Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

2012-13:
Cross Country – Named to All-Southeast Region team after finishing 11th at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships with a 10K time of 30:08.32 … placed fourth on the team and 194th overall at the NCAA Championships … earned first team All-OVC honors for the second consecutive fall after finishing as runner-up to Soufiane Bouchikhi at the OVC Championships with an 8K time of 24:28.83 … his performance helped the Colonels with their seventh consecutive conference crown … helped the EKU men stay nationally-ranked throughout the regular season as he repeatedly finished in the team’s top five … ran his best 8K time at the Notre Dame Invitational, when he finished third on the team and 20th overall in 24:11.
Track and Field – Earned honorable mention All-America honors after placing 21st in the men’s 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore … clocked a time of 30:42.41 in that race … ran a personal-best time of 29:42.01 in the 10,000 meters at the Penn Relays in late April to qualify for regionals … accounted for seven points at the OVC Outdoor Championships, finishing fourth in the 1,500 meters (4:01.50) and seventh in the 800 meters (1:54.07 in the prelims) … also recorded season -best times of 3:51.37 in the 1,500 meters and 14:43.07 in the 5,000 meters during the outdoor season … scored points with an eighth-place finish in the 800 meters at the OVC Indoor Championships (ran a personal-best 1:54.00 in the prelims) … was named the OVC Male Runner of the Week on Jan. 15 after recording a 4:11.90 in his mile debut at the Kentucky Invitational … later ran a 4:08.16 mile at the Washington Husky Classic on Feb. 8.

2011-12:
Cross Country - Named first team All-OVC after finishing fifth at the OVC Cross Country Championships and covering the 8K course in a time of 25:39.46 … Named the OVC Male Cross Country Freshman of the Year … placed 64th out of 218 runners at the Southeast Region Championships as the EKU men earned their first-ever team berth in the NCAA Championships … finished 230th at the NCAA Championships.
Track and Field – Sat out the indoor season due to injury but emerged as a force during the outdoor season … ran a personal-best 14:32.31 in the 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays, the opening meet of the outdoor season, and was also a member of the 4x1500 meter relay team (15:45.00) that took second only to Duke at the same meet … Took the bronze and scored six points with a third-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, recording a time of 15:15.49 … competed at the prestigious Penn Relays and finished 14th in the 10,000 meters, posting a personal-best time of 30:29.97 … also ran a personal-best 3:55.42 in the 1,500 meters at the Tennessee Sea Ray Relays.

High School Accomplishments: Finished 34th at the 2010 European Junior Cross Country Championships ... is the Danish Junior National record holder in the indoor 3,000 meters ... placed 10th in the 5,000 meters at the 2011 European Junior Track and Field Championships ...PRs include a 3:54.18 in the 1,500 meters, 8:27.86 in the indoor 3,000 meters, 8:25.21 in the 3,000 meters and 14:29.59 in the 5,000 meters.

Personal: Son of Bennie and Gerda Nijhuis ... major is mathematics.