~ The Southeast sprinter was named the conference's male outdoor track athlete of the year.

Southeast Missouri State star Miles Smith will enter the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships armed with yet another accolade.

The OVC announced Thursday that Smith was selected as the 2006 OVC male outdoor track athlete of the year.

Early this year, Smith won the same award during the indoor season, and he was also named male athlete of the OVC indoor championship meet.

Smith, a junior sprinter, will be in search of his third straight 400-meter title when Southeast hosts the OVC outdoor meet today and Saturday at the Abe Stuber Complex.

Smith enters the meet with the OVC's top time in the 400, and that mark of 45.74 seconds also ranks him third nationally.

"Miles is very deserving of this honor," Southeast coach Joey Haines said. "He has proven himself to be one of the top runners not only in the country but in the world."

Smith won a gold medal as part of the U.S. 1,600 relay team at last summer's world championships in Finland. He earned a spot on the world team by finishing sixth in the 400 at the U.S. championships.

A St. Louis native, Smith is already a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, having finished fifth at last year's outdoor national meet and seventh at this year's indoor.

Smith and his teammates will attempt to sweep the OVC outdoor meet for the second straight season, as Southeast won both the men's and women's titles last year.

Southeast's women will be gunning for their fourth consecutive OVC outdoor championship and their seventh straight conference title overall. That string includes the last three indoor crowns.

Events begin at 1 p.m. today and 11 a.m. Saturday. Admission is $5 for a full-meet adult pass, $3 daily for adults, $1 daily for children under 18, and free for students of participating schools with student identification.

Other OVC honors

Among the other outdoor award winners announced by the OVC on Thursday were Jacksonville State's Eboni Matthews (female track athlete of the year), Eastern Illinois' Austin Hogue (male field athlete of the year) and Samford's April Howell (female field athlete of the year).

Matthews, a senior sprinter, will be looking to repeat as the OVC 400 champion. She holds the top times in the conference in the 200 (24.22) and 400 (55.40).

Hogue, a junior thrower, ranks first in the OVC in the javelin (204 feet, 10 inches) and discus (152-0).

Howell, a senior jumper, is looking to take her second OVC triple jump title. She holds the top jump in the league (41-1 1/2) while also occupying the top spot in the 100 hurdles (14.06)