OVC RELEASE

Morehead, Ky. – Lucy Singleton's record-setting performance at last Saturday's Marshall Classic has led to another historic milestone after the Ohio Valley Conference announced today that she was named as the OVC's Indoor Track and Field co-Freshman of the Week. She is the first Eagle runner in Morehead State history to be so honored.

Singleton won the 600-meter run and broke the meet record with a time of 1:38.33. Marshall's Mikah Alleyne set the prior mark of 1:39.05 in 2020. The race was so fast that runner-up Astoria Beckett of Marshall also bettered the record with her time of 1:38.99.

"Being honest, I'm speechless," Singleton said of the award. "Going in to (the Marshall Classic), I was not expecting to do this well or to get an award like this. I don't really have any words, but I'm really proud and I'm excited to see that my work has paid off. And I'm honored for sure."

Singleton shared the weekly honor with JayleAna Wyatt of Tennessee-Martin, who won a pair of sprints at the Redhawk Invite.

"It's really nice to be recognized. Sometimes you can go a whole year without getting an OVC Athlete or Freshman of the Week award, so we'll take the recognition when we can," MSU track and field coach Clay Dixon said. "She was pleased from ear-to-ear and got a little standing ovation from the team when I told her. It's really cool. It's uplifting not only to her and the coaches, but for the whole team that we can be noticed when we go out there and do well. It shows that all of her practicing has paid off."

Jarrett Mattingly was MSU's last OVC Track Athlete of the Week recipient when he was recognized for his victorious 10,000-meter performance at Southeast Missouri's Joey Haines Invitational on April 3, 2020. The last Eagle woman to be honored was Karina Manz, who was the co-Female Athlete of the Week on both April 2 and April 16, 2014.

According to available records, MSU Hall of Famer Karen Lutes was the last Eagle to win an OVC accolade for indoor track and field when she was named the conference's co-Athlete of the Year in 2003. Lutes also won the OVC Athlete of the Year outright in 2000.

Singleton's accomplishment is all the more impressive considering it was the first time she had ever run in a competitive 600m race.

"My plan going in to the race was to go with whomever was up front and try and stick with them," she said. "When I started, I was feeling really good. At the beginning, we had to stay in our lane until the second curve. I tried to keep my place until the curve and then when I cut in, I took the lead there. By that point we'd hit the first lap and I told myself to stay calm and keep striding and stay with the other girls or not let them get too far ahead. With 150 meters to go, I started to feel (Beckett) on me. I wanted to keep my pace going and then when we got down to 60 meters to go, I took off and gave it all I got and hoped that she stayed behind me the whole time."

"Lucy pretty much led wire-to-wire. I don't think there was any point when she was not in the lead. It was an exciting race," Dixon said. "The Marshall girl (Beckett) pulled up close right next to her with a lap to go, but Lucy just gave a surge and kept the lead. Then with about 150 meters to go that same Marshall girl pulled close again and Lucy just kicked in with anther gear and just pulled away. It was just classic middle-distance racing."

At the season-opening Marshall Opener on Dec. 2, Singleton finished second overall and first on the team in the 400-meter run (1:02.43). She led MSU at the OVC Cross Country Championship by placing 18th (19:06.4). She also was the team's top finisher at the Louisville Cross Country Classic (19:18.8) and was second on the squad at the NCAA Southeast Regional placing 177th in 23:38.3.

It is too early in the season for Dixon to gauge how Singleton stacks up against the rest of the conference, but he is excited to see how much progress she has made in such a short time.

"She's done phenomenal. She shows up, does her job and (also) gets good grades. Plus, it's unusual for a freshman to do that well right off the bat, normally it takes a year or two," Dixon said. "She's taken a hold of her training and she's a joy to coach. It's still really early to judge her against the rest of the OVC, but still it's promising to see her go out and get a 1:38 in a 600m. Hopefully, this weekend she can go out there and get a 'pr' in the 800(meter run). This weekend we'll get a chance to see where the rest of the conference is at, but she should be in line to score some points (at the OVC meet)."

On Friday, Morehead State will compete in the Bellarmine Open "Presented by Urban Shipper" which will be held at the Norton Health Care Sports and Learning Center in Louisville. OVC members Tennessee-Martin and Murray State are also slated to compete. The first event begins at 11 a.m.