BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University freshman Picoty Leitich was named the Ohio Valley Conference Female Cross Country Runner of the Week on Tuesday, the league office announced. Leitich finished third out of 148 runners at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic on Saturday.

In just her second collegiate race, Leitich covered the 5K course in a time of 18:26.27. Her performance propelled the women’s team to a second place finish out of 17 teams, including preseason OVC favorite, Murray State. The Colonels were edged by the host Commodores by only nine points.

Leitich defeated every OVC runner at the race.

Junior Sylvia Bundotich (fourth place, 18:45.22) and junior Katherine Pagano (eighth place, 18:48.57) also ran strong races for the women's team on Saturday.

This is the first weekly OVC award the EKU cross country team has received in 2009.

The cross country Colonels return to action on Saturday, Oct. 3 when they travel to the Greater Louisville Classic.