March 21, 2012
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By Jenna Marina
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF freshman Octavious Freeman received Conference USA's highest honor of the indoor season Wednesday as she was named the Female Track Athlete of the Year. She was awarded the honor by vote of the league's head track and field coaches, and she becomes the first freshman in C-USA history to earn the praise.
Fellow UCF All American Jackie Coward was given the distinction last season, marking the second-straight year that the award has been bestowed to a Knight. UCF now joins Houston and Southern Miss as the only C-USA programs to produce back-to-back Female Athlete of the Year honorees.
Freeman, of Lake Wales, Fla., became the first true freshman named to the Bowerman Watch List during the indoor season. She earned first team All-American honors with a UCF-best ever second-place finish in the 60 Meters (7.15) and a fourth-place finish in the 200 Meters (23.18) at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Both times were personal-best performances.
Freeman also captured the C-USA titles in the 60 Meters and 200 Meters, which earned her Freshman of the Meet and High Point Scorer of the Meet laurels. For her efforts, she was also selected as the South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year.
This is the fourth year C-USA has awarded a male and female Track Athlete of the Year and a Field Athlete of the Year.
2012 Conference USA Indoor Athletes of the Year
Male-Track
Chris O'Hare, Tulsa
Female-Track
Octavious Freeman, UCF
Male-Field
Clayton Chaney, Rice
Female-Field
Tori Bowie, Southern Miss