RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University track and field teams will compete at the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships February 20-21 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
WHAT TO KNOW

Live Video: Day 1 I Day 2 (ESPN+) I Live Results I Meet Schedule I Championships Central (Rosters, Directions, Parking, Records, etc.)

- It is the first time the OVC Championships will be held at the CrossPlex, a world-renowned competition venue housing one of the fastest indoor hydraulic tracks in the world. 

- The meet gets underway on Wednesday, February 20, with multi events at 10 a.m. ET, field events at 11 a.m. ET and track events at 5:15 p.m. ET. Wednesday will wrap up around 10 p.m. ET with the distance medley relays. Action resumes on Thursday with multi events at 10 a.m. ET, field events at 1 p.m. ET and track events at 1:30 p.m. ET. The meet should wrap up around 5:30 p.m. ET with the 4x400 meter relays. 

- The EKU men will be looking to defend their OVC indoor title from last season. The Colonels have won five indoor titles overall. 

- The EKU women have also won five OVC indoor titles; however, their last championship came in 1999. The Colonels took second place last year. 

- The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+ this year. 

- OVC Ticket Prices:
Adult All-Session - $10.00
Adult Single Day - $5.00
OVC Student Single Day All-Sessions (with ID) - $2.00
Children 13 and under All-Session - $5.00
Children 13 and under Single Day - $2.00
 
MEN'S PREVIEW
 - The EKU men stormed to indoor victory in 2018, and the Colonels look to be a contender for the title again in 2019.

- Eastern owns the top-four 5,000 meters times in the conference – James Sugira (13:37.8), Jaime Romo (14:02.9), Enock Kipchumba (14:21.4) and David Bascuñana (14:31.3). 

- The Colonels own five of the top eight 3,000 meters times in the OVC – Sugira (No. 1 / 7:52.7), Samuel Abascal (No. 2 / 8:15.8), Bascunana (No. 5 / 8:16.9), Romo (No. 7 / 8:19.4) and Remi Schyns (No. 8 / 8:20.4). 

- Five of the top eight mile times in the conference this season also belong to the Colonels – Romo (No. 1 / 4:08.70), Bascunana (No. 2 / 4:08.77), Sugira (No. 4 / 4:11.1), Abascal (No. 5 / 4:11.5) and Schyns (No. 8 / 4:12.3). 

- Junior Nickson Rotich has clocked the fastest 800 meters time in the OVC this winter (1:50.5). 

- The Colonels also bring in some firepower outside of distance events. JP Ferraro owns the No. 5 400 meters time in the OVC (48.93), while Ben Thoms (8.46) and Yoshua Reed (8.48) rank No. 4 and 5, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles. 

- In the field events, Reed currently ranks No. 5 in the high jump (6-7), Brandon Brookfield ranks No. 2 in the pole vault (15-1) and Jacob Alleyne ranks No. 5 in both the long jump (21-10.75) and the triple jump (44-8.25). 

- Reed, meanwhile, is the defending OVC heptathlon champion and he comes into this week's meet with the best score in the OVC (4,977). 

WOMEN'S PREVIEW
 - A veteran EKU women's team took second at the 2018 OVC Indoor Championships; however, a much younger squad will compete at this year's meet.

- Sophomore Ashley Barr (No. 5 / 2:15.2) and freshman Lou Trois (No. 6 / 2:16.5) have a good opportunity to score points in the 800 meters. 

- Trois (No. 5 / 5:04.1) and seniors Alondra Hoyos (No. 7 / 5:06.3) and Meggan Grams (No. 9 / 5:08.2) should all be factors in the mile. 

- Hoyos (No. 6 / 10:05.4), freshman Jeanne Reix Charat (No. 8 / 10:10.8) and senior Gladys Cheruiyot (No. 9 / 10:11.7) have posted top-10 3,000 meters times in the conference. 

- Cheruiyot also ranks No. 7 in the 5,000 meters in the OVC (17:45.5). 

- Senior Nicole Goderwis (No. 9 in the 400 meters / 57.60) and junior Hailey Lacy (No. 5 in the pentathlon / 3,187 points) will also look to score points at this week's meet. 

UP NEXT 
The NCAA Indoor Championships will be held March 8-9 at the same venue, the CrossPlex, in Birmingham, Alabama.