Southeast Missouri State throwers awarded OVC Field Athlete of the Year honors

Southeast Missouri State throwers Kevin Farley and Kayla Gutierrez were selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Field Athletes of the Year.

The conference announced track & field athletes of the year on Thursday. The OVC Indoor Championships will be held Friday and Saturday on the campus of Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois.

Farley, a senior who was the Co-Male Field Athlete of the Year following the 2014 indoor track & field season, shares the honor again this season with SIU Edwardsville's La'Derrick Ward.

This marks the first time that Gutierrez, a junior, has been selected as the Female Field Athlete of the Year.

"They have both had good indoor seasons," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said in a press release. "Kevin has led the OVC in both the shot and weight from the beginning of the season and has had a great season with the weight being ranked in the top 20 nationally. Kayla has really improved her shot put as the season has gone along and has led the OVC in the weight since the beginning of the year. Very proud of both of them and what they have accomplished."

Farley broke the school record in the weight throw twice -- at 68 feet, 5 inches in the season opener at Eastern Illinois on Dec. 5, which was also a meet record, and at the Illini Classic on Jan. 17 at 69-6 1/4. His shot put of 59-11 at the Illini Classic, as well as the school weight throw mark, rank first in the conference. He ranks 19th in the nation in the weight throw and 41st in the shot put.

Gutierrez has held the top weight throw in the OVC since recording a mark of 64-3 1/4 at the EIU Early Bird in the season opener.

Her shot put of 48-2 1/2 at the Indiana Relays on Jan. 30 ranks first in the conference as well.

The men's team will try to defend its OVC Indoor Championship title this weekend while the women's team will attempt to regain the top spot. The Redhawk women finished fourth last year after winning the title in 2013.