From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Kimi Shank, a Missouri Southern sophomore, earned a ticket to the national championships in the first outdoor track and field meet of the season on Friday.
Shank ran the 5,000 meters in a school-record time of 17 minutes, 7.11 seconds at the Florida State Snowbird Invitational.
Her time shattered the 10-year-old school record (17:33.68), set by Sonia Eudy Blacketer.
Sophomore Victoria Kline, from Fairland, Okla., had a provisional qualifying time in the same race with a personal-best 17:42.66 clocking.
“It was really perfect conditions for them (distance runners),” said Patty Vavra, Southern women’s coach. “It was probably 60 degrees and there was no wind.
“For Victoria, that’s like a minute improvement over last year’s best time (in the 5K).”
Senior Jessica Selby-Tallman added a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Division II championships with a throw of 176 feet, 11 inches in the hammer. Selby-Tallman was second in the event, behind the 189-2 effort of Florida’s Shawneise Williams.
Southern junior Jessica Self was sixth in the hammer (148-10) and seventh in the discus (135-2).
The Lions’ Jill Weeks was fifth in the javelin (119-1).
The Lions will wrap up competition in the Snowbird Invitational today.
