Two receive OVC track awards

Southeast Missouri State took home two Ohio Valley Conference indoor track and field postseason awards announced Thursday.

Josh Uchtman was named male field athlete of the year for the second season in a row, while Tyler Mullen shared male freshman of the year honors. Voting was done by the league's coaches.

"It's a big deal for our program to have two athletes selected for these awards," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said.

Uchtman has had another big season, breaking the school record in the shot put by throwing an OVC-best 60 feet, 8 inches that qualifies him provisionally for the NCAA Championships. He also has the third-best OVC distance in the weight throw at 63-5.

Uchtman, a junior from Steeleville, Ill., is the defending OVC indoor shot put champion. He also was second in the weight throw last year. At the 2009 OVC outdoor meet, he won the shot put and placed second in the discus while qualifying for regionals in both events.

"Josh has just gotten better and better. He's worked his butt off," Crumpecker said.

Mullen, a graduate of Fort Zumwalt South High School in St. Peters, Mo., is a distance runner who has the OVC's second-best time in the 5,000 meters with a mark of 15 minutes, 18.26 seconds.

"That's awesome to win a big award as a freshman," Crumpecker said. "He's had a really good freshman year."

Earlier in the week, Southeast senior thrower Brandon Colbert was named the OVC's male indoor field athlete of the week after breaking his own school record in the weight throw with a toss of 66-7 1/4 during the Redhawks Invitational.

Uchtman, Mullen and Colbert, along with the rest of Southeast's athletes, will compete in the OVC indoor meet today and Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State is the host school.

Southeast's men and women were both second last year, behind Eastern Illinois. Crumpecker believes Southeast's men have a solid chance at bringing home the title, while the women also should challenge for a high finish.

"Our men have a real good shot," Crumpecker said. "I expect both teams to do well."