OVC Cross Country Standouts Honored as Season progresses
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech’s Naomy Lokiles and Eastern Illinois’s Zach Dean were recognized as the OVC Female and Male Runners of the Week, respectively, for performances concluding October 8, the conference announced Tuesday. Lokiles and Dean’s achievements highlight the intensifying competition as teams prepare for the upcoming OVC Championship meet.
The weekly awards acknowledge top cross country athletes within the Ohio Valley Conference. Lokiles’s personal-best 5K time and Dean’s 8K performance signal a rising level of athleticism within the conference, impacting championship standings and NCAA regional qualification hopes. The OVC Championship is scheduled for November 1.
Lokiles, a junior from Kitale, Kenya, achieved a personal-best 5K time of 17:29.5 at the Louisville Cross Country Classic’s Gold Race on October 4. She finished 27th among 305 competitors. Her time ranks as the second-fastest 5K in the OVC this season. Other female nominees included Brenda Torres (Eastern Illinois), Aaliyah Joshua (Little Rock), and Lydia Bennett (Western Illinois).
Dean recorded an 8K time that currently stands as the fastest in the OVC this season. Other male nominees were Michael Atkins (Eastern Illinois), Jordan Smith (Little Rock), Aidan Massey (Morehead State), and Robert Perry (Western Illinois).
Upcoming Schedule – October 11
Tennessee State will compete at the UAH Chargers XC Invite in Huntsville, Alabama, on Saturday, October 11.
