FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2008

Selby-Tallman, Vavra earn post season honors

Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern women's track and field coach Patty Vavra, as well as senior thrower Jessica Selby-Tallman have both earned post season honors with Vavra being named the MIAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and Selby-Tallman picking up the USTFCCA South Central Field Athlete of the Year honor.

Vavra picks up her second MIAA Coach of the Year honor this year as she was named the Cross Country Coach of the Year in the fall. This year's Lions have been ranked in the top four nationally in every poll during the regular season and will send Selby-Tallman, as well as Jessica Self, Erica Culver and Kimi Shank to the 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Mankato, Minnesota.

The Lions won five events -- three on day one of the meet -- to claim the 2008 women's indoor title by 16 points over runner-up Emporia State, 118-102. Selby-Tallman won the two throwing competitions, as the Southern women scored 41 points between the shot put (16) and the weight throw (25). The Lions also fared well in the pole vault, as Culver won and sophomore Ciara Lipsey placed fourth for 14 points. MSSU also had wins in the distance medley relay (setting a meet record at 12:19.31) and 800 meters .

Vavra has won two indoor Coach of the Year awards and three in cross country.

Selby-Tallman earns her third straight Regional Field Athlete of the Year award as she swept the indoor and outdoor award last season. She will try to improve on last year s second-place finish in the shot put when she competes at the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend. She enters these nationals with the longest Division II throw in the country at 51-9.

Selby-Tallman won her fourth-straight MIAA shot put title two weeks ago and also picked up her second straight weight throw title. In her four years as an athlete at Missouri Southern, no one has been better than her in the shot put in the MIAA.