BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University distance runners, senior Kat Pagano and junior Lydia Kosgei, have been named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Indoor Female Track Athletes of the Year, the league office announced on Thursday.

Pagano, who is the reigning OVC cross country champion, a three-time OVC track and field champion and the EKU record-holder in the outdoor 10,000 meters, currently holds the fastest times in the conference in the 3,000 meters (9:51.12) and 5,000 meters (17:09.19, an OVC-best by 43 seconds) and the third-fastest time in the mile (5:02.57). Her 5,000 meters time, which she ran on Feb. 11 at the Washington Husky Indoor Classic, is less than a second off Sarah Blossom’s school record while her 3,000 meters time, which she ran on Jan. 14 at the Kentucky Invitational, is the third-fastest time in school history.

Kosgei, a mid-distance specialist who redshirted the cross country season, currently holds the fastest time in the conference in the mile (4:47.46) and the third-fastest time in the conference in the 800 meters (2:14.30). Her mile time, which she recorded on Feb. 11 when she won her heat at the hotly-contested Washing Husky Indoor Classic, is the third-fastest time in school history.

Other winners include Southeast Missouri's Brianna Egbuka (Female Field Athlete of the Year), Jacksonville State's Shamira Barrett (Female Freshman of the Year), Eastern Illinois' Zye Boey (Male Track Athlete of the Year), SEMO's Brandon Colbert (Male Field Athlete of the Year) and Eastern Illinois' Mick Viken (Male Freshman of the Year).

Pagano and Kosgei are the fourth and fifth EKU runners to be named OVC Indoor Female Track Athletes of the Year since the award was created in 1990. Junior sprinter Diamond Benjamin won the award in 2010 and will join Pagano and Kosgei this weekend at Lantz Field House on the campus of Eastern Illinois as the Colonel women seek to win their first OVC Indoor Track and Field title since 1999.