MOREHEAD, Ky. – A bit of the old, a bit of the new.
That sentiment summarizes the Morehead State cross country runners named as Ohio Valley Conference cross country "Runners to Watch", a list which the league office released on Wednesday.
MSU had three individuals recognized, doctoral student
Aidan Massey, plus freshmen
Jake Hagan and
Shelby Lamb. Massey finished fifth at the OVC Championships last fall and was listed as a returning all-conference performer. Hagan and Lamb were the official picks for "Runners to Watch".
Each school had one male and one female selected for the latter honor.
"Massey is looking better than ever. His workouts have been very promising," said head coach
Clay Dixon. "Jake has been looking very consistent with his workouts and should be able to transition well to the longer cross country distance. Shelby has been our top girl in workouts the last couple weeks and is primed for a solid freshman season this fall."
This is the third year the league has recognized individuals in the preseason. Last year, Massey and
Abby Taylor were MSU's representatives. In 2024,
Peyton Fairchild and
Lucy Singleton were the selections.
Massey is one of five returning all-conference males. His fifth-place finish was the best for an Eagle since 2017, garnering him All-OVC First-Team honors. Only Southern Indiana's Alex Nolan (third) and UT Martin's Angus Monro (fourth) are returning with better performances at last October's championship meet.
Massey currently sits eighth on MSU's all-time top performer's list in the 8K. He led the team in the final four races of the year after being the second Eagle in his first race. A native of Olathe, Kan., Massey is in his second year at Morehead State after previous stops at Baker University and Emporia State, which are both located in Kansas.
"It's nice to hear I've been recognized again. Really, I've just been grateful for this opportunity ever since my phone call with Coach Dixon in December of 2024, right before campus shut down," he said. "For this season, I'm honestly obsessed with getting better every day. I've never been more intentional about my training than I am right now. I'm running more mileage; I'm getting quicker across every type of run and mentally I feel completely primed for what's ahead. … I feel like I'm in the best fitness I've ever been in and I'm hungry to get after it in these races.
"Coach Dixon writes it up nice, all I have to do is stay dialed (in). God is looking out for me, and I trust the plan He has laid out for me this season," he added. "I've been doing this running thing for a decade now and none of it would be possible without all the love and support I get from my family. … and I just want to make this last fall a rowdy one."
Hagan hails from Louisville, Ky., and Trinity High School, where he finished 14th at the Class AAA state cross country meet as a senior. At the regional meet, he placed fourth. Trinity has such a loaded program, Hagan did not even qualify to run at regional competitions in his previous seasons at the school. Trinity finished second in the state and won the regional with a perfect score of 15 in 2026.
"Being named one of the 'Runners to Watch' for the OVC is a great honor and I am very appreciative," Hagan said. "Since we got to campus, the team has been completely locked in. We have all been doing the little things - core, weights, crushing our workouts and recovery - and we're all ready to rip this season.
"Individually, it's hard to think about goals other than the team being the best I can be, especially since I am a freshman, but I'm working to get into that all-conference second team," he added.
Lamb is the younger sister of Eagle junior
Carter Lamb. A native of Richmond, Ky., and graduate of Madison Central High School, she placed in the top seven at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Class AAA State Championships three times in her career, including seventh this past season. She qualified for the state meet five times and won the regional title in her last two years. She also was a six-time all-region selection and holds the school record in cross country both at MCHS and her middle school.
"I'm really honored and excited to be named an OVC 'Runner to Watch'. I'm really proud to be part of the Morehead State team and excited to see what we can accomplish together this season," she said. "Individually, I'm hoping to continue improving throughout the year, compete at a high level and help contribute to the team's success. I'm really looking forward to the season and seeing what we can accomplish!"
In addition to Massey, Nolan and Monro, Eastern Illinois' Cale Smith and UT Martin's Keagan Enicks are also returning all-conference performers. Among the women, two-time defending champ Nova Ojutkangas of Southeast Missouri, Lydia Bennett of Western Illinois, and Ellie Hall and Zoe Seward of Southern Indiana are also back.
Joining Hagan on the watch list were Eastern Illinois' Jiberil Lesman, Lindenwood's Isaac Ndiwa, Southeast Missouri's Myles Thornburg, SIU Edwardsville's Christian Knobloch, Southern Indiana's Kraedyn Young, Tennessee State's Aaron Davis, UT Martin's Will Douglas and Western Illinois' Eason Comer.
For the women, the list includes: Eastern Illinois' Avery Braker, Lindenwood's Makenna Smith, Southeast Missouri's Lauren Eftink, SIU Edwardsville's Erica Woodard, Southern Indiana's Addison Applegate, Tennessee State's Jurneed Rutherford, UT Martin's Reese Settle and Western Illinois' Emma-Kate Watt, in addition to Lamb.
The OVC Championships will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 at the Sages Centre Cross Country Course in Cape Girardeau, Mo. MSU will open its season on Friday, Sept. 4 at the EKU Invitational.
