Fourteen track & field athletes earn MIAA academic honor

Fourteen members from the Missouri Southern track & field are among the 169 student-athletes throughout the conference that were named to the 2003 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

Eight members hail from the Missouri Southern men’s team and six are from the Lady Lions squad.

Those receiving the honor from the men’s team include seniors Jimmy Littleford (Coffeyville, Kan.) and senior Jamie Tallman (Neodesha, Kan.), juniors Magnus Holmstrom (Inga, Finland/Karis Billnas HS), Petri Kykyri (Kalvia, Finland/Kalvia Upper) and Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.), and sophomores Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland), Joel Standeford (Seneca, Mo.) and Jeremiah Still (Carthage, Mo.).

From the Southern women’s squad, those honored are juniors Mary Garrett (Carthage, Mo.), Johanna Kanala (Halsua, Finland/Seinajoki Polytechnic), Rachel Patterson (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South HS) and Shonna Sherrell (Dixon, Mo.), and sophomores Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.) and Melissa Turner (Claremore, Okla.).

Littleford is a kinesiology major with a 3.511 GPA. He turned in his season-best mark in the pole vault (15’-1”) at the University of Arkansas John McDonnell Invitational in April.

Tallman carries a 3.886 GPA as a computer information science major and is one of the six Missouri Southern men currently in Edwardsville preparing for the 2003 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Tallman qualified in the hammer throw with a personal best mark of 179’-7” at the Emporia State Twilight Qualifier. A holder of four of the team’s top seven hammer marks this season, he is making his first NCAA appearance. He was all-conference in the weight throw (indoors), shot put (outdoors) and hammer (outdoors).

Holmstrom, a 3.646 student in kinesiology, is another of Southern’s national qualifiers. He’ll participate in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA-II meet, an event in which he won the conference outdoor title this year. Holmstrom was also an All-MIAA and all-region performer for the Lions cross country team, which finished seventh nationally this year. Indoors, Holmstrom was all-league in the mile.

An elementary education major, Kykyri holds a GPA of 3.163. He turned in the team’s top times in the 3000- and 10,000-meter runs this outdoor season, and earned All-MIAA in the 10,000, but missed the cut for the national meet. Like Holmstrom, Kykyri was an all-conference and all-region runner in cross country in 2002. Indoors, he was All-MIAA in the 3000- and 5000-meter events.

Lyons, a 3.333 student in environmental health, was the MIAA runner-up in the outdoor season in the 5000-meter run and was the conference champion in the cross country season. He went on to earn All-America accolades in leading Southern to its second-best national cross country finish in school history. Indoors, Lyons was all-conference in the mile and 3000 meters.

Alahaivala, an international business student with a 3.625 GPA, was an automatic qualifier in the javelin for this year’s NCAA-II championships. He won the conference title and set school records in the event and will participate next week in the NCAA Leadership Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Standeford carries a 3.021 GPA in business. He posted two of Southern’s top 10 times in the 800-meter run this outdoor season. Standeford posted the top two times indoors for Southern in the 600-yard run.

A computer information science major with a 3.430 GPA, Still participated this outdoor campaign in the 800-meter run. He had two of the top five indoor times this year for the Lions in the 600-yard run.

On the women’s side, Garrett earned the honor with her 3.975 GPA as a psychology/English major. A national qualifier outdoors in the 400-meter hurdles, she was an All-America during the indoor season with a seventh-place national finish in the 400-meter dash, an event in which she captured the indoor conference title. Garrett was also all-conference indoors in the 200 meters, 60-meter hurdles and as part of the mile relay. Outdoors, Garrett won all-league honors in the 400 hurdles.

Kanala, who has a 3.261 GPA as a marketing student, turned in two of the top three times for Southern during the indoor season in both the 3000- and 5000-meter runs. She didn’t compete in the outdoor portion of the schedule.

Patterson came into the spring on track for another MIAA Presidential Scholar honor with her perfect 4.0 GPA in elementary/special education. She won all-conference honors in the 5000 meters (indoors) and 10,000 meters (outdoors). Outdoors, she ran the team’s best two times in the 3000, the best three in the 5000 and the top two in the 10,000.

Sherrell, a kinesiology major with a 3.416 average, was All-MIAA during the outdoor season in the discus and hammer throw. She competed during the both the indoor and outdoor seasons in all of the throwing events (hammer, shot put, discus, javelin and weight throw-indoors).

Jones has been one of the top Lady Lions in track & field all season. An accounting major with a 3.227 GPA, Jones was an All-America in the indoor season with a third-place national finish in the weight throw, also winning the conference title in the event. Outdoors, she has qualified again for the NCAA-II meet in both the hammer and discus, and she won the league title in the hammer.

Turner maintains a 3.50 GPA in health promotion and wellness and was all-conference in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in the pole vault. She set school records in the event during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns.

To be eligible for the MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 or better at the qualifying institution; have at least two terms of attendance at the member school, excluding summer session; and be at least a sophomore in athletic eligibility. Student-athletes inactive due to redshirt or hardship qualification are not eligible.


