Track & field Lions have 16 on honor roll

Sixteen members from the Missouri Southern State University track & field teams have been named to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the league announced recently.

Ten student-athletes from the MSSU women’s team earned the award, while six from the Southern men’s contingent collected the honor.

Women’s team members included seniors Rachel McGowan (Raytown, Mo.), Jen Noelken (St. Charles, Mo.), Shonna Sherrell (Dixon, Mo.) and Mary Still (Carthage, Mo.), juniors Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.) and Melissa Turner (Claremore, Okla.), and sophomores Michelle Brenner (Coffeyville, Kan.), Iashia Castle (Kansas City, Mo.), Erin Click (West Plains, Mo.) and Melissa Horn (Pierce City, Mo.).

Those selected from the men’s squad were seniors Larry Boswell (West Plains, Mo.) and Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.), juniors Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) and Joel Standeford (Seneca, Mo.), and sophomores Moses Manga (Winfield, Kan.) and Kyler Rushing (Sarcoxie, Mo.).

McGowan maintains a perfect 4.0 grade-point average as an elementary/special education major. She did not compete in any meets during the indoor or outdoor track & field seasons in 2004.

Noelken carries a 3.035 GPA as an English major and set a school record this year in the 3000-meter steeplechase (11:08.49). She earned All-MIAA honors this year in the mile, 3000-meter run and 4x800-meter relay during the indoor season, and in the 3000-meter steeplechase and 5000-meter run during the outdoor campaign.

Sherrell is a physical education major with a 3.351 GPA. She earned All-MIAA honors six times in 2004, including in the long jump, triple jump, shot put and hammer throw during the outdoor season. Indoors, she was all-conference in the long jump and shot put.

Still, a double major in psychology and English with a 3.979 GPA, was a two-time MIAA champion this season, winning the 400-meter dash during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She earned all-conference honors in five events during the indoor season and two during the outdoor campaign. Still is also one of three finalists for the MIAA’s Ken B. Jones Award.

Caffey holds a 3.259 average as a communications major and was the indoor MIAA champion in the 5000-meter run. She was an all-league performer four times in 2004, including in the 3000- and 5000-meter events during the indoor season and in the 1500- and 3000-meter runs outdoors.

Turner, a nursing student with a 3.628 GPA, was all-conference during the indoor season in the pole vault. She missed the entire outdoor season with an injury.

Brenner carries a 3.684 GPA as an accounting major. This season, she was 12th in the 3000-meter run at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.

Castle, who maintains a 3.908 average as an accounting major, missed most of the indoor season but returned for the outdoor campaign. She has run five of Southern’s top eight 400-meter dash times this year.

Click is an environmental science major with a 3.220 GPA. This year, she finished 10th at the MIAA outdoor meet in the 3000 and 5000 meters, and was 10th in doors in the mile. She was a member of the All-MIAA indoor 4x800-meter relay team.

Horn carries a 3.947 grade-point average and is a psychology major. She finished eighth at the MIAA indoor meet in the high jump and came back to get seventh in the same event at the outdoor conference meet.

Boswell, of the MSSU men’s team, holds a 3.015 GPA and is a criminal justice major. He was an All-MIAA runner this year in the mile (indoors) and 1500-meter run (outdoors).

Lyons maintains a 3.343 GPA as an environmental science major. During the 2004 indoor season, he led the Lions to their first MIAA team track & field championship with individual titles in the 3000- and 5000-meter runs, also earning all-league honors in the mile. Outdoors, he was conference champion in the 5000-meter run and also earned all-conference in the 800 and 1500 meters.

Alahaivala, a 3.688 student and an international business major, was an all-league performer in the javelin. This season, he had two of the school’s all-time best throws in the event, including a mark of 220 feet, 7 inches.

Standeford maintains a 3.095 GPA and is a business major. He was an All-MIAA performer indoors in the 800-meter run. He ran six of the top 11-best times for the Lions this year in the indoor 800.

Manga is a kinesiology major with a 3.00 grade-point average. Outdoors, he was part of the Lions all-conference 4x400-meter relay team and ran six of Southern’s top nine times this year in the 100-meter dash and seven of the top 10 in the 200. Indoors, he posted the Lions top two times in the 60-meter dash and four of the team’s top five in the 200.

Rushing, who holds a 3.093 GPA as a kinesiology major, was an all-conference performer in the high jump (indoors) and in the 4x400-meter relay (outdoors).

Five of Missouri Southern’s MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll members are competing later this week at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Walnut, Calif. Alahaivala, Caffey, Lyons, Noelken and Still are among the 11 MSSU competitors who will be vying for All-America honors this weekend.

Student-athletes are named to the list under the following criteria: 1.) The student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better at the qualifying institution; 2.) The student-athlete must have at least two terms of attendance at the member school, excluding summer sessions; 3.) The student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior in athletic eligibility; 4.) Student-athletes inactive due to redshirt or hardship qualification are not eligible.


