MOREHEAD, Ky. — Morehead State Rifle student-athlete
Hayden Bell has earned one of six Scholar-Athlete Awards from the Ohio Valley Conference for 2025-26. The award is the highest individual honor bestowed upon student-athletes at OVC institutions.
Bell is the sixth rifle athlete to ever earn one of the Scholar-Athlete awards and is the 18
th male winner in history from Morehead State. He joins volleyball/beach volleyball student-athlete M.E. Hargan as winners from MSU this year. Morehead State now has 35 all-time Scholar-Athletes, third in league history.
"I am truly honored to receive such a prestigious award. Even just to be nominated for this award has been a huge honor for me, but to actually be named an OVC Scholar Athlete is a dream come true," he said. "In my time at Morehead State, I have seen many outstanding athletes earn this award, including some of my previous teammates, and so the feeling of joining those ranks is nothing short of exhilarating."
Bell serves as team captain for MSU Rifle. He has earned All-OVC honors in each of his seasons with the Eagles, including second-team honors in both air rifle and smallbore last season. Last year, Bell earned a spot to compete at the NCAA Championships in Air Rifle, shooting a school record 598 in the qualifying event to advance to the championships in Lexington, Ky. He also competed for Team USA at the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) Junior World Championships in Peru.
In the classroom he has a 3.83 grade point average in mathematics. He has been named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll three times, honored as CSC Academic All-District twice, and named to the CRCA Scholastic All-American Team three times.
On campus he has been a senator in the Student Government Association and member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He was awarded the OVC Community Service award last year for his involvement in the community. His volunteer activities included working with local elementary schools, a domestic abuse shelter, a local food bank and Athletes in Action.
