Two from Southern track & field teams named Verizon Academic All-America

Two members of the Missouri Southern track & field teams were named to the Verizon Academic All-America College Division teams for track & field and cross country, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Junior Mary Garrett (Carthage, Mo.), from the women’s team, and senior Jamie Tallman (Neodesha, Kan.), from the men’s squad, were named to the first and second teams, respectively.

Garrett, Missouri Southern’s 2003 Female Athlete of the Year, was picked for the first team after earning her third All-America honor in outdoor track & field this past spring. She was national runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at last month’s NCAA Division II Championships, a feat she also accomplished as a freshman. In all, Garrett won five all-conference honors in track & field this year, and she also captured her first career indoor All-America award by placing seventh in the 400-meter dash. In outdoor track, Garrett holds nine of the Lady Lions’ all-time top-10 times in the 400-meter hurdles, including a school-record clocking of 59.20 seconds at this year’s national meet. Indoors, she owns eight of the team’s all-time top-10 times in the 400-meter dash. In indoor and outdoor track combined, Garrett has her name on four MSSC records.

A double major in psychology and English, she holds a 3.977 GPA. It’s Garrett’s second career Verizon Academic All-America honor, as she was a third-team selection in 2001.

Tallman, a 6-foot-2 and 240-pound thrower, made his first career national championships appearance as a senior this past outdoor season, and went on to place 12th in the nation in the hammer throw. A three-year letterman after transferring from Independence Community College (Kan.), Tallman holds six of the school’s all-time top-10 marks in the hammer throw, as he and teammate Arley Smith again rewrote many of the Lions’ all-time best throws in the hammer. Indoors, Tallman had six of the team’s top eight shot put marks this year. Outdoors, he had five of the top nine throws in the hammer and each of the top five in the shot put.

Tallman finished the 2002-03 academic year with a 3.886 cumulative GPA as a computer information science major. He was awarded a Fifth-Year Enhancement Scholarship from the Missouri Southern track & field team.

Both Garrett and Tallman were Academic All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association selections in 2003 as well.


	June 19, 2003 Two from Southern track & field teams named Verizon Academic All-America Two members of the Missouri Southern track & field teams were named to the Verizon Academic All-America College Division teams for track & field and cross country, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Junior Mary Garrett (Carthage, Mo.), from the women’s team, and senior Jamie Tallman (Neodesha, Kan.), from the men’s squad, were named to the first and second teams, respectively. Garrett, Missouri Southern’s 2003 Female Athlete of the Year, was picked for the first team after earning her third All-America honor in outdoor track & field this past spring. She was national runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at last month’s NCAA Division II Championships, a feat she also accomplished as a freshman. In all, Garrett won five all-conference honors in track & field this year, and she also captured her first career indoor All-America award by placing seventh in the 400-meter dash. In outdoor track, Garrett holds nine of the Lady Lions’ all-time top-10 times in the 400-meter hurdles, including a school-record clocking of 59.20 seconds at this year’s national meet. Indoors, she owns eight of the team’s all-time top-10 times in the 400-meter dash. In indoor and outdoor track combined, Garrett has her name on four MSSC records. A double major in psychology and English, she holds a 3.977 GPA. It’s Garrett’s second career Verizon Academic All-America honor, as she was a third-team selection in 2001. Tallman, a 6-foot-2 and 240-pound thrower, made his first career national championships appearance as a senior this past outdoor season, and went on to place 12th in the nation in the hammer throw. A three-year letterman after transferring from Independence Community College (Kan.), Tallman holds six of the school’s all-time top-10 marks in the hammer throw, as he and teammate Arley Smith again rewrote many of the Lions’ all-time best throws in the hammer. Indoors, Tallman had six of the team’s top eight shot put marks this year. Outdoors, he had five of the top nine throws in the hammer and each of the top five in the shot put. Tallman finished the 2002-03 academic year with a 3.886 cumulative GPA as a computer information science major. He was awarded a Fifth-Year Enhancement Scholarship from the Missouri Southern track & field team. Both Garrett and Tallman were Academic All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association selections in 2003 as well.