FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2008

Lions sweep MIAA Track and Field Athlete of the Week Honors

Kansas City, Mo. -- Missouri Southern senior thrower Jessica Selby-Tallman and sophomore distance runner Kimi Shank have been named the MIAA Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Shank and Selby-Tallman both earned automatic qualifying marks in the 5k and shot put, respectively, this past weekend at the Florida State University Snowbird Invitational.

Shank (Rolla, Mo./Rolla HS) finished in ninth place in the 5k. Already holding the MSSU indoor 5k record after setting it earlier this season, Shank secured the outdoor record finishing ninth with a time of 17:09.11. She broke the previous record of Sonia Eudy (17:33.68) from 1998. Ironically it was Eudy's indoor record that Shank broke earlier in the year. Shank also finished in ninth place and was two seconds from a provisional time in the 1,500m.

Selby-Tallman (Galena, Mo./Reeds Spring HS) won the shot put and finished second in the hammer throw. She continued her strong senior season and just like in her first indoor event of the year, she picked up an automatic qualifying mark in the shot put, winning the event with a distance of 49 feet, five and a half inches. Her second place distance of 176-11 in the hammer was a provisional mark and was just three inches off an AQ in that event, as well.

The Lions will have this weekend off, but will be back in action on April 4 when the teams play host to the MSSU Invitational at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.