The Missouri Southern women’s track and field team started their outdoor season with two automatic national qualifications, three provisional marks, and two MIAA track and field athletes of the week.

“We just had a really nice meet,” said Patty Vavra, women’s track and field coach. “We got done what we had hoped we would.”

Senior Jessica Selby-Tallman earned the honor with her win in the shot put at the Florida State University Snowbird Invitational in Tallahassee.

Selby-Tallman threw for 49 feet, five and a half inches. She also placed second in the hammer throw.

Her throw in the hammer was a provisional mark just three inches shy of an automatic qualification.

“She is just throwing extremely well,” Vavra said. “By the end of the season, she will have the qualification in the hammer throw.”

Sophomore Kimi Shank was also named track and field athlete of the week with her performance in the 5,000-meter run.

Shank finished ninth with a time of 17:09, a new school record. The previous record was set in 1998 by Sonia Eudy.

Shank also broke Eudy’s record during the indoor season.

Shank also finished ninth in the 1,500-meter run only two seconds off a provisional mark.

“The distance runners are running great,” Vavra said.

Junior Kara Eckard broke the school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:08 and a provisional qualifying mark.

The previous record was set by Jen Noelken in 2004.

“Kara [Eckard] is technically very good,” Vavra said. “She is doing very well.”

Senior Jessica Self finished 10th in the shot put, while sophomores Emilie Mieseler, Erin Steffens and Courtney Vie finished 11th-13th.

Self was also seventh in the discus and sixth in the hammer throw. Vie and senior Amanda Littlefield were 13th and 14th.

“Jessica [Self] is very good,” Vavra said. “She is really getting up there and having some nice throws.”

Sophomore Jill Weeks was fifth in the javelin and sophomore Kayla Piley was 14th. Piley was also seventh in the high jump.

Senior Erica Culver finished fifth in the pole vault, while sophomore Ciara Lipsey was seventh.

Senior Allison Walker as sixth in the 800 meter run.

“I think we performed really well at this meet,” Eckard said. “We had a blast and grew a little closer.”

Freshman Olga Bulgarova was 10th, while junior Shannan Borgard, sophomores Courtney Waltbillig and Kaitlin Wilkinson were 15th, 24th and 28th, respectively.

Sophomore Victoria Kline finished 13th in the 1,500 meter run while Waltbillig was 14th.

“Victoria [Kline] received a provisional,” Vavra said. “She has come so far in the two years that she has been here.”

Senior Kate Brittan, freshman Taylor Whitacre and junior Krista Merrill were eigth, ninth, and 10th in the 3,000 meter run. Senior Kelly O’Toole finished 16th respectively.

Vavra was also named MIAA Coach of the Year two weeks ago.

“It’s an honor,” Vavra said. “It’s nice to know that others coaches think you have done a good job.

“Our athletes really stepped up and the honor goes back to them. Coaches don’t win honors without their athletes.”

Selby-Tallman won the South Central Region Track and Field Athlete of the Year. This is her second year to win the award for indoor. She also received the honor last year for outdoor track and field.

“She is so competitively successful,” Vavra said. “It shows the respect she has gained and the hard work she has put into it.”

Sophomore Ashley Bunch should be back in action this season after missing most of indoor track due to an injury.

“I think that as a whole we had a great meet at Florida State,” Bunch said. “It was a really fun trip and a great experience.”

The Southern women will not compete this weekend, but will be back in action hosting the MSSU Invitational April 4-5.

“This break is timely,” Vavra said. “It will give us a chance to get our legs back underneath us and to get back into a routine.”