BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University sophomore distance runners Thijs Nijhuis and Ann Eason were honored by the Ohio Valley Conference on Tuesday for their performances at the Kentucky Invitational this weekend.
Nijhuis was named the adidas OVC Co-Male Indoor Track Athlete of the Week, while Eason was named the adidas OVC Co-Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.
Nijhuis competed in the mile for the first time in his career on Saturday, defeating a field of 22 runners with an OVC-best time of 4:11.90 and edging his nearest competitor, Louisville’s Andrew Stewart, by less than a second. His time is currently the 31st fastest mile time in the country.
A key member of the EKU men’s cross country team that qualified for the NCAA Championships this season, Nijhuis, a native of Sparkaer, Viborg, Denmark, earned first team All-OVC and All-Southeast Region cross country honors in the fall. This is his first-career OVC weekly track and field honor. He is sharing the honor with Southeast Missouri’s Blake Carter.
Eason was the top collegiate finisher in the women’s 3,000 meters on Saturday with a time of 9:39.29. That time is currently the 10th fastest in the country. It is also a personal and OVC-best time, as well as the third fastest time in school history.
Eason, a native of Lexington, was the OVC champion in the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters last spring, and the OVC Female Cross Country Runner of the Year this fall. This is her first-career OVC weekly track and field honor. She is sharing the honor with Austin Peay’s Chantelle Grey.
Nijhuis, Eason and the rest of the EKU track and field team return to action the weekend of Jan. 25-26 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet in Lexington.