Pullins receives Clyde Lamb Award

Pullins receives Clyde Lamb Award

MARIETTA, Ohio – Marietta College senior Laura Pullins of Long Bottom, Ohio was awarded the Ohio Athletic Conference Clyde Lamb Award. 

The Clyde Lamb Awards are presented annually to the top male and female scholar athletes at each of the 10 OAC institutions. Criteria for the award includes at least two years participation in an OAC-sponsored sport, senior status, a minimum grade point average of 3.00 and sportsman like conduct in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete and his or her institution.

Pullins has compiled a decorated career in the women’s high jump. Pullins is a two-time NCAA    Division III runner up, a three time All-American, a five-time OAC Champion, and is the school record holder in both the indoor and outdoor high jump. A special education and early childhood education major, Pullins is a four-time Academic All-American.  

The award was founded in 1985 and is named in honor of Clyde A. Lamb. Lamb organized the department of health and physical education at Ohio Northern University in 1929, and served as a coach, department chairman and athletics director at ONU from 1929-64. He continued to teach full-time until his death in 1969.

Lamb, who received his bachelor’s degree from Coe College in 1923 and a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1929, coached numerous sports at Ohio Northern during his tenure. In 1959, he was elected to the NAIA Helms Hall of Fame. He was honored as Ada’s Distinguished Citizen in 1956 and was inducted into Ohio Northern’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.

Pullins was also recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives in the 134th General Assembly with a proclamation sponsored by 94th District Representative Jay Edwards for receiving the Clyde Lamb award.

Pullins will be starting her career as a teacher in Meigs County as a Intervention Specialist at Meigs Intermediate School. 

When ask how she felt about winning the Clyde Lamb Award Laura said, “When it comes to winning as award like this, I can not take all the credit. Sure, I go out and do the jumping and study to make good grades, but if it was not for my support team behind me, this would not be possible. When I found out that my coach put name in for this award, I noticed that this was about more than sports. It was about what I was involved with on campus, academics, and even community activities. Receiving the conformation from my coach that I had won this award made me realize that more than one thing defines an individual. Having all the qualities to even be put up for Clyde Lamb Award, let alone win it, allowed to look at my last four years of college and think everything was worth it. Overall, being a student-athlete is hard, but in the end everything I worked hard for paid off to allow me to win such a prestigious award like the Clyde Lamb Award.”

Laura Pullins is the daughter of Tom and Stacie Pullins of Longbottom, Ohio.