Former Sayre Star Ann Eason Named OVC Indoor Athlete of the Year

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Eastern Kentucky University senior Ann Eason has been voted the Ohio Valley Conference Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, the league office announced on Thursday.

Two other Colonels were also honored, as Tom Koringo and Carina Schempf were voted the OVC Male and Female Freshmen of the Year for track and field.

Eason owns the fastest women's 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters times in the conference this season. She ran 9:29.25 in the 3,000 meters at the Rod McCravy Memorial on January 23 and 16:16.12 in the 5,000 meters at the Iowa State Classic on February 13. Eason's 5,000 meters time is the second-fastest women's indoor time in school history and is currently the 27th-fastest time in the country.

The Lexington native also ranks second in the OVC in the women's mile this season with a 4:54.21, which she ran at the season-opening Kentucky Invitational on January 16.

This is the first time in Eason's storied career she has been named the OVC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. The 2012 second team All-American in the outdoor 5,000 meters has been named the OVC Female Cross Country Runner of the Year the last three years and was named the OVC Female Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2014. She is also a seven-time OVC individual champion and owns the school record in the women's outdoor 5,000 meters (16:03.87).

Eason is the sixth Colonel to be named the OVC Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and first since Lydia Kosgei in 2012. She joins Kosgei (who won the award in 2012 and 2011), Kat Pagano (who shared the award with Kosgei in 2011), Diamond Benjamin (2010), Lakisha Brooks (2006) and Jamie King (1988 and 1987).

Koringo currently ranks third in the OVC in the men's mile and sixth in the men's 800 meters. The Iten, Kenya native was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Week on February 4 after winning the 800 meters at the Thundering Herd Invitational with a time of 1:54.59. He ran 4:07.09 in the mile at the Iowa State Classic on February 13.

Koringo is the third straight and sixth overall Colonel to be named the OVC Male Freshman of the Year, joining teammate Ambrose Maritim (2014), Mads Taersboel (2013), Soufiane Bouchikhi (2010), Elkana Kurgat (2007) and Jacob Korir (2005).

Schrempf enters this weekend's OVC Indoor Championships ranked first in the conference in the women's 800 meters and third in the women's 400 meters. The native of Styria, Austria ran 2:08.74 in the 800 meters at the Iowa State Classic on February 13 and 56.25 in the 400 meters at the Thundering Herd Invitational on January 31. Her 800 meters time is the third-fastest women's indoor time in EKU history.

Schrempf is the third Colonel to be named the OVC Female Freshman of the Year, joining Viivi Rantanen (2013) and Picoty Leitich (2010).

Eason, Koringo, Schrempf and the rest of the EKU track and field team will compete at the OVC Indoor Championships this Friday andSaturday in Charleston, Illinois.