Southeast Missouri State's Farley earns OVC track honor

The Southeast thrower is named OVC male freshman of the year

By MARTY MISHOW

Southeast Missourian

Kevin Farley's impressive rookie track and field season at Southeast Missouri State was recognized with a major Ohio Valley Conference honor Thursday.

Farley was named the OVC outdoor male freshman of the year. Voting was done by the league's coaches and announced in advance of the OVC outdoor championships that Southeast will host today and Saturday.

"I'm glad for him. He's had a really good freshman year and he deserves it," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said.

Farley is ranked among the OVC's top five in all three throwing events. He leads in the shot put (58 feet, 2 inches), is third in the discus (160-4) and fifth in the hammer throw (171-4).

"He's really taken off. The last time I checked he was ranked seventh in the country in the shot put among all freshmen throwers," Crumpecker said.

Farley was a two-time state shot put champion at Lanphier High School in Springfield, Ill. He finished second in the shot put at this year's OVC indoor meet.

"He did well indoors, but he was kind of just getting adjusted and we were making some technical changes," Crumpecker said. "He's had a great outdoor season for a freshman. Give him a couple of years and I can see him throwing some really big distances.

"He'll have an outstanding career if he continues to improve. The sky's the limit."

Farley is Southeast's first OVC outdoor male freshman of the year since the league instituted the award in 2005.

Southeast has had four OVC indoor male freshman of the year honorees, including jumper Jacob Kent this season.