BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University distance runners, sophomore Soufiane Bouchikhi and junior Lydia Kosgei, were honored by the Ohio Valley Conference on Tuesday for their performances at the Penn Relays. Bouchikhi was named the OVC Co-Male Track Athlete of the Week, while Kosgei was named the OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week.

It is the second straight week, and third time this outdoor season, that Bouchikhi has been named the OVC Track Athlete of the Week. The native of Antwerp, Belgium nearly won the men’s 5,000 meters on Thursday night at Franklin Field, losing by less than a second to Eastern Michigan’s Terefe Ejigu with a time of 14:00.52 and defeating athletes from schools such as TCU, Indiana, William and Mary, Michigan and Florida. Bouchikhi was also edged out of a 5,000 meters championship at the Penn Relays last year, losing to William and Mary’s Lewis Woodard (whom he beat this year) by less than a second with a time of 14:01.71.

Bouchikhi’s personal-best 5,000 meters time of 13:54.37, which he ran at the Indiana Polytan Invitational on April 22, is the fastest in the OVC and the 13th fastest in the East Region.

Kosgei, meanwhile, nearly broke a 33-year old school record in the women’s 5,000 meters on Thursday night at the talent-laden Penn Relays, finishing second in the event with a personal and OVC-best time of 16:07.14, losing only to Michigan State’s Emily MacLeod (16:00.40) and defeating athletes from schools such as Texas, Mississippi State, Penn State, Duke, Florida and Michigan. The Eldoret, Kenya native’s time is just over two seconds off the EKU record of 16:05.0, set by Sue Schaefer in 1978.

Kosgei’s time is also the fifth fastest in the East Region and the 21st fastest in the country so far this year.

Bouchikhi will share this week’s honor with Eastern Illinois’ Graham Morris. Other winners this week include EIU’s Tyler Carter (Male Field Athlete of the Week) and EIU’s Abigail Schmitz (Female Field Athlete of the Week).

Bouchikhi, Kosgei and the rest of the EKU track and field team return to action this weekend at the OVC Outdoor Championships in Murray, Ky.