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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sophomores Soufiane Bouchikhi and Bianca Forbes ran OVC-best times in the men’s mile and women’s 400 meters, respectively, as the Eastern Kentucky University track and field team competed against a loaded field at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational this weekend at E.J. Nutter Field House.

Bouchikhi finished second out of 52 runners in the men’s mile on Saturday with a time of 4:06.50, losing only to Cincinnati’s Eric Finan. His time is the third-fastest men’s indoor mile time in school history and just three seconds off the school record. Teammates junior Evans Kiptoo (9th/4:10.20) and sophomore Victor Kemboi (15th/4:11.98) ran the second and third fastest times in the OVC in the event.

Kemboi defeated Bouchikhi later in the day in the men’s 800 meters as he finished 11th out of 43 runners with a time of 1:53.88. Bouchikhi, meanwhile, placed 16th with a time of 1:55.04. The times are currently second and third in the OVC, trailing only Eastern Illinois’ Wes Sheldon’s time of 1:53.10.

Forbes finished 10th out of 48 runners in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 56.19. Her time is not only the fastest in the OVC so far this season but also the fastest in her native Canada, according to the website Athletics Canada. Forbes broke the women’s indoor 400 meters school record last year with a time of 55.55.

Other notable performances for the women’s team included junior Lydia Kosgei, who ran the second fastest time in the OVC and the fifth fastest time in school history in the women’s indoor 800 meters when she finished fifth out of 37 competitors with a time of 2:14.30 on Saturday. Senior Kat Pagano and junior Diamond Benjamin also ran the second fastest times in the OVC in the women’s mile (5:02.57, trailing only Kosgei) and women’s 60 meters (7.62).

Sophomore DanHeisha Harding ran the second fastest women’s indoor 60-meter hurdles time in the conference on Saturday (8.75), while senior Jasmyn Norris (8.95) and freshman Shiyana Mahendra (9.04) ran the third and fifth fastest times in the conference. With junior Lutisha Bowen still atop the conference with the 8.70 she ran two weeks ago, EKU holds four of the top five spots in the OVC in the women’s 60-meter hurdles.

A group of 15 men’s and 17 women’s teams made the trip to Lexington for the meet, including Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, Purdue, Southern Illinois, UT Chattanooga and Western Kentucky on the men’s side. For the women, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, EKU, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Purdue, Southern Illinois, UT Chattanooga, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky are set to compete.

In the collection of 32 teams, four were ranked in the United States Track and Field Coaches Association top-25. Ohio State, coming in at No. 21, was the lone ranked men’s team and was coming off a team victory at the 2011 All-Ohio Indoor Track and Field Championship last Saturday. On the women’s side, Southern Illinois was the highest ranked team in the field and the only one to crack the top 10, followed by No. 21 Louisville and No. 24 Ohio State.

The EKU track and field team returns to action this weekend at the Middle Tennessee State Invitational in Murfreesboro, Tenn.