Redhawks honored on eve of OVC meet

~ Southeast's Brewer, Colbert selected OVC field athletes of the year.

Southeast Missouri State captured two of the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor track and field postseason awards announced Thursday.

Brandon Colbert was named male field athlete of the year and Ashley Brewer was named female field athlete of the year in voting by the league's coaches.

"Both of them have had great years," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said. "I'm really happy for them. They're very deserving."

Colbert, a junior, has the top discus throw in the OVC this season, 177 feet, 2 inches, which meets the NCAA regional qualifying standard. He was a four-time OVC field athlete of the week this year.

"I think he's ready to throw about 185 feet," Crumpecker said.

A native of Troy, Mo., Colbert still is hampered by an elbow injury that forced him to redshirt during this year's indoor season and the 2008 outdoor campaign.

The injury has prevented Colbert -- who will have surgery following the season -- from competing in the shot put, but he is able to handle the motion for the discus.

"He's got some torn cartilage. I don't think it's anything major, but it just kills him when he throws the shot," Crumpecker said. "The quick snapping action with the shot causes his whole arm to go dead.

"In the discus, you don't snap your arm. It's already locked out, so he's able to do that."

This is Colbert's third OVC male field athlete of the year award as he was honored during his freshman outdoor season in 2007 and during the 2008 indoor campaign.

Colbert already has captured three OVC titles -- the 2007 outdoor discus, 2008 indoor shot put and 2008 indoor weight throw.

"He's been good ever since he's been here," Crumpecker said. "He works his butt off and he just keeps getting better and better."

Brewer, a junior from St. Peters, Mo., holds the OVC's top throws this season in the discus (158-1) and shot put (49-1/4) as she has met the NCAA regional qualifying standards in both events.

In addition, Brewer has the OVC's fifth-best javelin throw this year.

"Ashley has just gotten way better this outdoor season. She has really come around," Crumpecker said. "She only threw one year in high school, so she's still pretty young in that way.

"Those events take time to develop, the experience you get in meets, and she's just now coming into her own with it."

Colbert, Brewer and the rest of Southeast's athletes now will focus on the OVC outdoor meet today and Saturday in Richmond, Ky. Eastern Kentucky is the host school.

Crumpecker thinks Southeast's women have a solid chance at bringing home the title, while he considers his defending champion men's team underdogs because of numerous injuries.

Southeast's men and women both finished second behind Eastern Illinois during the OVC indoor meet in February. The men scored 140 points behind the Panthers' 199 points. The women finished with 108.5 points as the Panthers recorded 146 points.

Both Eastern Illinois squads are considered the favorites this weekend.

"Our men, we have so many guys hurt, we're up against it," Crumpecker said. "We're going to get after it as hard as we can and see what happens, but we've got so many points sitting at home. It's been one of those years."

Of the women, Crumpecker said: "We're pretty healthy and ready to go. They're going to battle for it. Eastern Illinois is the favorite, but we ought to have a strong shot of pulling it off."