a capacity crowd at Morristown High School was a tense struggle throughout with each possession taking on paramount significance. There were four ties and three lead changes in the fourth quarter and another two lead changes in the overtime period.

Rushville missed two free throws with the score tied and ten seconds remaining in regulation. Caplinger and Morrison contributed what The Shelbyville News Sports Editor Jim Saturday described as “heroic shot making and rebounding in the fourth quarter and overtime.”

Ultimately, fate seemed to doom the Golden Bears as luck favored the Lions. A 30-foot bucket by Soller at the buzzer that would have won the game, was ruled a split second late and disallowed (though Shelbyville fans in attendance vehemently argue to this day that the shot was good).

With Shelbyville leading by a point and time running out in overtime, Caplinger pressured a Rushville ball handler and forced a pass into the backcourt which appeared to signal a backcourt violation. However, one official overruled the other and indicated that Caplinger had touched the ball before it went into the backcourt which allowed Rushville to retain possession for a final shot.

A desperation attempt fell into the hands of the Lions’ Davis who hit the game winner as time expired and gave Rushville a 57-56 victory. Rushville would go on the win the 1985 regional and semistate tournaments.

Postseason accolades poured in for the Golden Bears culminating in statewide recognition with Caplinger, Pilk and Morrison being selected to the all-South Central Conference team. All three would go on to have successful collegiate basketball careers.

Caplinger and fellow senior Melinda Vogler propelled the 1985 SHS volleyball squad to a 24-5 record. The team finished runner-up in the conference tournament and easily won a sectional championship. The Golden Bears lost to Martinsville the following week in the regional championship contest. Caplinger was selected as team MVP and received another all-conference honor.

The 1985-86 basketball Golden Bears finished with a record of 15-4 and were ranked as high as ninth at one point in a state poll. They once again lost to a talented Rushville team in the sectional.

Caplinger and underclass players Soller, Pilk, Amy Richard and Charlene Robinette led the team through another successful campaign. Caplinger averaged 16 points per game and was the team leader in steals and assists. She received statewide attention and became only the second Shelbyville female player to be named to the Indiana All-Star Team.

She performed well in the annual two-game series against the Kentucky high school all-stars. She started the game at Indianapolis’ Market Square Arena and contributed two points, three rebounds and three assists to the Hoosier girls’ 73-63 win.

Caplinger came off the bench to record 10 points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist in 17 minutes of play when the two teams met again at Louisville’s Freedom Hall the following week. Kentucky avenged the loss at Indianapolis with a 71-67 win.

Indiana was trailing 68-55 with 2:55 remaining in the game when Caplinger reentered the contest. She spurred a comeback that fell just short as she hit two key baskets, effectively distributed the ball, and applied key defensive pressure to get the Hoosiers back in the game during the final stretch.

Caplinger chose to play softball instead of running track to conclude her high school sports career during the spring of 1986. The team recorded a 9-4 record with Caplinger posting the highest batting average.   

Caplinger continued her basketball success at Penn State where she started for the better part of her 4-year career. She played with All-American Suzie McConnell for two years. McConnell played on the 1988 and 1992 United States Olympic teams and is a member of the Women’s National Basketball Hall of Fame.

As a senior, Caplinger averaged five points, two assists and two rebounds per game, which mirrored her college career averages. She hit a three-point basket as the clock ran out during that final season to give her team a one-point victory over No. 1 ranked Virginia. That buzzer-beater lifted the Nittany Lions into the nation’s number one spot in the national polls.

They would finish that 1990-91 season with a 29-2 mark. Her Penn State teams registered 88 wins against 36 losses during her four-year tenure.

Caplinger returned to Shelbyville following her college graduation, married, and had two children. She later relocated to the Bloomington area and eventually became CEO of Wellman Furnaces, Inc. in Fairland, retiring in 2021.

She made a side business of her passion for photography and spent the last few years enjoying gardening and outdoor activities. She often spent time hiking and kayaking through Yellowwood State Forest.

She and her 1986 Indiana All-Star teammates were inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on their silver anniversary in 2011.

Recent years had been personally challenging. Her father, Jerry, a successful Shelbyville businessman and excellent athlete in his own right, passed away in 2022. Shelly’s ex-husband, Jay Cherry, died in 2022. And in 2023, she received her cancer diagnosis.

The determined character that made her successful in so many aspects of her life provided her courage to confront this final obstacle with a special grace and dignity that was part of her essence.

Caplinger, at times seemed almost embarrassed by her tremendous athletic ability. Those who knew her had the sense that she often could not understand why she was blessed with the ability to effortlessly rise above others in her athletic pursuits.

In addition, she was always eager to share her skills and good fortune. She refused to “pad her stats” on the basketball court. Fans would routinely see her pass up chances for easy baskets in blowout Shelbyville wins in efforts to provide opportunities for teammates. She had a selfless nature and benevolent spirit that were readily on display.

There was an enduring quality about Shelly Caplinger. Her historic athletic achievements are well-chronicled and will serve as an inspiration to future athletes. But Shelly was forever intent on being remembered more for the human connections she fostered whether it was through athletics, business, family or friendships.

She sought to reach beyond the ordinary and enjoy the magic of the genuine human experience. She wanted to ultimately be defined by what she produced in life and what she offered others.

Mission accomplished dear Shelly.