MVC Release

ST. LOUIS – Six Missouri State student-athletes received recognition from the Missouri Valley Conference for their academic and athletic excellence, the league office announced Wednesday, (May 24). A total of 119 student-athletes were named to this year's MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
 
Seniors Shani Adams and Holly Pattie-Belleli, juniors Marissa Kurtimah, Jessica Allen, and Brittany McPike, as well as sophomore Asha Cave were all named as honorees.
 
To earn Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete honors, a student-athlete must finish in the Top 8 of the conference championship or in the Top 3 or a relay event (indoor or outdoor meet) and carry a 3.2 cumulative grade point average. First-year transfers are not eligible and student-athletes must be a sophomore in athletic and academic standing.
 
Adams (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration, 3.22 GPA), collected both indoor and outdoor honors. She finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.71 at the MVC Indoor Championships, as well as second in the 400-meter hurdles in 58.62 at the outdoor league meet.
 
Allen (Biology, 3.97) was named the MVC Outdoor Championship Elite 18 honoree after finishing third in the 10,000-meter run (36:24.85) and sixth in the 5,000-meter run (17:46.84). She also picked up indoor honors, with a fourth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run (17:10.84) and a fifth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run (10:01.95).
 
Kurtimah, (Criminology, 3.44) collected both indoor and outdoor league honors this season. She picked up gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash in the outdoor championship, posting times of 11.38 and 23.57, respectively. In the indoor league meet, Kurtimah collected a bronze in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.42 seconds and a silver in 200-meter dash after turning in a time of 24.42.
 
Pattie-Belleli, (Communications, 3.27) earned honors after finishing fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.55 and eighth in the long jump, posting a distance of 5.48 meters for the Bears. She also helped the 4x100-meter relay team to a third-place finish (45.09).
 
Cave (Accounting, 3.22) posted a time of 24.58 in the 200-meter dash, finishing in eighth, outdoor league meet. She also helped the 4x100-meter relay quartet to a third place finish. 
 
McPike (Business, 3.48) finished sixth in the weight throw in the indoor league meet, throwing a distance of 17.10 meters.