Runner named MVC Freshman of the Year
The guard becomes the fourth Purple Aces to earn the award
ST LOUIS – Guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in a vote of league coaches, sports information directors, and media members.
Runner made an immediate impact in her first season as a Purple Ace, putting up offensive numbers not seen in over a decade. Runner was rewarded for her season helping lead UE with the MVC Freshman of the Year award. She is the first Evansville player to win the award since guard/forward Abby Feit in 2020.
Along with being named the Freshman of the Year, Runner is the captain of the MVC All-Freshman Team. The guard made her impact known right away in the 2024-25 season by putting up 18 points in her collegiate debut at IU Indy. Over the non-conference season, Runner’s offensive prowess continued to grow including having the Aces’ first 30-point performance since the 2018-19 season.
Once Runner hit MVC play she was an established offensive presence, averaging 17.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. Through 31 games in the regular season, she averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals. Runner ended the season as the highest scoring freshman in the Valley along with the most assists by a first-year player.
Runner also made her mark nationally, particularly at the free throw line. She was sixth among Division I players in both free throw attempts and made free throws. On the season, Runner has taken 243 attempts and made 199 to lead the MVC. She is also the nation’s leading freshman in both categories as Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes is slightly behind in made free throws. Runner is also one of only 10 freshmen ranked nationally in points on the season.
UE has not had a first-year player make an offensive impact like Runner since Sara Dickey in the 2013-2014 season. Dickey went on to become the program’s leading scorer after four years with Evansville after having 546 points in her first season. Runner hasn’t quite made it to 500 career points but has the potential to hit that mark in the 2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament with 27 more points. She has had double-digit performances in all but two games during the regular season.
Runner had two categories where she outperformed Dickey as a freshman, assists and weekly conference honors. With 89 assists in 31 games Runner had the most assists by an Aces freshman since Dakota Weatherford in 2013-14. Runner and Weatherford have a connection as the two guards are both alums of the same high school Hamilton Heights HS just northeast of Indianapolis.
With six MVC Freshman of the Week titles, Runner is UE’s most decorated newcomer in the Missouri Valley Conference in a single season beating out Dickey by one recognition. She is also tied with Belmont’s Jailyn Banks for most MVC Freshman of the Week awards at six. The Valley has only given out Freshman of the Week awards for two seasons having shifted away from freshman being part of the Newcomer of the Week award.
Runner and the Aces are back in action on Thursday evening for the opening round of the MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament. As the 10th seed, UE takes on the seventh-seeded UIC Flames in the Ford Center. Tip-off on Thursday, March 13 is set for 6 p.m. in downtown Evansville.
