EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Five University of Southern Indiana Men's and Women's Cross Country runners were recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference in the league's preseason preview Wednesday morning.

The Screaming Eagles return a combined three All-OVC honorees from last year's squads, including the 2025 OVC Male and Female Athlete of the Year honorees in seniors Alex Nolan and Ellie Hall.

Nolan won a combined four OVC titles on the track during the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons, while Hall swept the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races at the 2026 OVC Outdoor Championships.

Including Hall, USI's women return two All-OVC honorees for the 2026 cross country season. Senior Zoe Seward collected second-team All-Conference honors after earning first-team All-OVC accolades in 2023 and 2024.

After putting together outstanding track seasons last spring, junior Addison Applegate and sophomore Kraedyn Young were recognized as OVC Runners to Watch.

Applegate found the podium at the OVC Indoor Championships in both the mile and the 3,000 meters before finishing fourth in the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Championships.

Young, who was the OVC Cross Country Freshman of the Year, had a dominating spring that saw him win OVC titles in the mile as well as the 1,500 meters. He found the podium a combined four times in the OVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, including a second-place showing in the 5,000 meters in May.

Both USI's men and women dominated the OVC's distance events last spring. USI's men earned the top two finishes in the 1,500 meters, the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Championships, while the women and three of the top eight finishers in the 1,500 meters, the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters at the conference meet.

The Screaming Eagles are looking to capture conference titles on the grass for the first time since 2024 as they enter the fall season. USI's men lost out on a tie-breaker to UT Martin at the 2025 OVC Championships, while the women finished third at last year's conference meet.

USI begins the season September 4 when it hosts the Stegemoller Screagle Twilight at the USI Cross Country Course. The OVC Championships are October 30 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.