	May 25, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Track & field Lions have 16 on honor roll MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll announced for track Sixteen members from the Missouri Southern State University track & field teams have been named to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the league announced recently. Ten student-athletes from the MSSU women’s team earned the award, while six from the Southern men’s contingent collected the honor. Women’s team members included seniors Rachel McGowan (Raytown, Mo.), Jen Noelken (St. Charles, Mo.), Shonna Sherrell (Dixon, Mo.) and Mary Still (Carthage, Mo.), juniors Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.) and Melissa Turner (Claremore, Okla.), and sophomores Michelle Brenner (Coffeyville, Kan.), Iashia Castle (Kansas City, Mo.), Erin Click (West Plains, Mo.) and Melissa Horn (Pierce City, Mo.). Those selected from the men’s squad were seniors Larry Boswell (West Plains, Mo.) and Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.), juniors Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) and Joel Standeford (Seneca, Mo.), and sophomores Moses Manga (Winfield, Kan.) and Kyler Rushing (Sarcoxie, Mo.). McGowan maintains a perfect 4.0 grade-point average as an elementary/special education major. She did not compete in any meets during the indoor or outdoor track & field seasons in 2004. Noelken carries a 3.035 GPA as an English major and set a school record this year in the 3000-meter steeplechase (11:08.49). She earned All-MIAA honors this year in the mile, 3000-meter run and 4x800-meter relay during the indoor season, and in the 3000-meter steeplechase and 5000-meter run during the outdoor campaign. Sherrell is a physical education major with a 3.351 GPA. She earned All-MIAA honors six times in 2004, including in the long jump, triple jump, shot put and hammer throw during the outdoor season. Indoors, she was all-conference in the long jump and shot put. Still, a double major in psychology and English with a 3.979 GPA, was a two-time MIAA champion this season, winning the 400-meter dash during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She earned all-conference honors in five events during the indoor season and two during the outdoor campaign. Still is also one of three finalists for the MIAA’s Ken B. Jones Award. Caffey holds a 3.259 average as a communications major and was the indoor MIAA champion in the 5000-meter run. She was an all-league performer four times in 2004, including in the 3000- and 5000-meter events during the indoor season and in the 1500- and 3000-meter runs outdoors. Turner, a nursing student with a 3.628 GPA, was all-conference during the indoor season in the pole vault. She missed the entire outdoor season with an injury. Brenner carries a 3.684 GPA as an accounting major. This season, she was 12th in the 3000-meter run at the MIAA Outdoor Championships. Castle, who maintains a 3.908 average as an accounting major, missed most of the indoor season but returned for the outdoor campaign. She has run five of Southern’s top eight 400-meter dash times this year. Click is an environmental science major with a 3.220 GPA. This year, she finished 10th at the MIAA outdoor meet in the 3000 and 5000 meters, and was 10th in doors in the mile. She was a member of the All-MIAA indoor 4x800-meter relay team. Horn carries a 3.947 grade-point average and is a psychology major. She finished eighth at the MIAA indoor meet in the high jump and came back to get seventh in the same event at the outdoor conference meet. Boswell, of the MSSU men’s team, holds a 3.015 GPA and is a criminal justice major. He was an All-MIAA runner this year in the mile (indoors) and 1500-meter run (outdoors). Lyons maintains a 3.343 GPA as an environmental science major. During the 2004 indoor season, he led the Lions to their first MIAA team track & field championship with individual titles in the 3000- and 5000-meter runs, also earning all-league honors in the mile. Outdoors, he was conference champion in the 5000-meter run and also earned all-conference in the 800 and 1500 meters. Alahaivala, a 3.688 student and an international business major, was an all-league performer in the javelin. This season, he had two of the school’s all-time best throws in the event, including a mark of 220 feet, 7 inches. Standeford maintains a 3.095 GPA and is a business major. He was an All-MIAA performer indoors in the 800-meter run. He ran six of the top 11-best times for the Lions this year in the indoor 800. Manga is a kinesiology major with a 3.00 grade-point average. Outdoors, he was part of the Lions all-conference 4x400-meter relay team and ran six of Southern’s top nine times this year in the 100-meter dash and seven of the top 10 in the 200. Indoors, he posted the Lions top two times in the 60-meter dash and four of the team’s top five in the 200. Rushing, who holds a 3.093 GPA as a kinesiology major, was an all-conference performer in the high jump (indoors) and in the 4x400-meter relay (outdoors). Five of Missouri Southern’s MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll members are competing later this week at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Walnut, Calif. Alahaivala, Caffey, Lyons, Noelken and Still are among the 11 MSSU competitors who will be vying for All-America honors this weekend. Student-athletes are named to the list under the following criteria: 1.) The student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better at the qualifying institution; 2.) The student-athlete must have at least two terms of attendance at the member school, excluding summer sessions; 3.) The student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior in athletic eligibility; 4.) Student-athletes inactive due to redshirt or hardship qualification are not eligible.