	May 21, 2003 Fourteen track & field athletes earn MIAA academic honor

	Fourteen members from the Missouri Southern track & field are among the 169 student-athletes throughout the conference that were named to the 2003 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll. Eight members hail from the Missouri Southern men’s team and six are from the Lady Lions squad. Those receiving the honor from the men’s team include seniors Jimmy Littleford (Coffeyville, Kan.) and senior Jamie Tallman (Neodesha, Kan.), juniors Magnus Holmstrom (Inga, Finland/Karis Billnas HS), Petri Kykyri (Kalvia, Finland/Kalvia Upper) and Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.), and sophomores Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland), Joel Standeford (Seneca, Mo.) and Jeremiah Still (Carthage, Mo.). From the Southern women’s squad, those honored are juniors Mary Garrett (Carthage, Mo.), Johanna Kanala (Halsua, Finland/Seinajoki Polytechnic), Rachel Patterson (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South HS) and Shonna Sherrell (Dixon, Mo.), and sophomores Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.) and Melissa Turner (Claremore, Okla.). Littleford is a kinesiology major with a 3.511 GPA. He turned in his season-best mark in the pole vault (15’-1”) at the University of Arkansas John McDonnell Invitational in April. Tallman carries a 3.886 GPA as a computer information science major and is one of the six Missouri Southern men currently in Edwardsville preparing for the 2003 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Tallman qualified in the hammer throw with a personal best mark of 179’-7” at the Emporia State Twilight Qualifier. A holder of four of the team’s top seven hammer marks this season, he is making his first NCAA appearance. He was all-conference in the weight throw (indoors), shot put (outdoors) and hammer (outdoors). Holmstrom, a 3.646 student in kinesiology, is another of Southern’s national qualifiers. He’ll participate in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA-II meet, an event in which he won the conference outdoor title this year. Holmstrom was also an All-MIAA and all-region performer for the Lions cross country team, which finished seventh nationally this year. Indoors, Holmstrom was all-league in the mile. An elementary education major, Kykyri holds a GPA of 3.163. He turned in the team’s top times in the 3000- and 10,000-meter runs this outdoor season, and earned All-MIAA in the 10,000, but missed the cut for the national meet. Like Holmstrom, Kykyri was an all-conference and all-region runner in cross country in 2002. Indoors, he was All-MIAA in the 3000- and 5000-meter events. Lyons, a 3.333 student in environmental health, was the MIAA runner-up in the outdoor season in the 5000-meter run and was the conference champion in the cross country season. He went on to earn All-America accolades in leading Southern to its second-best national cross country finish in school history. Indoors, Lyons was all-conference in the mile and 3000 meters. Alahaivala, an international business student with a 3.625 GPA, was an automatic qualifier in the javelin for this year’s NCAA-II championships. He won the conference title and set school records in the event and will participate next week in the NCAA Leadership Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Standeford carries a 3.021 GPA in business. He posted two of Southern’s top 10 times in the 800-meter run this outdoor season. Standeford posted the top two times indoors for Southern in the 600-yard run. A computer information science major with a 3.430 GPA, Still participated this outdoor campaign in the 800-meter run. He had two of the top five indoor times this year for the Lions in the 600-yard run. On the women’s side, Garrett earned the honor with her 3.975 GPA as a psychology/English major. A national qualifier outdoors in the 400-meter hurdles, she was an All-America during the indoor season with a seventh-place national finish in the 400-meter dash, an event in which she captured the indoor conference title. Garrett was also all-conference indoors in the 200 meters, 60-meter hurdles and as part of the mile relay. Outdoors, Garrett won all-league honors in the 400 hurdles. Kanala, who has a 3.261 GPA as a marketing student, turned in two of the top three times for Southern during the indoor season in both the 3000- and 5000-meter runs. She didn’t compete in the outdoor portion of the schedule. Patterson came into the spring on track for another MIAA Presidential Scholar honor with her perfect 4.0 GPA in elementary/special education. She won all-conference honors in the 5000 meters (indoors) and 10,000 meters (outdoors). Outdoors, she ran the team’s best two times in the 3000, the best three in the 5000 and the top two in the 10,000. Sherrell, a kinesiology major with a 3.416 average, was All-MIAA during the outdoor season in the discus and hammer throw. She competed during the both the indoor and outdoor seasons in all of the throwing events (hammer, shot put, discus, javelin and weight throw-indoors). Jones has been one of the top Lady Lions in track & field all season. An accounting major with a 3.227 GPA, Jones was an All-America in the indoor season with a third-place national finish in the weight throw, also winning the conference title in the event. Outdoors, she has qualified again for the NCAA-II meet in both the hammer and discus, and she won the league title in the hammer. Turner maintains a 3.50 GPA in health promotion and wellness and was all-conference in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in the pole vault. She set school records in the event during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. To be eligible for the MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 or better at the qualifying institution; have at least two terms of attendance at the member school, excluding summer session; and be at least a sophomore in athletic eligibility. Student-athletes inactive due to redshirt or hardship qualification are not eligible.