EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country sophomores Alex Nolan (Evansville, Indiana) and Zoe Seward (Rochester, Indiana) have been named Ohio Valley Conference Runners to Watch in an announcement by the league office Wednesday.
The announcement comes two days before the Screaming Eagles open their 2024 campaign at the Sam Bell Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana. The women’s 4k is scheduled for 4 p.m. (CDT), while the men’s 6k follows with a 4:40 p.m. start time.
Both Nolan and Seward earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors in 2023 following strong performances throughout the season.
Nolan was USI’s number two finisher on the men’s squad throughout the season and is USI’s top returner after earning second-team All-OVC honors with a 10th-place finish at the OVC Championships. Senior Brady Terry (Philpot, Kentucky) also garnered second-team All-OVC honors thanks to his 13th-place finish at the OVC Championships last fall.
As a team, USI’s men are coming off a second-place finish at the 2023 OVC Championships. Sophomore Jackson Collman (Bethalto, Illinois) added a top-20 finish for the Eagles’ efforts a year ago and figures to be one of USI’s top returners, while senior Dylan Bland (Holland, Indiana) and sophomores Cole Hess (Cannelton, Indiana) and Landen Swiney (Du Quoin, Illinois) should provide depth to the Eagles’ lineup after finishing in USI’s top-seven at the OVC meet a year ago.
Seward emerged as USI’s top finisher on the women’s side by the end of the season. She earned first-team All-OVC honors with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 OVC Championships before claiming a conference title in the 10,000 meters at the 2024 OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The return of junior Micah Peals (Terre Haute, Indiana) will bolster the Eagles’ lineup after she earned second-team All-OVC honors with a 14th-place finish on the grass last season. Senior Audrey Comastri (Indianapolis, Indiana), who has been running well during the early-season workouts, also should make an impact after finishing 15th at the OVC Cross Country Championships last fall.
Two names that could challenge Seward at the top of the lineup late in the season are senior Cameron Hough (Olney, Illinois) and sophomore Ellie Hall (Ferdinand, Indiana). Hough, a two-time Division II All-American, was USI’s top runner for most of the 2023 cross country season before injury derailed her prior to the conference meet.
Hall, the sister of men’s runner Ethan Hall, is a transfer from Southern Illinois University (Carbondale), where she finished 13th at the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships and 64th at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Other returners that figure to make an impact on the Eagles’ depth chart is sophomore Sara Livingston (Jasper, Indiana) and senior Katie Winkler (Santa Claus, Indiana). Both posted top-30 finishes at the OVC Championships last fall, helping the Eagles secure a second-place finish as a team.
