Baldwin Named Top OVC Freshman Runner

Sunday, November 2 2014 - OVC Championships (XC)


Maria Baldwin becomes third Panther women's runner to win the award
 
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois women's cross country runner Maria Baldwin has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Female Freshman Runner of the Year as voted on by the league coaches and awarded on Friday night at the OVC Cross Country Awards banquet.
 
Baldwin, a true freshman from Toluca, has been one of the Panthers top runners this season consistently finishing in the top three scored runners.   In her collegiate debut she placed second at the EIU Walt Crawford running a 5K time of 18:36.68.   She posted a season best time of 18:22.68 for the 5K distance at the Louisville Classic in early October.
 
EIU will compete in the OVC Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning in Oxford, Alabama with a 9 a.m. start time.
 
Baldwin becomes the third EIU women's runner to earn OVC Female Freshman of the Year honors.   Jessica Blondell (2005) and Erin O'Grady (2006) won the award as the top freshman finisher at the OVC Championships.   Starting the with the 2011 season the award was voted on by the league coaches.