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PSU track and field athletes Bo Farrow and Emilee Iverson, seniors, and Jared Page, junior, received All-American honors during the 2018 NCAA Division Two Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina last month.
Farrow, native of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, graduated with a degree in physical education this May, leaving behind a decorated track and field career at Pitt State as a seven-time All-American thrower. In addition to earning his final All-American accolade with a sixth place finish in the men’s discus throw, Farrow captured the National Championship in the men’s shot put while helping the Gorillas claim the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships that took place in Pittsburg last March.
“I want to say what an honor it has been to wear Pitt State across my chest for the last five years,” Farrow said. “I will always cherish the memories and friendships that I have made at this university, and as we always say, ‘OAGAAG, Once a Gorilla Always a Gorilla.’ I now know what that means, and I think that in order to fully understand that saying you have to attend Pittsburg State.”
Farrow is now a graduate assistant football coach at PSU while working toward his master’s in educational leadership.
Jared Page, junior in exercise and military science, is team captain for the Pittsburg State Track and Field Team as well as a Second Lieutenant in ROTC. He holds many titles on the track team which include being a decathlete and a 400-meter hurdler, but he claims the 400 as his race.
“(The 400) is my favorite race … I like it because I’m good at it, and I’m good at it because I like it,” Page said. “It’s a positive upward spiral.”
Page took sixth during the championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, in May.
“That’s only my second All-American,” he said. “My first I got indoor where I took eighth in the heptathlon. I’m a little bit better at the deck, obviously I took sixth in the decathlon, eighth in the heptathlon, but I also, throughout the season, I grew stronger and faster .. .more technically sound from indoor to outdoor.”
Moving forward, Page has set some ambitious goals for his athletic future.
“I would like to place in the top three in the heptathlon, and in the top three in the decathlon, and I would like to win two more national championship trophies as a team,” he said. “And I would also like to win conference, indoor and outdoor.”
After completing his degree, Page plans to pursue a career in the U.S. Army.
“I want to commission as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army,” Page said. “I am a platoon sergeant in the 469th medical-ambulance company down in Wichita—I’m a combat medic. Then I’d like to commission as a military intelligence officer I just think I would do very good things for the Army … eventually I would like to retire out of the Army.”
Emilee Iverson also graduated in May, earning a degree in psychology. Iverson, as a Grove, Oklahoma, native, was recruited for the PSU track and field team out of high school, where she had an exceptional career as a high jumper and team captain.
“My personal best is 5’10”—at nationals I went 5’6”,” she said. “I qualified for all eight national championships and I All-Americaned six out of the eight. I had a national title, won a championship, took second, a couple thirds, a seventh, and an eighth. I’ve had a very successful career.”
Iverson said she is proud to be a Gorilla and claims that it is the biggest positive impact she has ever had.
“This program is absolutely insane with how supportive and talented people are … and we’re all very close,” she said. “Being in nationals and experiencing it with your best friends is awesome … I would have to say thank you to the community, the track program in general, our coaches, Coach Jewett, Coach Mantooth, Coach Brown, and of course, Coach Rutledge. Coach Rutledge is the sole reason why I have the career I had. I could not have done any of this without him. He is the best coach I’ve ever had and a great, great man … he made me a hard worker and a very disciplined athlete and person. I can’t thank any of them enough.”
