OVC Track and Field Report (April 27)

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi was named the OVC Male Co-Track Athlete of the Week and junior Kat Pagano was named the OVC Female Co-Track Athlete of the Week following their performances at the Penn Relays this weekend.

Bouchikhi nearly won the men’s 5,000 meters at the talent-laden meet, finishing second and losing only to William and Mary’s Lewis Woodard at the finish line by just 0.2 seconds. The freshman from Belgium, however, did defeat several talented runners, including Florida’s Justin Taylor, Indiana’s Zachary Mayhew, Louisville’s Matt Bruce and Arkansas’ Eric Fernandez.

His time of 14:01.71 is a personal best and is the fastest 5,000 meters time in the OVC by nearly 40 seconds (the second fastest time is 14:40.71, recorded by his teammate David Mutuse at the Penn Relays). The time is also the second fastest in school history behind Jacob Korir’s 13:29.12.

Pagano set a school record in the 10,000 meters, finishing 14th overall with a time of 36:06.00. The time is seven seconds faster than Sarah Blossom’s previous school record of 36:13.15, set in 1999. Pagano was not even on the school’s top-five list for the 10,000 meters entering this season.

The time is also the fastest in the conference by nearly two minutes.

This is the first career OVC Track Athlete of the Week award for both athletes.

Both will enter the OVC Outdoor Championships as favorites to win their respective events, and both have already won two individual OVC titles. Pagano won the 10,000 meters at last year’s OVC Outdoor Championships with a time of 38:21.07 and then won the 5,000 meters at this year’s OVC Indoor Championships with a time of 18:16.98. Bouchikhi won the mile (4:13.42) and the 3,000 meters (8:41.39) at this year’s OVC Indoor Championships.

The OVC Outdoor Championships will take place this weekend, April 30 – May 1, in Cookeville, Tenn.