The Missouri Southern women’s track and field team will enter today’s home meet, the Bob Laptad/Bill Williams Invitational, boasting another MIAA Track and Field Athlete of the Week honor from senior Jessica Selby-Tallman.

“Jessica is just continuing to improve,” said Patty Vavra, women’s track and field coach.

“She really took full advantage of the meet at hand.”

Selby-Tallman earned the honor with her hammer throw distance of 187 feet, seven inches.

Selby-Tallman finished second, but was the top collegiate performer at the Central Missouri Mule Relays on April 18. The distance was also a new school record, previously set by Selby-Tallman herself.

“This was a big throw for her,” Vavra said.

“She actually had two throws that day that broke the record. The throws were just big.”

The previous record was 185 feet, one half inch. Selby-Tallman also won the shot put with a distance of 47 feet, six and a half inches.

The mark in the hammer throw automatically qualifies Selby-Tallman for the Division II National Meet on May 22.

“I am super proud of her,” Vavra said.

“She is working hard.”

Also at Central, Southern’s women took fifth through seventh in the shot put. Senior Jessica Self was fifth followed by sophomores Courtney Vie and Emilie Mieseler. Mieseler threw for a distance of 38 feet, five inches.

Mieseler, Self, Vie, and senior Amanda Littlefield also competed in the hammer throw placing behind Selby-Tallman.

Mieseler finished third, while Littlefield placed fourth with a distance of 45.39 meters. Self finished fifth followed by Vie in sixth.

Junior Kari Fritchie won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:04.

The women also competed at the University of Kansas Relays and the University of Arkansas John McDonnell Invite.

Sophomore Kimi Shank competed in the 10,000-meter run at the Kansas relays, winning the event. Shank also broke a new school record finishing 33 seconds ahead of her nearest competition.

“She did outstanding,” Vavra said.

“It is quite a feat to win at Division I competition. She ran the last four or five laps in the rain.”

Shank ran with a time of 35:46 in her first time competing in the 10k event. The previous record was 36:08, set in 1998 by Sonia Eudy.

Shank also broke Eudy’s records in the indoor and outdoor 5,000-meter events. She is now automatically qualified in the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run.

At the Arkansas meet, Junior Kara Eckard broke the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

“She’s been chasing that record for a while now,” Vavra said.

“We felt the conditions were right for her, and she took advantage of the good weather. We’re hoping the time will get a bid to nationals.”

Eckard finished the event with a time of 11:05.7. The previous record was set by Jen Noelkeen in 2004. Noelken ran the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:08.49 at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.

“I was stoked to break the record,” Eckard said.

“I was still really disappointed because I wanted to run an automatic qualifying time. My new time also gave me a little extra padding on the national list. The meet this weekend, in perspective, is not very important. It is just going to sharpen the edges a bit for the conference meet.”

Also at Arkansas, junior Stacy Borgard finished 15th in the 400-meter run, followed by freshman Kelly Mckay in 17th.

Sophomore Jill Weeks finished sixth in the javelin with a distance of 41.78 meters.

“This was big for her,” Vavra said.

“The distance got her a provisional mark for the national meet.”

Senior Alison Walker finished sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:14. Walker was followed by junior Shannan Borgard who finished 14th.

Senior Kate Brittan ran the 1,500-meter event with a time of 5:03, placing fifth. Sophomore Courtney Waltbillig also finished fifth in the 3,000-meter run. Freshman Taylor Whitacre and senior Kelly O’Toole finished 12th and 15th respectively.

Sophomore Victoria Kline finished seventh in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 18:08.

In the triple jump event, sophomore Channell Lloyd finished 14th followed by Jestine Hayes in 19th. Sophomore Kayla Piley finished 11th in the high jump with a height of five feet, three inches.

“Sunday, we are sending Kayla [Piley] to the heptathlon at Fort Hays,” Vavra said.

“We are going to use this weekend to get her ready for that.”

Senior Erica Culver finished 13th in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet, seven and three quarter inches.

The remaining outdoor events for the women’s team are as follows: today’s Bob Laptad/Bill Williams Invitational starting at 2 p.m., the MIAA Heptathlon Championships on April 27, May 10 at Emporia State, and the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Pomona, California on May 22.

“The meet this weekend is going to be a tune up for conference,” Vavra said.

“We are going to use this as an opportunity to see what events we are going to put people in.”